Σαπουνίζω καλά τα χέρια μου πριν φάω.

Σαπουνίζω literally means to soap or to lather with soap.

So Σαπουνίζω καλά τα χέρια μου is literally I soap my hands well.

In natural English, you would usually say I wash my hands well with soap or simply I wash my hands thoroughly.

It is not exactly the same as πλένω:

• πλένω = I wash
• σαπουνίζω = I apply soap to / I soap

So σαπουνίζω focuses on the use of soap, while πλένω is the more general verb for washing.

Σαπουνίζω is:

• present tense
• first person singular
• active voice

So it means I soap / I am soaping.

In this sentence, the present tense expresses a habit or general routine:

• Σαπουνίζω καλά τα χέρια μου πριν φάω.
• I wash/soap my hands well before I eat.

So the meaning is something like This is what I do habitually.

Greek often drops subject pronouns when they are not needed, because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

Here, -ίζω in σαπουνίζω tells you the subject is I.

So:

• Σαπουνίζω = I soap / I wash with soap
• Εγώ σαπουνίζω = I soap with extra emphasis on I

You would add εγώ only if you want contrast or emphasis, for example:

• Εγώ σαπουνίζω τα χέρια μου, αλλά αυτός όχι.
• I wash my hands with soap, but he doesn’t.

Greek normally uses the definite article with body parts and with possessive expressions like this.

So:

• τα χέρια μου = my hands
• literally: the hands my

This structure is very common in Greek:

• το σπίτι μου = my house
• η μητέρα μου = my mother
• τα μάτια μου = my eyes

For an English speaker, it feels unusual because English usually does not say the my hands, but Greek does use the article here.

In this kind of possessive structure, Greek normally places the weak possessive pronoun after the noun:

• τα χέρια μου = my hands
• το βιβλίο μου = my book

So μου here means my, but grammatically it is the same form as the weak genitive pronoun of me.

That is why Greek literally looks more like:

• the hands of me

Even though the natural English translation is just my hands.

Τα χέρια is the accusative plural form, because it is the direct object of the verb σαπουνίζω.

You are doing the action to the hands:

• σαπουνίζω τι; → τα χέρια
• I soap what? → the hands

Here are the forms of χέρι:

• το χέρι = the hand
• τα χέρια = the hands

In this sentence, τα χέρια μου is the object: my hands.

Καλά here means well.

It modifies the verb σαπουνίζω, so it tells you how the action is done:

• Σαπουνίζω καλά = I soap/wash well
• more natural English: I wash thoroughly

In this sentence, καλά does not mean good in the adjective sense. It is the adverb form, meaning well / properly / thoroughly.

Because it is modifying the verb, not the noun.

So:

• σαπουνίζω καλά = I wash well
• τα χέρια μου = my hands

Greek word order is fairly flexible, but this order is very natural:

• Σαπουνίζω καλά τα χέρια μου...

It keeps the adverb close to the verb.

You could sometimes hear different word orders for emphasis, but this version is straightforward and normal.

Πριν φάω means before I eat.

It introduces an action that happens before another action.

So the sentence means:

• I wash my hands well before I eat.

The first action:

• Σαπουνίζω καλά τα χέρια μου = I wash/soap my hands well

The second action:

• φάω = I eat

And πριν connects them:

• before I eat

This is a very common question, because Greek uses two different stems for eat:

• τρώω = present/imperfective stem
• φάω = aorist/perfective stem

After πριν, Greek often uses the subjunctive with the aorist stem when referring to a single event:

• πριν φάω = before I eat

So φάω here is not the ordinary present I eat. It is the form used for a single, complete action in this kind of clause.

Compare:

• τρώω = I eat / I am eating / I eat in general
• να φάω = that I eat / for me to eat / to eat once
• πριν φάω = before I eat

Yes, φάω is functioning as a subjunctive form, even though να is not written.

After πριν, Greek can use the subjunctive without να:

• πριν φάω = before I eat

So this is a special pattern learners need to get used to.

You may also encounter:

• πριν να φάω

But in modern Greek, πριν φάω is very common and natural.

Yes, you may hear or see πριν να φάω, and it is understandable.

However, πριν φάω is very common and often more natural in everyday modern Greek.

So for a learner, the safest thing is:

• recognize both
• use πριν φάω confidently

Modern Greek does not have an infinitive in the way English does.

Instead of an infinitive, Greek usually uses:

• a finite verb form
• often in the subjunctive

So where English might use:

• before eating
• before I eat

Greek naturally says:

• πριν φάω

This is one of the big structural differences between English and Greek.

The sentence is understandable and grammatically fine, but in everyday speech many Greeks might more naturally say:

• Πλένω καλά τα χέρια μου πριν φάω.
• I wash my hands well before I eat.

or

• Πλένω καλά τα χέρια μου με σαπούνι πριν φάω.
• I wash my hands well with soap before I eat.

That is because σαπουνίζω specifically means soap/lather, while πλένω is the more usual general verb for wash.

So your sentence is correct, but πλένω may sound more idiomatic in many situations.

It can suggest any of those, depending on context.

In this sentence, καλά most naturally means:

• well
• properly
• thoroughly

So the sentence could be translated in natural English as:

• I wash my hands well before I eat.
• I wash my hands properly before I eat.
• I wash my hands thoroughly before I eat.

All of those fit the Greek meaning.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

sa-poo-NEE-zo ka-LA ta KHE-ria moo preen FA-o

A few notes:

• σ = like English s
• ου = oo
• χ in χέρια is a throaty sound, like the ch in German ich or a softer Scottish loch, depending on the following vowel
• πριν = preen
• φάω is pronounced in two syllables: FA-o

Yes. Φάω is normally pronounced as two syllables:

• φά-ω

The accent shows that the stress falls on the first part:

• Φάω → FA-o

This is useful because English speakers may expect it to sound like one syllable, but in standard pronunciation it is typically two.

It most naturally describes a habit or general routine:

• I wash my hands well before I eat.

Greek present tense can sometimes describe what is happening now, but with πριν φάω, the whole sentence strongly suggests a repeated personal habit or normal practice.

If you wanted a very immediate, right-now sense, context would usually make that clear.