Η καθαριότητα στην κουζίνα είναι σημαντική για μένα, γιατί χωρίς καθαριότητα δεν μπορώ να μαγειρέψω άνετα.

Καθαριότητα is a noun meaning cleanliness. It is an abstract noun, built from καθαρός meaning clean.

The ending -ότητα is a common noun ending that often makes abstract ideas, similar to English endings like -ness or -ity. So:

• καθαρός = clean
• καθαριότητα = cleanliness

It is a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine article η in the nominative singular:

• η καθαριότητα

Because it describes καθαριότητα, which is a feminine singular noun.

In Greek, adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

So here:

• η καθαριότητα = feminine singular
• σημαντική = feminine singular form of σημαντικός meaning important

That is why you get:

• Η καθαριότητα ... είναι σημαντική

If the noun were masculine or neuter, the adjective would change form:

• ο κανόνας είναι σημαντικός
• το θέμα είναι σημαντικό

Στην is just the contracted form of σε την.

So:

• σε = in / at / to
• την = the, feminine accusative singular
• σε την → στην

This contraction is extremely common in everyday Greek.

So:

• στην κουζίνα = in the kitchen

You will also see:

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

The preposition σε normally takes the accusative in Modern Greek.

That means the noun after σε / στην is in the accusative form:

• η κουζίνα = nominative
• την κουζίνα = accusative

In this specific noun, nominative and accusative look very similar, but the article changes clearly:

• η κουζίνα
• την κουζίνα

So στην κουζίνα is grammatically in the kitchen, with κουζίνα in the accusative after the preposition.

After a preposition like για, Greek uses the stressed pronoun form, not the basic subject pronoun.

So:

• εγώ = I
• μένα = me

After για:

• για μένα = for me

This is similar to English: we say for me, not for I.

Some other examples:

• για σένα = for you
• για αυτόν = for him
• για αυτήν = for her

Here γιατί means because.

In Greek, γιατί can mean both:

• why?
• because

You understand which meaning it has from the sentence structure and punctuation.

In your sentence:

• ..., γιατί χωρίς καθαριότητα δεν μπορώ ... it introduces a reason, so it means because.

As a question, it would be:

• Γιατί δεν μπορώ; = Why can’t I?

After χωρίς meaning without, Greek often uses a noun without the article when speaking in a general or abstract way.

So:

• χωρίς καθαριότητα = without cleanliness / without proper cleanliness

This sounds natural because the speaker is talking about the general condition of cleanliness, not one specific instance of it.

You could compare:

• χωρίς νερό = without water
• χωρίς βοήθεια = without help
• χωρίς καθαριότητα = without cleanliness

Using the article is possible in some contexts, but here the article-free version is the most natural.

Χωρίς takes the accusative in Modern Greek.

So the noun after it is in the accusative:

• χωρίς καθαριότητα

With some feminine nouns like καθαριότητα, the nominative and accusative forms are identical in appearance, so you do not see a change in the noun itself. But grammatically it is still accusative.

You can see the case more clearly with pronouns:

• χωρίς εμένα = without me
• χωρίς αυτόν = without him

In Greek, verbs like μπορώ meaning I can are followed by να + another verb.

So:

• μπορώ να μαγειρέψω = I can cook
• δεν μπορώ να μαγειρέψω = I can’t cook

You cannot normally say:

• δεν μπορώ μαγειρέψω

The να is required because it introduces the following verb clause.

This is a very common pattern:

• θέλω να φύγω = I want to leave
• πρέπει να πάω = I must go
• μπορώ να το κάνω = I can do it

This is a question of aspect, which is very important in Greek.

Greek often chooses between:

• imperfective form: μαγειρεύω
• perfective form: μαγειρέψω

After να, the form μαγειρέψω is the perfective non-past form.

Very roughly:

• να μαγειρεύω suggests an ongoing, repeated, or habitual process
• να μαγειρέψω presents the action as a whole event

In this sentence, δεν μπορώ να μαγειρέψω άνετα means something like I can’t cook comfortably / I’m not able to cook comfortably as a complete activity. That is why the perfective form sounds natural here.

If you said δεν μπορώ να μαγειρεύω άνετα, it would sound more like I am not able to be cooking comfortably or I can’t cook comfortably on an ongoing basis, which is less natural in this context.

Άνετα is an adverb, meaning comfortably, easily, or with ease, depending on context.

It modifies the verb:

• να μαγειρέψω άνετα = to cook comfortably

Because it is an adverb, it does not change for gender, number, or case.

Compare:

• άνετος / άνετη / άνετο = comfortable, relaxed (adjective)
• άνετα = comfortably, easily (adverb)

So here it is not describing a noun. It is describing how the speaker cooks.

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

The sentence as given is completely natural:

• Η καθαριότητα στην κουζίνα είναι σημαντική για μένα, γιατί χωρίς καθαριότητα δεν μπορώ να μαγειρέψω άνετα.

But Greek can move elements around for emphasis. For example, you might also hear:

• Για μένα, η καθαριότητα στην κουζίνα είναι σημαντική...
• Δεν μπορώ να μαγειρέψω άνετα χωρίς καθαριότητα.

The original version is neutral and clear. It starts with the topic:

• Η καθαριότητα στην κουζίνα

Then gives the speaker’s opinion:

• είναι σημαντική για μένα

Then gives the reason:

• γιατί ...

Because γιατί introduces a subordinate clause giving the reason.

The first part is the main statement:

• Η καθαριότητα στην κουζίνα είναι σημαντική για μένα

The second part explains why:

• γιατί χωρίς καθαριότητα δεν μπορώ να μαγειρέψω άνετα

The comma helps separate the main idea from the explanatory clause. This is similar to how English often uses a comma before because in longer or more carefully written sentences, though the punctuation rules are not identical.

Yes. Επειδή can also mean because.

So you could say:

• Η καθαριότητα στην κουζίνα είναι σημαντική για μένα, επειδή χωρίς καθαριότητα δεν μπορώ να μαγειρέψω άνετα.

Both are correct. In everyday Greek, γιατί is very common and natural.

A useful difference for learners is:

• γιατί can mean why or because
• επειδή means only because, not why

So επειδή is sometimes clearer if you want to avoid ambiguity.