Το μωρό φωνάζει όταν πεινάει.

Το is the definite article: the.

In this sentence, το μωρό means the baby. Greek usually uses articles very regularly, much more than English in some contexts.

Here:

• το = the for a neuter singular noun
• μωρό = baby

So το μωρό is a complete noun phrase: the baby.

Μωρό is a neuter noun.

That matters because in Greek, nouns have grammatical gender, and the article and other words connected to the noun must match it.

So:

• masculine article: ο
• feminine article: η
• neuter article: το

Because μωρό is neuter, it takes το:

• το μωρό

This is grammatical gender, not necessarily biological gender. Even though a baby is a person, the noun μωρό is still grammatically neuter.

Not always. Μωρό most commonly means baby, but in everyday Greek it can also be used more loosely for a very young child, depending on context.

Also, in colloquial speech, μωρό can sometimes be used like babe or sweetheart, but that is a completely different context. In your sentence, it clearly means baby.

Φωνάζει is the 3rd person singular present tense form of φωνάζω.

That means it goes with:

• he/she/it shouts
• the baby shouts / cries out / calls out

Since the subject is το μωρό, Greek uses the 3rd person singular verb:

• το μωρό φωνάζει

Not exactly. Φωνάζω literally means things like:

• to shout
• to call out
• to yell

But with a baby, English often translates this more naturally as cry. So in context, το μωρό φωνάζει can mean the baby cries.

A related verb is κλαίει = cries / is crying, from κλαίω.
So:

• το μωρό φωνάζει = the baby is making noise / crying out
• το μωρό κλαίει = the baby is crying

In real usage, φωνάζει can sound a bit broader than κλαίει.

Όταν means when.

It introduces a time clause:

• όταν πεινάει = when it is hungry

In sentences like this, όταν often has the sense of whenever:

• Το μωρό φωνάζει όταν πεινάει.
• The baby cries when(ever) it is hungry.

So this is not necessarily one single event. It can describe a general habit.

Because the sentence expresses a general truth / repeated situation / habit.

Greek commonly uses the present tense for this, just as English does:

• Το μωρό φωνάζει όταν πεινάει.
• The baby cries when it is hungry.

The two present-tense verbs are:

• φωνάζει = cries / calls out
• πεινάει = is hungry / gets hungry

This is a normal pattern in Greek.

Πεινάει is the 3rd person singular present tense of πεινάω.

So it means:

• he/she/it is hungry
• more literally, he/she/it hungers

With το μωρό, it means:

• the baby is hungry

In English we usually say is hungry, but Greek uses the verb πεινάω.

Greek often expresses hunger with the verb πεινάω:

• πεινάω = I am hungry
• πεινάει = he/she/it is hungry

You can also say:

• είναι πεινασμένο = it is hungry

But πεινάει is very common and natural.

So:

• Το μωρό πεινάει = the baby is hungry
• Το μωρό είναι πεινασμένο = the baby is hungry

Both are possible, but the verb πεινάει is especially straightforward and common.

No. In Modern Greek, you may also see:

• πεινάει
• πεινά

Both can represent the same present-tense form in everyday usage.

For learners, πεινάει is often easier at first because it makes the verb ending more visible. But πεινά is also very common.

So you may encounter:

• Το μωρό φωνάζει όταν πεινάει.
• Το μωρό φωνάζει όταν πεινά.

Both are normal.

Because Greek usually does not need subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows the person and number.

English says:

• it cries
• it is hungry

Greek can simply say:

• φωνάζει
• πεινάει

The ending -ει already tells you it is 3rd person singular.

Also, the subject is already stated explicitly as το μωρό, so adding a pronoun would be unnecessary.

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

The sentence you have is:

• Το μωρό φωνάζει όταν πεινάει.

But you could also say:

• Όταν πεινάει, το μωρό φωνάζει.

Both mean the same thing. The difference is mainly one of emphasis or style.

The first version starts with the main statement.
The second version emphasizes the time condition first: when it is hungry.

Because it functions as a time clause modifying the main action.

Structure:

• Το μωρό φωνάζει = main clause
• όταν πεινάει = subordinate time clause

This order is very natural in Greek:

• statement first, then the time clause

But as mentioned, the order can also be reversed.

It is singular.

You can tell from:

• the article το = singular neuter
• the verb φωνάζει = 3rd person singular
• the verb πεινάει = 3rd person singular

If it were plural, the sentence would look different, for example:

• Τα μωρά φωνάζουν όταν πεινάνε.
• The babies cry when they are hungry.

It is in the nominative case, because it is the subject of the sentence.

Greek uses cases, and the subject of a sentence normally appears in the nominative.

For neuter nouns like μωρό, the nominative and accusative singular often look the same:

• nominative: το μωρό
• accusative: το μωρό

So the form itself does not change here, but its role in the sentence is nominative because it is the subject.

Greek generally uses the definite article more consistently than English.

With a noun like μωρό, it is very natural to say:

• το μωρό = the baby

Greek often sounds less natural if the article is omitted where it would normally be expected.

So learners should get used to the idea that Greek articles are a very important part of everyday sentence building.

A simple pronunciation guide:

• Το ≈ toh
• μωρό ≈ mo-RO
• φωνάζει ≈ fo-NA-zee
• όταν ≈ O-tan
• πεινάει ≈ pee-NA-ee

Stress is important in Greek:

• μωρό
• φωνάζει
• όταν
• πεινάει

A rough full pronunciation:

• to mo-RO fo-NA-zee O-tan pee-NA-ee

Because μωρό is grammatically neuter in Greek.

Greek grammar treats μωρό as a neuter noun, so the verb agreement is the same as for it. In English, however, translation depends on style and context:

• The baby cries when it is hungry.
• The baby cries when he is hungry.
• The baby cries when she is hungry.

If the baby’s sex is unknown or irrelevant, English often uses it or simply repeats the baby. Greek still uses the neuter noun μωρό.

Usually it describes a repeated behavior or general fact:

• The baby cries whenever it is hungry.

Because both verbs are in the present tense and there is no extra context, the most natural reading is habitual.

If you wanted to make it clearly about one event happening right now, context would usually help:

• the baby is crying now because it is hungry

But as written, the sentence sounds general.

For this kind of sentence, όταν is the normal choice.

Greek has a few time-linking words and expressions, but όταν is the standard word for when in a clause like this:

• όταν πεινάει = when it is hungry

So for a learner, όταν is exactly the right word to know here.

The structure is:

Article + noun + verb + όταν-clause

More specifically:

• Το μωρό = subject
• φωνάζει = main verb
• όταν πεινάει = subordinate time clause

So the sentence breaks down as:

1. The baby cries
2. when it is hungry

This is a very useful Greek pattern:

• [main clause] + όταν + [verb]

For example:

• Γελάει όταν είναι χαρούμενο.
• It laughs when it is happy.

The dictionary forms are:

• φωνάζω = to shout / call out / cry out
• πεινάω = to be hungry

In the sentence, both are in 3rd person singular present:

• φωνάζει
• πεινάει

This is a useful thing to notice when learning Greek: the form you see in a sentence is often not the dictionary form, so it helps to identify the base verb.

Yes. It is simple, natural, and idiomatic.

A Greek speaker would understand it immediately. It is also a good learner sentence because it contains several very common elements:

• the definite article
• a neuter noun
• a present-tense verb
• όταν for when
• another common present-tense verb in a subordinate clause

So it is a very good model sentence for basic Greek structure.