Γέμισε, σε παρακαλώ, την κανάτα με κρύο νερό και άφησέ την δίπλα στα ποτήρια.

Please fill the pitcher with cold water and leave it next to the glasses.

Breakdown of Γέμισε, σε παρακαλώ, την κανάτα με κρύο νερό και άφησέ την δίπλα στα ποτήρια.

• το νερό: the water
• και: and
• με: with
• σε παρακαλώ: please

Questions & Answers about Γέμισε, σε παρακαλώ, την κανάτα με κρύο νερό και άφησέ την δίπλα στα ποτήρια.

What verb form is Γέμισε?

Γέμισε is the aorist imperative of γεμίζω, in the singular.

That means:

• it is a command
• it is addressed to one person
• it presents the action as one complete action: fill the jug

In instructions like this, Greek very often uses the aorist imperative because the speaker wants the action done as a single whole.

Compare:

• Γέμισε = fill it
• γέμιζε = keep filling / fill repeatedly

In this sentence, Γέμισε is the natural choice.

Is this sentence addressed to one person or more than one?

It is addressed to one person, in the informal singular.

You can tell from forms like:

• Γέμισε
• σε παρακαλώ
• άφησέ την

If you were speaking to:

• more than one person, or
• one person formally

you would normally use the plural/formal forms:

• Γεμίστε, σας παρακαλώ, την κανάτα με κρύο νερό και αφήστε την δίπλα στα ποτήρια.

So Greek uses the plural as the polite/formal form, much like many European languages.

What does σε παρακαλώ literally mean, and why is it placed between commas?