Η ζαριά ήταν όντως καλή.

Η is the feminine singular definite article, equivalent to the in English.

So:

• η = the for feminine singular nouns
• ζαριά is a feminine singular noun

That is why you get Η ζαριά = the roll of the dice / the throw / the gamble, depending on context.

Unlike English, Greek articles change for gender, number, and case.

Ζαριά usually means a throw/roll of the dice.

Depending on context, it can also feel a bit broader, like:

• dice roll
• throw
• sometimes figuratively, a gamble or risky move

So in this sentence, it most naturally refers to the dice roll or the throw being good.

In Greek, every noun has a grammatical gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter.

Ζαριά is simply a feminine noun, and that affects the words around it:

• η ζαριά
• καλή ζαριά
• η ζαριά ήταν καλή

This gender is grammatical, not necessarily connected to biological sex. Many inanimate things in Greek are masculine, feminine, or neuter just because that is how the language classifies them.

Ήταν is the past tense form of είμαι (to be).

Here it means was:

• είναι = is
• ήταν = was

So:

• Η ζαριά ήταν καλή = The roll was good

A useful thing to know is that ήταν can mean both was and were depending on context, because Greek does not distinguish those the same way English does in this form.

Because adjectives in Greek must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case.

Since ζαριά is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

the adjective must also be feminine singular nominative:

• masculine: καλός
• feminine: καλή
• neuter: καλό

So:

• η ζαριά ήταν καλή
• not η ζαριά ήταν καλός
• not η ζαριά ήταν καλό

Όντως means something like:

• indeed
• really
• actually
• truly

In this sentence, it strengthens the statement:

• Η ζαριά ήταν όντως καλή.
• The roll really was good.
• The roll was indeed good.

It adds emphasis, as if the speaker is confirming something.

Because όντως is an adverb, and here it modifies the adjective καλή.

So it works like:

• όντως καλή = really good / indeed good

That placement is very natural in Greek. It sits right before the word it emphasizes.

You could sometimes move it for a slightly different rhythm or emphasis, but ήταν όντως καλή is a very normal way to say it.

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

The basic sentence is:

• Η ζαριά ήταν όντως καλή.

But you may also hear variations like:

• Η ζαριά όντως ήταν καλή.
• Όντως, η ζαριά ήταν καλή.

These versions are still understandable, but they may sound slightly different in emphasis.

The original version is natural and straightforward.

Yes. Ήταν is stressed on the first syllable:

• Ή-ταν

In Greek, the accent mark shows where the stress goes.

A rough pronunciation of the whole sentence is:

• ee za-RYA EE-tan ON-dos ka-LEE

Very roughly, word by word:

• Η = ee
• ζαριά = za-RYA
• ήταν = EE-tan
• όντως = ON-dos
• καλή = ka-LEE

Because Greek often does not need a separate subject pronoun like English does.

English often says:

• It was really good

But Greek can simply say:

• Ήταν όντως καλή

And if the noun is already stated, even more clearly:

• Η ζαριά ήταν όντως καλή

Greek usually expresses the meaning directly through the noun and verb, without needing an extra dummy subject like English it.

Yes, potentially.

Although ζαριά literally refers to a dice throw/roll, Greek can also use it figuratively for a risky attempt, bold move, or gamble.

So depending on context, the sentence could mean something like:

• The gamble really was a good one
• That risky move was indeed good

But without extra context, the most direct reading is still the literal one: the dice roll was indeed good.