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

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.

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.

σε παρακαλώ literally means something like I beg you or I ask you, but in everyday Greek it commonly means please.

Breaking it down:

• σε = you in the accusative, singular
• παρακαλώ = I ask / I beg / I request

So literally it is something like I ask you.

The commas show that it is a parenthetical polite expression, not the main structure of the sentence. Greek can place it in different spots:

• Γέμισε, σε παρακαλώ, την κανάτα...
• Σε παρακαλώ, γέμισε την κανάτα...
• Γέμισε την κανάτα, σε παρακαλώ...

All are possible, with only slight differences in rhythm or emphasis.

την κανάτα is the direct object of Γέμισε, so it appears in the accusative case.

• η κανάτα = the jug, the pitcher, as subject
• την κανάτα = the jug, the pitcher, as object

In English, nouns usually do not change form in this way, so this can feel new to English speakers. In Greek, the article often makes the case especially clear.

Here:

• Γέμισε την κανάτα = fill the jug

The noun κανάτα is feminine, which is why the article is την.

με κρύο νερό means with cold water.

Here, με introduces the material or content used to fill the jug:

• Γέμισε την κανάτα με κρύο νερό = fill the jug with cold water

There is no article before νερό because Greek often omits the article with a mass noun when it is meant in a general, nonspecific sense.

So:

• με κρύο νερό = with cold water, in general
• με το κρύο νερό = with the cold water, some specific cold water already known in the situation

That is very similar to English:

• with cold water
• with the cold water

την means it, and it refers back to την κανάτα.

Because κανάτα is:

• feminine
• singular
• accusative here

the matching object pronoun is την.

So:

• την κανάτα = the jug
• άφησέ την = leave it

Greek object pronouns agree with the gender and number of the noun they replace, so English speakers often need to pay attention to grammatical gender here.

That is a very common and very good question.

In Greek, object pronouns usually go before the verb:

• Την αφήνω. = I leave it.
• Την βλέπω. = I see it.

But with an affirmative imperative like άφησε, the pronoun normally goes after the verb:

• Άφησέ την. = Leave it.

So the pattern is:

• normal finite verb: την αφήνω
• positive command: άφησέ την

This is one of the important placement rules for Greek clitic pronouns.

Compare also the negative command:

• Μην την αφήσεις. = Don’t leave it.

With a negative command, the pronoun goes back before the verb.

The extra accent is there because of Greek accent rules when an enclitic pronoun follows.

By itself, the imperative is:

• άφησε

This word is stressed on the first syllable.

When the unstressed pronoun την is added after it, Greek spelling often adds a second accent:

• άφησέ την

This helps show the correct stress pattern.

So the extra accent does not mean it is a different verb form. It is the same imperative, just written according to the normal accent rule when followed by an enclitic pronoun.

You will see this in many similar forms.

δίπλα στα ποτήρια means next to the glasses or beside the glasses.

Breaking it down:

• δίπλα = next to, beside
• στα = contraction of σε + τα
• ποτήρια = glasses

So:

• στα ποτήρια = σε τα ποτήρια = at / to / by the glasses

After δίπλα, Greek commonly uses σε plus a noun phrase:

• δίπλα στο τραπέζι = next to the table
• δίπλα στην πόρτα = next to the door
• δίπλα στα ποτήρια = next to the glasses

Because ποτήρια is neuter plural, its nominative and accusative forms look the same, which is why the article τα is especially useful.

The word order is fairly flexible, but not completely free.

This sentence could also be said as:

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

Greek often moves things around for:

• emphasis
• rhythm
• politeness
• style

However, some parts are more fixed than others.

For example:

• σε παρακαλώ can move fairly easily
• με κρύο νερό should stay close to γέμισε την κανάτα so it is clear what you are filling it with
• την in άφησέ την normally stays after the positive imperative

So Greek is flexible, but it still follows important grammar patterns.

Both are aorist imperatives because the speaker wants two complete, single actions:

• first, fill the jug
• then, leave it next to the glasses

The aorist imperative is especially common in step-by-step instructions, because it presents each action as a finished whole.

So the sentence sounds like a natural sequence:

1. Γέμισε the jug
2. άφησέ την next to the glasses

If Greek used present imperatives here, it could sound more like an ongoing or repeated action, which is not what this instruction is aiming for.