Το λουκάνικο θέλει λίγη ρίγανη, αλλά στο νερό βάζω μόνο δυόσμο και λεμόνι.

Not literally. In everyday Greek, θέλω normally means to want, but with food it often means to need, to take, or to go well with.

So:

• Το λουκάνικο θέλει λίγη ρίγανη
  = The sausage needs / takes a little oregano

This is a very common Greek way to talk about cooking. You can think of it as a natural, idiomatic use, not a strange personification.

Greek often uses the definite article more often than English does.

Here, το λουκάνικο means:

• the sausage
• or more generally sausage as the thing being discussed

In Greek, when talking about a specific food item in front of you, or even a food in a general but concrete way, using the article is very normal.

So although English might sometimes say just sausage, Greek often prefers το λουκάνικο.

Because λίγος / λίγη / λίγο changes form to agree with the noun.

ρίγανη is a feminine singular noun, so the correct form is:

• λίγη ρίγανη = a little oregano

Compare:

• λίγος for masculine
• λίγη for feminine
• λίγο for neuter

So this is just adjective agreement.

Because it is being used as an indefinite amount of a substance: some oregano.

Greek often leaves out the article with ingredients or substances when the meaning is general or indefinite:

• λίγη ρίγανη = a little oregano
• νερό = water
• λεμόνι = lemon

If you added the article, it would sound more specific, like a particular oregano or a known lemon in context. Here, the speaker just means the ingredient in general.

στο is a contraction of:

• σε + το = στο

So:

• στο νερό = in the water / into the water

This is extremely common in Greek. Similar contractions are:

• στο = σε το
• στη = σε τη(ν)
• στον = σε τον
• στα = σε τα

So στο νερό βάζω... literally means I put ... in the water.

The sentence uses mainly nominative and accusative.

Nominative

Used for the subject:

• Το λουκάνικο = the subject of θέλει

Accusative

Used for direct objects:

• λίγη ρίγανη = what the sausage needs
• δυόσμο
• λεμόνι = what I put in the water

Also after σε, Greek uses the accusative, so:

• στο νερό = σε + το νερό
  and νερό here is accusative

In this sentence, some forms look the same in nominative and accusative, especially neuter nouns like λουκάνικο, νερό, and λεμόνι.

Greek often uses the present tense for:

• habitual actions
• general cooking practice
• what someone usually does

So:

• στο νερό βάζω μόνο δυόσμο και λεμόνι

can mean:

• I only put mint and lemon in the water
• I usually put only mint and lemon in the water

It does not have to mean only this exact moment. In recipe-style or cooking conversation, the present is very natural.

μόνο means only, and its position tells you what it is limiting.

Here:

• βάζω μόνο δυόσμο και λεμόνι

means:

• I put only mint and lemon

So μόνο applies to the ingredients being added.

If you moved μόνο, the emphasis could shift. Greek word order is flexible, but word placement often affects focus.

Because they are being mentioned as ingredients in a general, indefinite way.

• μόνο δυόσμο και λεμόνι
  = only mint and lemon

This is very normal in Greek when listing ingredients. English does something similar too: Add mint and lemon rather than Add the mint and the lemon, unless specific ones are meant.

Also, δυόσμο is the accusative form of δυόσμος, while λεμόνι is neuter and has the same form in nominative and accusative.

Because δυόσμος is a masculine noun, and here it is the direct object of βάζω, so it goes into the accusative:

• nominative: ο δυόσμος
• accusative: τον δυόσμο

Since the article is omitted here, you just see the noun form δυόσμο.

This is a useful thing to notice: when the article is missing, the noun ending itself may still show the case.

Here it simply means but and connects the two parts of the sentence:

• Το λουκάνικο θέλει λίγη ρίγανη
• αλλά στο νερό βάζω μόνο δυόσμο και λεμόνι

So the speaker is contrasting two choices:

• oregano with the sausage
• mint and lemon in the water

It is the normal everyday word for but.

That order would also be possible. Greek word order is more flexible than English.

The actual sentence:

• αλλά στο νερό βάζω μόνο δυόσμο και λεμόνι

puts στο νερό earlier for emphasis or topic. It highlights the place or context first:

• but in the water, I only put mint and lemon

So the speaker is contrasting not just ingredients, but also where they go.

It behaves like an adjective/determiner agreeing with the noun.

• λίγη ρίγανη = a little oregano

In English, a little can feel like a fixed quantity phrase. In Greek, λίγος / λίγη / λίγο changes form according to gender, number, and case, so learners should treat it as a word that agrees with the noun rather than one invariable form.

It sounds natural and conversational, especially in a cooking context.

A Greek speaker might say this when explaining how they prepare something:

• the sausage needs a little oregano
• but in the water I add only mint and lemon

So the sentence is not highly formal or literary. It is a good example of everyday Greek used for food and cooking.