Ο προϊστάμενος της φίλης μου διάβασε προσεκτικά τη σύμβαση και της εξήγησε κάθε λεπτομέρεια.

Because Greek uses the genitive to show possession or close relationships.

• η φίλη μου = my friend
• της φίλης μου = of my friend / my friend’s

So:

• Ο προϊστάμενος της φίλης μου literally means the boss of my friend
• In natural English, that is my friend’s boss

The noun φίλη changes to φίλης because it is in the genitive singular.

No. They look the same, but they do different jobs.

1. In της φίλης μου, της is the genitive article meaning of the

   • της φίλης = of the friend

2. In της εξήγησε, της is a weak object pronoun meaning to her

   • της εξήγησε = he explained to her

So the first της is an article, while the second της is a pronoun.

Greek possessive pronouns like μου, σου, του, της are usually placed after the noun.

So:

• η φίλη μου = my friend
• το βιβλίο μου = my book

When the noun changes case, μου stays the same:

• της φίλης μου = of my friend
• του βιβλίου μου = of my book

Unlike English, Greek does not normally put my before the noun as a separate word.

Because σύμβαση is the direct object of διάβασε.

• η σύμβαση = nominative, used for the subject
• τη σύμβαση = accusative, used for the direct object

Here, the boss is the one doing the action, and the contract is what was read, so Greek uses the accusative:

• διάβασε τη σύμβαση = read the contract

Also, τη is the shortened everyday form of την before a consonant. Both may be seen, but τη σύμβαση is very normal in modern Greek.

διάβασε is the aorist form, which is the normal Greek past tense for a completed action.

So here it means:

• he/she read

It presents the action as a whole, not as ongoing.

Compare:

• διάβασε = read / finished reading
• διάβαζε = was reading / used to read

In this sentence, the idea is that the boss read the contract and then explained it, so the aorist is the natural choice.

Yes. εξήγησε is also aorist.

So the sentence has two completed past actions:

• διάβασε = read
• εξήγησε = explained

This gives a clear sequence: he read the contract and explained every detail to her.

If Greek wanted to emphasize an ongoing or repeated action, it would use different forms, such as εξηγούσε.

Because short object pronouns in Greek usually go before the finite verb.

So:

• της εξήγησε = he explained to her
• μου είπε = he told me
• τους έδωσε = he gave them

This is very common in Greek. English puts to her after the verb, but Greek often puts the weak pronoun before it.

Because κάθε means each / every, and after it Greek normally uses a singular noun.

So:

• κάθε λεπτομέρεια = every detail
• κάθε μέρα = every day
• κάθε παιδί = every child

This is similar to English, where we also say every detail, not every details.

Because κάθε normally does not need an article in this kind of meaning.

So Greek says:

• κάθε λεπτομέρεια = every detail

not usually

• η κάθε λεπτομέρεια

The version with the article can exist in special contexts, but it is not the normal neutral phrasing here.

προσεκτικά is an adverb, meaning it describes how the reading was done.

• διάβασε προσεκτικά = read carefully

It comes from the adjective προσεκτικός / προσεκτική / προσεκτικό = careful.

So:

• προσεκτικός άνθρωπος = a careful person
• προσεκτικά = carefully

Greek word order is more flexible than English, although some orders sound more natural in context.

The given sentence is very natural:

• Ο προϊστάμενος της φίλης μου διάβασε προσεκτικά τη σύμβαση και της εξήγησε κάθε λεπτομέρεια.

But Greek could move things around for emphasis, for example:

• Τη σύμβαση την διάβασε προσεκτικά ο προϊστάμενος της φίλης μου...
• Κάθε λεπτομέρεια της εξήγησε...

That said, the original version is a straightforward, neutral order: subject + verb + adverb + object + and + pronoun + verb + object.

Because it is understood that the same subject continues.

The first clause gives the subject clearly:

• Ο προϊστάμενος της φίλης μου

Then the second clause simply continues with the same person:

• και της εξήγησε κάθε λεπτομέρεια

Greek does not need to repeat he or the full noun phrase unless there is a reason to emphasize or clarify.

English also often does this:

• My friend’s boss read the contract carefully and explained every detail to her.

προϊστάμενος usually means supervisor, manager, or person in charge. Depending on context, English might translate it as boss.

It is a masculine noun here:

• ο προϊστάμενος = the male supervisor / manager

A feminine version would be:

• η προϊσταμένη = the female supervisor / manager

So the sentence specifically refers to a male person.

Those two dots are a diaeresis. They show that the ι is pronounced separately and does not combine with the previous vowel into one sound.

So προϊστάμενος is pronounced roughly as:

• pro-i-STA-me-nos

not as if οι were a single vowel sound here.

This spelling helps the reader know how to pronounce the word correctly.

Yes, by itself διάβασε can also be the singular imperative read!

But in this sentence, the context makes it clearly a past-tense verb:

• Ο προϊστάμενος ... διάβασε ... και της εξήγησε ...

Because there is a clear subject and the sentence narrates past events, the meaning is unmistakably he read, not a command.

Because Greek often uses the definite article where English may or may not use it, especially with a specific person already identifiable in context.

So:

• Ο προϊστάμενος της φίλης μου = my friend’s boss

The article ο shows that this is a specific boss, not just any boss.

Without the article, the phrase would sound different and usually would not fit this sentence naturally.