Το χειροκρότημα κρατάει πολύ.

Το is the definite article here, meaning the.

In this sentence, χειροκρότημα is a neuter singular noun, so the matching article is το:

• το χειροκρότημα = the applause

Greek articles change depending on gender, number, and case, so you cannot use just one form like English the for everything.

Χειροκρότημα means applause or clapping.

It is a neuter noun. In this sentence it is the subject:

• Το χειροκρότημα = the applause
• κρατάει πολύ = lasts a long time / goes on for a long time

So the whole sentence is structured as:

• subject + verb + adverb

Yes, χειροκρότημα is singular.

Greek often treats applause as a singular thing, just as English often does. Even though applause is made up of many claps, grammatically it is treated as one event or one mass phenomenon.

So:

• Το χειροκρότημα κρατάει... = The applause lasts...

If you wanted plural rounds of applause or applauses in a special context, Greek would normally use other wording.

That is a very common question. Κρατάω / κρατώ does often mean to hold, but it can also mean:

• to last
• to continue
• to go on

So in this sentence:

• Το χειροκρότημα κρατάει πολύ

κρατάει means lasts or continues for a long time, not holds.

This is very natural Greek. English and Greek just use different verbs in this context.

Κρατάει is the 3rd person singular present tense of κρατάω / κρατώ.

That means it matches a singular subject:

• το χειροκρότημα = singular
• κρατάει = it lasts / it continues

You may also see:

• κρατά instead of κρατάει

Both are used in Modern Greek, and both are correct in everyday language. So:

• Το χειροκρότημα κρατάει πολύ
• Το χειροκρότημα κρατά πολύ

Both mean the same thing.

Here πολύ is an adverb, not an adjective.

It modifies the verb κρατάει, so it means:

• a lot
• for a long time
• very long

Because it is an adverb, it stays πολύ.

Compare:

• κρατάει πολύ = it lasts a long time → adverb
• πολλή ώρα = a lot of time / a long time → adjective + noun, so the form changes

So in this sentence, πολύ is correct because it is describing how much / how long the action lasts.

Grammatically, yes, that is close, but in natural English you would usually say:

• The applause is lasting a long time
• The applause lasts a long time
• The applause goes on for a long time

Greek present tense often covers both simple and continuous ideas more flexibly than English does. So κρατάει does not force you into one exact English tense in every situation.

The sentence uses a very normal, neutral word order:

• Το χειροκρότημα = subject
• κρατάει = verb
• πολύ = adverb

So:

• Το χειροκρότημα κρατάει πολύ.

Greek word order is more flexible than English, though, because case endings and articles help show what each word is doing.

Other orders may be possible for emphasis, for example:

• Κρατάει πολύ το χειροκρότημα.

But the given version is the most straightforward and neutral one for a learner.

Yes. A common alternative is διαρκεί from διαρκώ, which also means lasts:

• Το χειροκρότημα διαρκεί πολύ.

This is also correct and natural.
However, κρατάει πολύ is very common in everyday speech and often sounds a bit more conversational.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• to hee-ro-KRO-tee-ma kra-TA-ee po-LEE

A few helpful points:

• χ sounds like a rough h or the ch in Scottish loch, depending on the following vowel
• the stress falls on:
  • χειροκρότημα
  • κρατάει
  • πολύ

So the rhythm is:

• το χειροΚΡΟτημα κραΤΑει ποΛΥ

Not exactly. In this sentence, πολύ means a lot or for a long time, because it modifies the verb κρατάει.

So:

• κρατάει πολύ = lasts a long time

When πολύ means very, it usually modifies an adjective or adverb, for example:

• πολύ καλός = very good
• πολύ αργά = very late

Here it is better understood as a lot / for long rather than simply very.

It can, depending on tone and context.

By itself, the sentence is neutral:

• The applause lasts a long time.

But in real speech, intonation and context can add meaning. For example, it could sound:

• positive: The applause keeps going — people really loved it.
• negative: The applause is going on too long.

If Greek wanted to make the negative meaning clearer, it might add something like:

• κρατάει υπερβολικά πολύ = it lasts excessively long
• κρατάει πάρα πολύ = it lasts far too long / very long

So the basic sentence is neutral, but context can color it.