Ανακάτεψε την τράπουλα.

It is the aorist imperative of ανακατεύω.

In this sentence, it means a command to one person: Shuffle!

Why the aorist imperative? In Greek, the aorist imperative usually tells someone to do one complete action. So Ανακάτεψε την τράπουλα means something like Shuffle the deck as a single act.

By contrast, the present imperative would be ανακάτευε, which can sound more like:

• keep shuffling
• shuffle repeatedly
• be shuffling

Because this is a command, not a normal present-tense statement.

Compare:

• ανακατεύω = I shuffle / I am shuffling
• ανακατεύεις = you shuffle / you are shuffling
• ανακάτεψε = shuffle! (command to one person)

So the ending here is not a present-tense personal ending. It is the special imperative form.

Yes — by itself, ανακάτεψε can also be the 3rd person singular aorist:

• he shuffled
• she shuffled
• it shuffled/mixed

So how do you tell the difference?

You usually tell from:

• context
• punctuation
• tone of voice

For example:

• Ανακάτεψε την τράπουλα. can mean Shuffle the deck.
• In a story, the same words could mean He/She shuffled the deck.

This is very common in Greek: some imperative and past-tense forms look identical.

Greek uses the definite article very often, more often than English does.

So την τράπουλα literally means the deck, and that is the normal way to say Shuffle the deck.

If you said just Ανακάτεψε τράπουλα, it would sound unnatural in standard Greek.

If you wanted a deck, you would normally say:

• μια τράπουλα = a deck

But in this kind of command, Greek usually prefers the definite article when the object is specific and understood.

Because τράπουλα is the direct object of the verb, so it has to be in the accusative case.

Here is the pattern:

• η τράπουλα = the deck (subject form, nominative)
• την τράπουλα = the deck (object form, accusative)

So:

• Η τράπουλα είναι στο τραπέζι. = The deck is on the table.
• Ανακάτεψε την τράπουλα. = Shuffle the deck.

Since the deck is the thing being shuffled, Greek uses την.

Τράπουλα means a deck of cards or pack of cards.

So in this sentence it refers to the cards you use for a card game.

It does not mean just one card. One card is:

• χαρτί in some contexts, or more specifically
• τραπουλόχαρτο = playing card

So:

• τράπουλα = deck
• τραπουλόχαρτο = playing card

Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

The neutral, most natural order here is:

• Ανακάτεψε την τράπουλα.

But you could also say:

• Την τράπουλα ανακάτεψε.

That version gives extra emphasis to the deck. It might sound like:

• Shuffle the deck
• or It’s the deck that you should shuffle

So both are possible, but the original sentence is the most straightforward.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

a-na-KA-te-pse tin TRA-pou-la

More approximately:

• Ανακάτεψε = ah-nah-KAH-tep-se
• την = teen
• τράπουλα = TRAH-poo-lah

The stress falls on:

• κά in Ανακάτεψε
• τρά in τράπουλα

Many Greek verbs change form when they make the aorist.

Here the dictionary form is:

• ανακατεύω

But the aorist system uses a different stem:

• ανακάτεψ-

So you get forms like:

• ανακάτεψα = I shuffled / mixed
• ανακάτεψε = he/she shuffled or shuffle!

This kind of stem change is normal in Greek and is something learners gradually get used to.

Yes. ανακατεύω is a very common general verb meaning mix, and it is also used for shuffling cards.

Depending on context, Greek speakers may also use more specific expressions, but Ανακάτεψε την τράπουλα is completely natural and idiomatic.

So for a learner, this is a very good sentence to know.

If you are talking to more than one person, or using the plural as a polite form, the command becomes:

• Ανακατέψτε την τράπουλα. = Shuffle the deck.

So:

• Ανακάτεψε = singular command
• Ανακατέψτε = plural / polite command

This is an important distinction in Greek.

For a negative command, Greek usually uses μη(ν) plus the appropriate verb form.

A natural negative version would be:

• Μην ανακατέψεις την τράπουλα. = Don’t shuffle the deck.

Notice that Greek does not normally make a negative imperative by just putting δεν before the imperative.

So:

• Ανακάτεψε την τράπουλα. = Shuffle the deck.
• Μην ανακατέψεις την τράπουλα. = Don’t shuffle the deck.

It is informal singular, because Ανακάτεψε is used when speaking to one person in a direct way.

It is not especially rude by itself — it can simply be a normal instruction, like in a card game.

If you want to sound more formal or address more than one person, use:

• Ανακατέψτε την τράπουλα.