Αναγνωρίζω τον θυμό στη φωνή του, γι’ αυτό περιμένω λίγο πριν απαντήσω.

Greek often leaves out subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person.

• Αναγνωρίζω = I recognize / I can tell
• περιμένω = I wait
• απαντήσω = I answer in this clause

You could add εγώ for emphasis, but it is not necessary.

Αναγνωρίζω is present tense, first person singular.

Here it describes what the speaker is noticing now. In English, it may be translated as I recognize, I can tell, or I detect, depending on the context.

Because τον θυμό is the direct object of αναγνωρίζω.

The dictionary form is:

• ο θυμός = anger, anger as the subject

But after a verb like αναγνωρίζω, the object goes in the accusative:

• τον θυμό

So Greek is marking anger as the thing being recognized.

στη is the contraction of σε + τη(ν).

So:

• σε = in, at, to, on
• τη(ν) = the, feminine accusative singular
• στη = in the / at the / to the

In this sentence, στη φωνή του means in his voice.

It is changing function, but the form happens to stay the same.

φωνή is a feminine noun in -ή, and many nouns of this type have the same form in the nominative and accusative singular.

So:

• η φωνή = the voice, as subject
• τη φωνή = the voice, as object or after σε

The article shows the case more clearly than the noun ending does.

του here means his.

Literally, it is a genitive clitic pronoun, and Greek often expresses possession by putting this little word after the noun:

• η φωνή του = his voice

That is different from English, where possessives usually come before the noun.

γι’ αυτό means that’s why, for that reason, or therefore.

It connects the two parts of the sentence:

• I recognize anger in his voice,
• γι’ αυτό I wait a little before answering.

So it introduces the result or consequence.

The apostrophe shows that a vowel has been dropped.

It comes from για αυτό. In normal writing and speech, this is often shortened to:

• γι’ αυτό

This is very common and completely standard.

Here λίγο means a little or for a bit.

It works adverbially and modifies περιμένω:

• περιμένω λίγο = I wait a little / I wait for a bit

So the speaker is not waiting a long time, just briefly.

Because after πριν, Greek normally uses the subjunctive-type form for this kind of clause, and here that form is απαντήσω.

απαντήσω is the aorist subjunctive, first person singular, from απαντώ / απαντάω.

It refers to a single complete act:

• before I answer

That is why απαντήσω fits better than the ordinary present form απαντώ here.

No. πριν απαντήσω is perfectly normal Greek.

You may also see:

• πριν να απαντήσω

But the version without να is very common and natural. So nothing is missing.

The aorist here views the action as one whole event: the act of answering.

So:

• πριν απαντήσω = before I give my answer / before I answer

If Greek used the present subjunctive, it would suggest a more ongoing or repeated action, which does not fit as well here. The speaker is talking about one upcoming reply.

Because the sentence has two main parts:

• Αναγνωρίζω τον θυμό στη φωνή του
• γι’ αυτό περιμένω λίγο πριν απαντήσω

The comma helps separate the cause from the result, much like in English before so, therefore, or that’s why.

Greek word order is fairly flexible, but this order is very natural.

This sentence first gives the observation:

• Αναγνωρίζω τον θυμό στη φωνή του

and then the consequence:

• γι’ αυτό περιμένω λίγο πριν απαντήσω

Also, placing στη φωνή του after τον θυμό makes it clear that the anger is being recognized in his voice.