Περπατάμε αργά στην ακτή και κοιτάμε τα βότσαλα δίπλα στο νερό.

Because Greek verbs usually already show the subject.

• Περπατάμε = we walk / we are walking
• κοιτάμε = we look / we are looking

The ending -με tells you it is 1st person plural: we.

So Greek often leaves out the pronoun εμείς (we) unless it is needed for emphasis or contrast.

• Περπατάμε = We’re walking
• Εμείς περπατάμε = We’re the ones walking / We are walking

They are in the present tense.

In Greek, the present tense can often translate as either:

• we walk
• we are walking

So in this sentence:

• Περπατάμε αργά can mean we walk slowly or we’re walking slowly
• κοιτάμε τα βότσαλα can mean we look at the pebbles or we’re looking at the pebbles

The exact English translation depends on context.

Because αργά here is an adverb, not an adjective.

• αργός / αργή / αργό = slow (describing a noun)
• αργά = slowly (describing an action)

So:

• ένα αργό βήμα = a slow step
• περπατάμε αργά = we walk slowly

This is very common in Greek: the adverb often has a different form from the adjective.

στην is a contraction of:

• σε
  • την → στην

This is extremely common in Greek.

Here:

• σε = a preposition that often means in, at, to, on
• την = the (feminine singular accusative)

So:

• στην ακτή = on the shore / at the shore

You will also often see:

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

Because the nouns have different genders, so the article changes.

• ακτή (shore/coast) is feminine
• νερό (water) is neuter

After σε, the article contracts differently:

• σε + την ακτή → στην ακτή
• σε + το νερό → στο νερό

So the difference comes from the gender of the noun.

All the nouns in this sentence are in the accusative case.

• στην ακτή: after the preposition σε, Greek commonly uses the accusative
• τα βότσαλα: this is the direct object of κοιτάμε
• στο νερό: again after σε, in the expression δίπλα στο νερό

So:

• ακτή = accusative singular
• βότσαλα = accusative plural
• νερό = accusative singular

This is one reason the articles are:

• την
• τα
• το

rather than nominative forms like η, τα, το.

βότσαλα is the plural of βότσαλο, and it is neuter.

• singular: το βότσαλο = the pebble
• plural: τα βότσαλα = the pebbles

So the article is τα, which is the neuter plural article.

This is a very common neuter pattern:

• το βιβλίο → τα βιβλία
• το δέντρο → τα δέντρα
• το βότσαλο → τα βότσαλα

In Greek, κοιτάζω / κοιτάω / κοιτάμε usually takes a direct object without a separate word for at.

So:

• κοιτάμε τα βότσαλα = literally we look the pebbles
• but in natural English: we look at the pebbles

This is just a difference between the two languages. English needs at here, but Greek usually does not.

Literally, it is next to the water.

• δίπλα = next to / beside
• στο νερό = to the water / at the water / by the water, depending on context

Together, the natural meaning is:

• δίπλα στο νερό = next to the water / beside the water

Greek often uses δίπλα σε + noun:

• δίπλα στο σπίτι = next to the house
• δίπλα στην πόρτα = next to the door

Not completely. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

The sentence as written is a very natural, neutral order:

• Περπατάμε αργά στην ακτή και κοιτάμε τα βότσαλα δίπλα στο νερό.

But Greek can move parts around for emphasis. For example:

• Στην ακτή περπατάμε αργά... emphasizes on the shore
• Τα βότσαλα κοιτάμε... emphasizes the pebbles

Even though Greek is flexible, the original version sounds the most neutral and natural for ordinary description.

A rough pronunciation guide:

• Περπατάμε ≈ pehr-pa-TA-me
• αργά ≈ ar-GHA
  The γ here sounds like a soft throaty sound, not like English hard g.
• ακτή ≈ ak-TEE
• κοιτάμε ≈ kee-TA-me
• βότσαλα ≈ VOT-sa-la
• δίπλα ≈ THEE-pla
• νερό ≈ ne-RO

A few useful pronunciation notes:

• β in Modern Greek sounds like v, not English b
• οι is pronounced like ee
• the accent mark shows which syllable is stressed

So:

• κοιτάμε has stress on -τά-
• βότσαλα has stress on βό-
• νερό has stress on -ρό

Both are possible in Modern Greek.

You may see:

• κοιτάμε
• κοιτάζουμε

Both mean we look / we are looking.

Similarly, with some verbs Greek has a shorter and a longer present-tense form. In everyday language, κοιτάμε is very common and natural.

So this sentence sounds perfectly normal as written.

Yes. Greek adverbs are fairly movable.

The sentence has:

• Περπατάμε αργά στην ακτή...

But you could also hear:

• Περπατάμε στην ακτή αργά
• Αργά περπατάμε στην ακτή...

These alternatives may sound slightly different in emphasis, but the core meaning stays the same. The original placement is the most straightforward and natural.

Because both verbs have the same subject: we.

• περπατά-με = we walk
• κοιτά-με = we look

This is useful to notice when learning Greek conjugation: once you recognize the ending, you can often identify the subject quickly.

In this sentence, the structure is:

• Περπατάμε ... και κοιτάμε ...
• We walk ... and we look ...

Greek does not need to repeat εμείς because the verb endings already make the subject clear.