Κλαδεύω το φυτό.

In Greek, the verb ending often already tells you who the subject is.
Κλαδεύω ends in -ω, which here means I prune / I am pruning.

So Greek usually does not need the pronoun εγώ (I) unless you want emphasis or contrast.

• Κλαδεύω το φυτό. = I prune the plant.
• Εγώ κλαδεύω το φυτό. = I’m the one pruning the plant. / I prune the plant (with emphasis)

Κλαδεύω is the 1st person singular present tense form of the verb.

That means it corresponds to:

• I prune
• I am pruning

In Greek, the present tense can often cover both the simple present and the present continuous, depending on context.

It is also the dictionary form of the verb, because Greek dictionaries usually list verbs in the I form, not in the infinitive.

Because φυτό is a neuter noun in Greek.

Greek nouns have grammatical gender:

• ο for masculine
• η for feminine
• το for neuter

So:

• το φυτό = the plant

Also, φυτό is neuter in both form and article, which is why you use το.

It is in the accusative case, because it is the direct object of the verb: it is the thing being pruned.

In this sentence:

• Κλαδεύω = I prune
• το φυτό = the plant

For many neuter nouns in Greek, the nominative and accusative forms are the same, so το φυτό looks the same whether it is the subject or the object.

Yes, Greek can sometimes leave articles out, but in a normal sentence like this, το is very natural and usually expected if you mean the plant.

• Κλαδεύω το φυτό. = I prune the plant.
• Κλαδεύω φυτό. can sound more general or less natural in many contexts, depending on what you mean.

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

A simple approximate pronunciation is:

kla-THE-vo to fi-TO

A bit more closely:

• Κλαδεύω → kla-THE-vo
• το → to
• φυτό → fi-TO

A few helpful points:

• δ sounds like the th in this
• φ sounds like f
• The accented syllable gets the stress:
  • κλαδεύω
  • φυτό

The accent mark shows which syllable is stressed when you say the word.

So:

• κλαδεύω → stress on -δεύ-
• φυτό → stress on the last syllable, -τό

Stress is important in Greek, because it is a regular part of correct pronunciation and sometimes helps distinguish forms.

No, Greek word order is more flexible than English, because endings and articles give grammatical information.

The neutral, straightforward order here is:

• Κλαδεύω το φυτό.

But Greek can also move things around for emphasis, for example:

• Το φυτό κλαδεύω. = It’s the plant that I’m pruning.

That said, for learners, the basic verb + object order in this sentence is a very good model to follow.

Yes, depending on context, κλαδεύω can be translated as prune or trim, especially when talking about plants, bushes, vines, or trees.

The core idea is cutting back plant growth.

So if the meaning shown to you is I prune the plant, that is a very natural translation.

You change the verb ending:

• Κλαδεύω το φυτό. = I prune the plant
• Κλαδεύεις το φυτό. = you prune the plant (singular)
• Κλαδεύει το φυτό. = he/she/it prunes the plant

This is one reason Greek often does not need subject pronouns: the verb ending already gives the person.

φυτό is singular: plant

The plural is:

• φυτά = plants

So:

• το φυτό = the plant
• τα φυτά = the plants

And the sentence in the plural would be:

• Κλαδεύω τα φυτά. = I prune the plants.

Yes. Greek present tense often covers both meanings.

So Κλαδεύω το φυτό can mean:

• I prune the plant
• I am pruning the plant

Usually the context tells you which one is meant. Greek does have ways to make aspect and timing clearer, but in a simple sentence like this, the present tense can naturally express either reading.