Ο σερβιτόρος ήταν πολύ ευγενικός, και στο τέλος αφήσαμε ένα μικρό φιλοδώρημα.

Ο is the masculine singular nominative form of the.

It is used because σερβιτόρος (waiter) is:

• masculine
• singular
• the subject of the clause

So Ο σερβιτόρος means the waiter.

Greek articles change form depending on:

• gender
• number
• case

Here, nominative is used because the waiter is the one being described as polite.

σερβιτόρος is a loanword, ultimately from Italian. It is very common in Modern Greek and means waiter.

Even though it is borrowed, Greek treats it like a normal masculine noun:

• ο σερβιτόρος = the waiter
• του σερβιτόρου = of the waiter

So from a learner’s point of view, you can treat it as an ordinary masculine noun ending in -ος.

ήταν is the imperfect of είμαι (to be), third person singular.

So:

• είναι = he/she/it is
• ήταν = he/she/it was

In this sentence, it describes a past state:

• Ο σερβιτόρος ήταν πολύ ευγενικός = The waiter was very polite

The imperfect is often used for:

• background description
• ongoing states in the past
• repeated past situations

Here it is simply describing what the waiter was like.

Here πολύ means very, so it is being used as an adverb modifying the adjective ευγενικός.

As an adverb, πολύ does not change:

• πολύ καλός = very good
• πολύ όμορφη = very beautiful
• πολύ αργό = very slow

So in this sentence:

• πολύ ευγενικός = very polite

Be careful: πολύς / πολλή / πολύ can also be an adjective meaning much / many, and then it does change. But here it is the adverb very.

ευγενικός is masculine singular nominative because it agrees with σερβιτόρος.

Greek adjectives must match the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

So:

• ο σερβιτόρος ήταν ευγενικός = masculine singular
• η σερβιτόρα ήταν ευγενική = feminine singular
• το παιδί ήταν ευγενικό = neuter singular

Since σερβιτόρος is masculine singular nominative, the adjective must also be ευγενικός.

Greek usually does not need subject pronouns, because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

αφήσαμε means we left:

• the ending -σαμε tells you it is 1st person plural

So Greek often says:

• Αφήσαμε ένα φιλοδώρημα = We left a tip

without adding εμείς (we).

You can add εμείς if you want emphasis:

• Εμείς αφήσαμε ένα φιλοδώρημα = We left a tip / It was we who left a tip

αφήσαμε is the aorist of αφήνω, first person plural.

So:

• αφήνω = I leave / I am leaving
• αφήσαμε = we left

The Greek aorist is commonly used for a completed action in the past. That fits well here, because leaving the tip is a single finished event.

Greek often uses αφήνω (leave) for leaving a tip, just as English does.

So:

• αφήσαμε ένα φιλοδώρημα = we left a tip

You could also sometimes hear expressions with other verbs in different contexts, but αφήνω φιλοδώρημα is very natural and idiomatic.

Also remember that αφήνω has several meanings depending on context:

• leave
• let
• allow
• put down / leave behind

Here the meaning is specifically leave a tip.

στο τέλος literally means at the end.

It is made from:

• σε = in / at / to
• το = the

These combine into:

• στο = in the / at the / to the

So:

• στο τέλος = at the end

In this sentence it means something like:

• at the end
• in the end
• when it was over / when we were finished

In a restaurant context, it naturally means at the end of the meal / before leaving.

In Modern Greek, σε + το normally contracts to στο.

This is very common:

• σε + το → στο
• σε + τη(ν) → στη(ν)
• σε + τα → στα

So:

• στο σπίτι = in/to the house
• στο τέλος = at the end

You should think of στο as the normal everyday form.

Because φιλοδώρημα is a neuter singular noun, the article and adjective must match it.

So:

• ένα = a / one, neuter singular
• μικρό = small, neuter singular
• φιλοδώρημα = tip, neuter singular

That gives:

• ένα μικρό φιλοδώρημα = a small tip

Compare:

• ένας καλός σερβιτόρος = a good waiter
• μια καλή σερβιτόρα = a good waitress
• ένα μικρό φιλοδώρημα = a small tip

Yes, φιλοδώρημα is the standard word for tip or gratuity.

It is a neuter noun:

• το φιλοδώρημα = the tip
• ένα φιλοδώρημα = a tip

It is the normal word you would expect in this kind of sentence.

The comma separates two full clauses:

1. Ο σερβιτόρος ήταν πολύ ευγενικός
2. στο τέλος αφήσαμε ένα μικρό φιλοδώρημα

Greek punctuation often works similarly to English here. When και joins two complete clauses, a comma may be used, especially when the pause is natural and the sentence is a bit longer.

So the comma helps readability, but the core grammar of the sentence does not depend on it.

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English, because case endings and verb forms carry a lot of grammatical information.

This sentence could be rearranged in some ways without changing the basic meaning, for example:

• Στο τέλος αφήσαμε ένα μικρό φιλοδώρημα.
• Αφήσαμε στο τέλος ένα μικρό φιλοδώρημα.

But the original order sounds natural:

• first a description of the waiter
• then what happened as a result

Word order in Greek often affects:

• emphasis
• flow
• what sounds most natural in context

So the original sentence is not the only possible order, but it is a very normal one.

Yes. ευγενικός can mean:

• polite
• kind
• courteous
• well-mannered

The exact nuance depends on context.

In this sentence, with a waiter, the most natural sense is polite or courteous. That is why it fits so well with the second clause about leaving a tip.

It has two coordinated parts joined by και:

1. Ο σερβιτόρος ήταν πολύ ευγενικός

   • subject: Ο σερβιτόρος
   • verb: ήταν
   • description: πολύ ευγενικός

2. στο τέλος αφήσαμε ένα μικρό φιλοδώρημα

   • time expression: στο τέλος
   • verb: αφήσαμε
   • object: ένα μικρό φιλοδώρημα

So the overall pattern is:

[The waiter was very polite], and [at the end we left a small tip].

This is a very useful sentence for seeing:

• article agreement
• adjective agreement
• imperfect vs. aorist
• omission of subject pronouns
• the common contraction στο