Η μικρή τρώει μόνο την ψίχα από τη φραντζόλα και αφήνει το υπόλοιπο.

Literally, η μικρή means the small/little one in the feminine singular.

In Greek, adjectives can be used as nouns when the noun is understood from context. So η μικρή can mean:

• the little girl
• the young one
• the small one

In this sentence, it is understood as the little girl.

Greek often drops subject pronouns when they are not needed.

The verb τρώει already tells you the subject is he/she/it because it is 3rd person singular. So instead of saying αυτή τρώει, Greek normally just says τρώει.

The same is true for αφήνει.

μόνο means only or just.

Here it modifies την ψίχα:

• τρώει μόνο την ψίχα = she eats only the crumb/soft inside

So the idea is that she does not eat the whole bread, just that part.

Because ψίχα is the direct object of τρώει.

• η ψίχα = nominative, used for the subject
• την ψίχα = accusative, used for the direct object

So:

• η ψίχα = the crumb as subject
• τρώει την ψίχα = she eats the crumb

ψίχα means the soft inside part of bread, as opposed to the crust.

A very natural English translation is often crumb, but it does not necessarily mean a tiny crumb on the table. In this context it means the inner soft part of the loaf.

So the sentence suggests she eats the soft bread inside and leaves the rest.

από means from.

So:

• την ψίχα από τη φραντζόλα = the crumb/inside from the loaf

This tells you where the ψίχα comes from: from the loaf of bread.

φραντζόλα means loaf of bread, often a long loaf.

This is because the final -ν in την is often dropped before certain consonants.

So both forms relate to the same article:

• την = full form
• τη = shortened form before many consonants

Before φ, dropping the -ν is normal, so τη φραντζόλα sounds natural.

This is very common in everyday Greek.

υπόλοιπο is an adjective meaning remaining or leftover, but here it is used by itself as a noun:

• το υπόλοιπο = the rest, the remainder

Greek does this a lot: an adjective with the article can stand for an understood noun.

Here it means the rest of the loaf / the rest of the bread / what remains.

Greek often uses the neuter singular to express something general or abstract, like the rest or the remainder.

So το υπόλοιπο does not have to refer to a specifically neuter noun stated right there. It works as a general expression meaning what is left.

This is very natural Greek usage.

They are both in the present tense:

• τρώει = he/she eats / is eating
• αφήνει = he/she leaves / is leaving

In a sentence like this, the Greek present can describe:

• a habitual action
• something happening now
• a vivid narrative scene

So the exact English translation depends on context, but grammatically these are present-tense forms.

The word order is natural, but Greek is generally more flexible than English.

This sentence is structured as:

• Η μικρή = subject
• τρώει μόνο την ψίχα από τη φραντζόλα = first action
• και αφήνει το υπόλοιπο = second action

Putting μόνο before την ψίχα clearly emphasizes that this is the only part she eats.

So while Greek word order can vary, this version is straightforward and natural.