Η μικρή μάζεψε ένα βότσαλο από την παραλία και το έβαλε στην τσέπη της.

In Greek, an adjective can be used as a noun when the noun is understood from context. This is very common.

So:

• μικρή = small / little (feminine singular)
• η μικρή = the little girl, the little one, or sometimes the younger girl

The feminine article η and the feminine adjective μικρή together suggest that an understood feminine noun such as κοπέλα or κοριτσάκι is being left out.

So this is called a substantivized adjective: an adjective functioning like a noun.

Because Greek articles change form depending on case.

Here are the relevant forms of the feminine singular article:

• η = nominative
• την = accusative
• της = genitive

In this sentence:

• Η μικρή is the subject, so it is in the nominative
• από την παραλία uses την παραλία in the accusative
• της in την τσέπη της is the genitive form meaning her

So the article changes because the noun’s grammatical role changes.

Both are in the aorist, which is the normal Greek tense for a completed past action.

• μάζεψε = picked up / gathered
• έβαλε = put

In this sentence, the actions are seen as simple completed events:

1. she picked up a pebble
2. she put it in her pocket

That is exactly the kind of situation where Greek commonly uses the aorist.

Their basic dictionary forms are:

• μαζεύω = to gather, collect, pick up
• βάζω = to put, place

The forms in the sentence are the 3rd person singular aorist:

• μαζεύω → μάζεψε
• βάζω → έβαλε

So:

• μάζεψε = she picked up
• έβαλε = she put

Because βότσαλο is a neuter noun.

Greek ένα can be masculine, feminine, or neuter in some contexts, but here it is the neuter singular form used with a neuter noun:

• ένα βότσαλο = a pebble

Compare:

• ένας άντρας = a man
• μια γυναίκα = a woman
• ένα παιδί = a child
• ένα βότσαλο = a pebble

So the article and noun must agree in gender.

βότσαλο is neuter.

A useful clue is its ending:

• many neuter nouns end in -ο or -ι
• βότσαλο ends in -ο, which often signals a neuter noun

In this sentence you can also tell from:

• ένα βότσαλο — the article ένα matches a neuter noun
• το later on refers back to βότσαλο, and το is also neuter singular

So the grammar confirms it is neuter.

In this sentence, picked up is the most natural English translation.

μαζεύω can mean several related things depending on context:

• gather
• collect
• pick up
• tidy up in some contexts

With ένα βότσαλο από την παραλία, the most natural sense is:

• she picked up a pebble from the beach

If there were many objects, collected or gathered might fit better.

The preposition από normally takes the accusative in Modern Greek.

So:

• από + την παραλία = from the beach

That is why you see την παραλία, not nominative η παραλία.

A learner can think of it as:

• από
  • accusative noun phrase

This is very common in Modern Greek.

το is a direct object pronoun meaning it.

It refers back to ένα βότσαλο:

• ένα βότσαλο is neuter singular
• so the pronoun is το = it

So:

• και το έβαλε στην τσέπη της = and she put it in her pocket

This is very natural Greek. Instead of repeating το βότσαλο, Greek often uses the clitic pronoun το.

Yes, that would also be grammatical, but it sounds a bit different.

• και το έβαλε στην τσέπη της is more natural when the pebble has just been mentioned
• και έβαλε το βότσαλο στην τσέπη της repeats the noun for emphasis or clarity

Greek often prefers the short object pronoun when the object is already known from the previous clause.

So the version in your sentence is very normal and idiomatic.

Because object pronouns like το, τον, τη(ν), τα usually come before the finite verb in Modern Greek.

So:

• το έβαλε = she put it
• την είδε = she saw her
• τους κάλεσε = he invited them

These are often called clitic pronouns. Their position is a normal feature of Greek sentence structure.

Because στην is the contracted form of:

• σε + την = στην

This contraction is extremely common in Modern Greek.

So:

• στην τσέπη = into / in the pocket

You will also see similar contractions:

• στο = σε + το
• στον = σε + τον
• στους = σε + τους

Here της is a genitive possessive pronoun, meaning her.

So:

• η τσέπη = the pocket
• η τσέπη της = her pocket
• την τσέπη της = her pocket, as a direct object phrase after στην

Greek often shows possession with the genitive:

• το σπίτι μου = my house
• το βιβλίο του = his book
• η τσάντα της = her bag

So της here does not mean of the in a literal English way; it functions as her.

No. της can have more than one job.

It can be:

1. the genitive feminine singular article

   • το χρώμα της μπλούζας = the color of the blouse

2. a possessive pronoun meaning her

   • η τσάντα της = her bag

3. an indirect object pronoun meaning to her

   • της μίλησα = I spoke to her

In your sentence, της is the possessive use: her.

In this sentence, English would normally say into her pocket, because the verb put implies movement.

Greek uses:

• έβαλε στην τσέπη της

Literally, this looks like put in her pocket, but in natural English we usually translate it as:

• put it into her pocket

So Greek does not have to mark that difference in exactly the same way English does here.

No, Greek word order is more flexible than English, because case endings and articles show grammatical relationships.

But the sentence as written is very natural:

• Η μικρή μάζεψε ένα βότσαλο από την παραλία και το έβαλε στην τσέπη της.

This order sounds neutral and straightforward.

If you change the order, the meaning usually stays similar, but the emphasis may change. For example:

• Ένα βότσαλο μάζεψε η μικρή... gives more emphasis to the pebble
• Στην τσέπη της το έβαλε gives more emphasis to where she put it

So the original sentence uses a normal, unmarked word order.

Yes, depending on context.

Literally, η μικρή means the little one in the feminine. In real usage it can mean:

• the little girl
• the younger girl
• the young one
• sometimes even the daughter in a family context

In this sentence, because of the action and natural context, English usually translates it as the little girl.

Because Greek often omits subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows the person and number.

For example:

• μάζεψε already means he/she picked up
• έβαλε already means he/she put

So Greek does not need to say αυτή (she) unless there is emphasis or contrast.

That is why the sentence simply uses Η μικρή as the subject and does not add a separate word for she.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• ee mee-KREE MA-zep-se EH-na VOT-sa-lo a-PO tin pa-ra-LEE-a ke to EH-va-le stin TSE-pi tis

A few useful notes:

• η / ι / υ / ει / οι all sound like ee
• τσ sounds like ts in cats
• γ before ε/ι often sounds like a soft y-like sound, but there is no γ here causing that issue
• Stress matters in Greek, so pay attention to:
  • μικρή
  • μάζεψε
  • βότσαλο
  • παραλία
  • έβαλε
  • τσέπη

A word-for-word style breakdown is:

• Η μικρή = the little girl / the little one
• μάζεψε = picked up
• ένα βότσαλο = a pebble
• από την παραλία = from the beach
• και = and
• το = it
• έβαλε = put
• στην τσέπη της = in/into her pocket

So the structure is very close to:

• The little girl picked up a pebble from the beach and put it in her pocket.