Βάλε το ποτήρι πάνω στο σουβέρ, γιατί το τραπέζι είναι ξύλινο.

Βάλε is the imperative form of βάζω, which means to put, to place, or to set.

In this sentence, Βάλε means Put!

A useful thing to know is that this imperative comes from the aorist stem of the verb, not the present stem:

• present: βάζω = I put / I am putting
• aorist: έβαλα = I put
• imperative: βάλε = put!

This is very common in Greek: the command form often looks different from the dictionary form.

Το ποτήρι is in the accusative singular, because it is the direct object of Βάλε.

You are putting the glass, so the glass receives the action.

For neuter nouns like ποτήρι, the nominative and accusative are often identical:

• nominative: το ποτήρι = the glass
• accusative: το ποτήρι = the glass

So even though the form looks the same, its role in the sentence is different.

Because all three nouns are neuter singular nouns, and their article here is το.

• το ποτήρι = the glass
• το σουβέρ = the coaster
• το τραπέζι = the table

In Modern Greek, articles must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Here they are all:

• neuter
• singular

And in this sentence, the forms needed happen to be το each time.

Yes. Στο is the contracted form of σε το.

• σε = in, at, on, to
• το = the
• σε το → στο

So:

• πάνω στο σουβέρ = on the coaster

This contraction is completely normal and very common in everyday Greek.

You will also see:

• στον = σε τον
• στη = σε τη(ν)
• στην = σε την
• στα = σε τα

Πάνω means on, above, or up/on top, depending on context.

In this sentence, πάνω στο σουβέρ means on the coaster.

Literally, the structure is something like:

• πάνω = on top / above
• στο σουβέρ = on the coaster / onto the coaster

Greek often uses πάνω σε or πάνω στο where English simply says on.

So:

• βάλε το ποτήρι πάνω στο σουβέρ = put the glass on the coaster

This is a very natural way to say it.

Yes. Επάνω is a fuller form of πάνω.

Both are correct:

• πάνω στο σουβέρ
• επάνω στο σουβέρ

In everyday speech, πάνω is very common and natural.
Επάνω can sound a bit more careful, emphatic, or formal depending on context, but both are standard.

Σουβέρ means coaster.

It is a loanword, and like many loanwords in Greek, it behaves a bit differently from older native Greek nouns. In everyday use, it is commonly treated as a neuter noun:

• το σουβέρ

Many speakers use it without changing its ending across cases, which is common with borrowed words.

So in practice, for a learner, the important thing is:

• learn it as το σουβέρ
• use it naturally in phrases like στο σουβέρ

Because γιατί introduces the reason clause: because the table is wooden.

So the sentence has two parts:

1. Βάλε το ποτήρι πάνω στο σουβέρ
2. γιατί το τραπέζι είναι ξύλινο

The comma separates the main command from the explanation.

This is very similar to English:

• Put the glass on the coaster, because the table is wooden.

Yes. Γιατί can mean both:

• because
• why

In this sentence, it means because.

Examples:

• Γιατί γελάς; = Why are you laughing?
• Γελάω γιατί είμαι χαρούμενος. = I’m laughing because I’m happy.

Greek uses the same word for both meanings, so context tells you which one it is.

Here, since it connects two clauses and gives a reason, it clearly means because.

Because ξύλινο has to agree with το τραπέζι, which is neuter singular.

• το τραπέζι = the table
• ξύλινο = wooden

The adjective must match the noun in gender, number, and case.

Compare:

• ο τοίχος είναι ξύλινος = the wall is wooden
• η καρέκλα είναι ξύλινη = the chair is wooden
• το τραπέζι είναι ξύλινο = the table is wooden

So ξύλινο is the correct neuter form.

It is an adjective, and here it means wooden or made of wood.

The base noun is:

• ξύλο = wood

From that, Greek forms the adjective:

• ξύλινος / ξύλινη / ξύλινο = wooden

So:

• ξύλινο τραπέζι = wooden table
• το τραπέζι είναι ξύλινο = the table is wooden

Yes, completely normal.

Greek word order is more flexible than English, but this is a very standard pattern:

• το τραπέζι = subject
• είναι = is
• ξύλινο = wooden

So:

• το τραπέζι είναι ξύλινο

This is the ordinary way to say the table is wooden.

Greek can move words around for emphasis, but this neutral order is probably the most straightforward one.

Because they have different grammatical roles.

• το ποτήρι is the object of Βάλε → accusative
• το τραπέζι is the subject of είναι → nominative

For many neuter singular nouns, the nominative and accusative forms are identical, so you cannot tell the case just by looking at the noun. You understand it from the sentence structure.

So even though both look like το + noun, they are doing different jobs.

In this sentence, it suggests the resulting placement: put the glass so that it ends up on the coaster.

Greek often uses the same kind of phrase both for:

• location: it is on the coaster
• placement: put it on the coaster

The verb tells you whether the phrase is static or directional.

Here:

• Βάλε = put so the phrase is understood as the destination of the action.

Usually no, not in a normal sentence like this.

Greek uses the definite article much more regularly than English. Since the sentence is talking about a specific glass, coaster, and table, the articles sound natural and expected:

• το ποτήρι
• το σουβέρ
• το τραπέζι

Without the articles, the sentence would sound less natural or would change the meaning/style.

Βάλε το ποτήρι... is a normal singular informal command. You would say it to:

• a friend
• a family member
• a child
• someone you address with εσύ

To make it more polite, Greek often uses the plural/formal imperative:

• Βάλτε το ποτήρι πάνω στο σουβέρ, γιατί το τραπέζι είναι ξύλινο.

That can mean:

• speaking to more than one person, or
• speaking politely/formally to one person

It is pronounced roughly VA-le.

A few pronunciation notes:

• Β in Modern Greek sounds like v, not like English b
• the stress is on the first syllable: ΒΆλε
• λε sounds like leh

So it is closer to VA-leh than to an English bale.

Because ξύλινο already naturally expresses wooden or made of wood.

Greek often uses an adjective where English might use either:

• wooden
• made of wood

So:

• το τραπέζι είναι ξύλινο can be understood as
• the table is wooden
• the table is made of wood

The adjective is the normal, idiomatic choice here.

Yes, πάνω στο τραπέζι means on the table.

But this sentence says πάνω στο σουβέρ because the reason clause tells you why:

• γιατί το τραπέζι είναι ξύλινο

So the speaker is being more specific: not just put it on the table, but put it on the coaster, presumably to protect the wooden surface.

That makes the whole sentence feel very natural and practical.

Yes, it sounds natural.

A Greek speaker would easily say:

• Βάλε το ποτήρι πάνω στο σουβέρ, γιατί το τραπέζι είναι ξύλινο.

It is clear, idiomatic, and conversational. The vocabulary is everyday, and the structure is very standard.