Το ρούτερ είναι πάνω στο ράφι, αλλά το καλώδιο φτάνει μόνο αν βάλω και ένα πολύπριζο.

Yes. All three nouns here are neuter singular, so they take the article το.

• το ρούτερ = the router
• το ράφι = the shelf
• το καλώδιο = the cable

This is very common in Greek, especially with:

• objects
• technologies
• many borrowed words like ρούτερ

So the sentence uses το each time because these nouns are neuter.

Greek often writes foreign words phonetically, using Greek letters to represent the sound.

So:

• router → ρούτερ

This is a borrowed word, not an ancient/native Greek word. Greek speakers commonly do this with modern technical vocabulary.

You may also notice the accent mark: ρούτερ. Greek spelling normally marks the stressed syllable, so this tells you where to place the stress.

πάνω στο ράφι means on the shelf or more literally on top of the shelf.

Breakdown:

• πάνω = above / on top
• σε = in / at / on / to
• το = the

When σε + το combine, they become:

• σε το → στο

So:

• πάνω στο ράφι = πάνω σε το ράφι = on the shelf

This contraction is completely normal in modern Greek.

Other common contractions:

• σε + την → στην
• σε + τον → στον
• σε + τα → στα

Because πάνω adds the idea of on top of.

Compare:

• στο ράφι = on the shelf / at the shelf
• πάνω στο ράφι = on top of the shelf

In many situations, English just says on the shelf, while Greek often uses πάνω to make that physical position clearer.

So Το ρούτερ είναι πάνω στο ράφι is very natural Greek for The router is on the shelf.

Here φτάνει means reaches or is long enough to reach.

The verb is φτάνω = to reach / arrive.

In this sentence:

• το καλώδιο φτάνει = the cable reaches / the cable is long enough

So Greek uses a verb meaning reach, where English might say:

• the cable reaches
• the cable is long enough
• the cable only reaches if...

All of these are close in sense here.

Because Greek often uses the present tense for a general current situation.

• Το καλώδιο φτάνει μόνο αν...
  = The cable only reaches if...

This is not necessarily about a repeated habit; it is simply stating the situation as it stands now.

Using the present here sounds natural because the speaker is describing the physical setup.

μόνο αν means only if.

Breakdown:

• μόνο = only
• αν = if

So:

• φτάνει μόνο αν... = it only reaches if...

This is a very useful structure in Greek:

• Θα έρθω μόνο αν με καλέσεις. = I’ll come only if you invite me.
• Λειτουργεί μόνο αν το ανοίξεις. = It only works if you turn it on.

This is one of the most important grammar points in the sentence.

The basic verb is:

• βάζω = I put / I am putting

But after αν when talking about a possible future condition, Greek often uses the subjunctive-type form, and for this verb that form is:

• βάλω = I put / I should put / I end up putting

So:

• αν βάλω = if I put

This does not mean past tense. It is connected to the aorist stem of the verb, but here it refers to a single complete action in a condition.

So:

• φτάνει μόνο αν βάλω και ένα πολύπριζο = it only reaches if I also add/put a power strip

Because after αν, Greek does not use να.

You may already know:

• να βάλω = that I put / for me to put / let me put

But with αν:

• αν βάλω = if I put

So αν already introduces the conditional clause, and να is not added.

This is normal:

• αν έρθει = if he comes
• αν το βρω = if I find it
• αν βάλω = if I put

In Greek, βάζω / βάλω is extremely common and often covers meanings that English expresses with several different verbs.

Here, βάλω ένα πολύπριζο could mean:

• put in a power strip
• add a power strip
• use a power strip
• connect a power strip

English might choose add or use, but Greek very naturally uses βάζω.

So don’t understand it too literally as physically placing something somewhere. In everyday Greek, βάζω is often a broad, practical verb.

Here και means also / too / as well.

So:

• βάλω και ένα πολύπριζο = I also add a power strip / I put in a power strip too

The idea is that the cable alone is not enough; an additional thing is needed.

In context, και suggests in addition:

• not just the existing cable
• but also a power strip

Το πολύπριζο is a power strip, multi-socket extension block, or adapter with several outlets.

It comes from:

• πολύ- = many
• related to πρίζα = socket / outlet

So the word literally suggests something like many-socket device.

In everyday English, the best translation is usually:

• power strip or sometimes
• extension strip

Depending on the country, speakers might also think of a multi-plug adapter.

Because πολύπριζο is also neuter singular, so with the indefinite article it takes:

• ένα = a / one

So:

• ένα πολύπριζο = a power strip

Compare:

• ένας for masculine nouns
• μια / μία for feminine nouns
• ένα for neuter nouns

Because Greek usually does not need subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• βάλω already means I put
• so εγώ is unnecessary unless you want emphasis

So:

• αν βάλω = if I put
• αν εγώ βάλω would sound emphatic, something like if I am the one who puts...

Greek is a pro-drop language, meaning subjects are often omitted when they are clear from the verb.

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible, but this version is neutral and natural.

Current order:

• Το ρούτερ είναι πάνω στο ράφι = topic first, then location
• αλλά το καλώδιο φτάνει μόνο αν... = contrast, then subject, then verb

This works well because the speaker is contrasting two facts:

1. the router is on the shelf
2. the cable only reaches under one condition

You could rearrange parts for emphasis, but the given sentence is standard everyday Greek.

For example:

• Το καλώδιο μόνο αν βάλω και ένα πολύπριζο φτάνει
  is possible, but more marked and less neutral.

αλλά means but.

It connects two contrasting ideas:

• Το ρούτερ είναι πάνω στο ράφι
• αλλά το καλώδιο φτάνει μόνο αν βάλω και ένα πολύπριζο

So the contrast is:

• the router is located there,
• but the cable situation creates a problem.

This is a very common conjunction in Greek, just like English but.

Yes, very common.

Greek often says that a cable, wire, hose, or similar object reaches:

• Το καλώδιο δεν φτάνει. = The cable doesn’t reach.
• Φτάνει μέχρι την πρίζα; = Does it reach the socket?
• Δεν φτάνει τόσο μακριά. = It doesn’t reach that far.

So this sentence uses very natural everyday Greek.

Yes, in real life the exact object can depend on context.

Strictly speaking, πολύπριζο is a multi-outlet power strip. But in everyday speech, people may use it when they mean the practical thing that solves the distance problem, especially if the strip has a cord.

So in this sentence, the speaker probably means:

• a power strip with cable length
• or something equivalent that lets the router’s cable reach

That is why the English translation may vary slightly depending on context:

• power strip
• extension strip
• sometimes even extension cord in a looser translation

A useful breakdown is:

• Το ρούτερ = the router
• είναι = is
• πάνω στο ράφι = on the shelf
• αλλά = but
• το καλώδιο = the cable
• φτάνει = reaches / is long enough
• μόνο αν = only if
• βάλω = I put / I add
• και = also / too
• ένα πολύπριζο = a power strip

Key grammar points:

• στο = σε + το
• αν βάλω uses the conditional/subjunctive-type form after αν
• no subject pronoun is needed with βάλω
• και here means also, not just and

So this sentence is a good example of everyday Greek for describing a practical problem at home.