Επέστρεψε στην πατρίδα.

It comes from the verb επιστρέφω, which means to return, to go back, or sometimes to turn back.

In this sentence, επέστρεψε is built from the verb’s aorist form. If the sentence is being used as a past statement, it means he/she returned.

It can actually be either, depending on context.

• 3rd person singular aorist indicative: he/she/it returned
• 2nd person singular aorist imperative: return!

So Επέστρεψε στην πατρίδα. can mean either:

• He/She returned to the homeland
• Return to the homeland!

Normally, the wider context tells you which one is intended.

It is the aorist, which usually presents the action as a single completed event.

So επέστρεψε means something like:

• returned
• went back
• came back

It does not suggest an ongoing action such as was returning, and it does not suggest a habitual action such as used to return.

Greek often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed. This is very normal.

So instead of saying:

• He returned to the homeland

Greek can simply say:

• Επέστρεψε στην πατρίδα.

The verb form and the context usually make the subject clear enough. In the past-tense reading, English has to choose he, she, or sometimes it, but Greek often does not spell that out.

στην is a contraction of:

• σε = to / in / at
• την = the feminine accusative singular article

So:

• σε την → στην

In this sentence, because the verb involves movement, σε means to:

• στην πατρίδα = to the homeland

The contracted form στην is the normal one in everyday Greek.

The article την can keep its final ν in certain environments, and one of those is before a word beginning with π, like πατρίδα.

So standard Greek gives:

• στην πατρίδα

This final ν helps with flow and pronunciation, and its presence is very common before sounds such as π, τ, κ, vowels, and some consonant clusters.

Because it follows σε, and σε takes the accusative case in Modern Greek.

The noun is:

• η πατρίδα = nominative, the homeland
• την πατρίδα = accusative, the homeland

In this particular noun, the noun itself stays πατρίδα in both nominative and accusative singular; the article is what clearly shows the case.

Not exactly. πατρίδα usually means:

• homeland
• native country
• home country
• sometimes fatherland

It is more about your country of origin or native land than your physical home.

If you mean home as in your house or apartment, Greek would usually use σπίτι.

Greek often does not include a possessive word when it is obvious from context.

So English may naturally say:

• He returned to his homeland

But Greek can simply say:

• Επέστρεψε στην πατρίδα.

The idea of his/her own homeland is often understood automatically.

If you want to make it explicit, you can say:

• στην πατρίδα του = to his homeland
• στην πατρίδα της = to her homeland

A rough English-style guide is:

• e-PES-trep-se stin pa-TREE-tha

A more accurate IPA pronunciation is:

• /eˈpestrepse stin paˈtriða/

A few useful points:

• πέ is stressed in επέστρεψε
• ρί is stressed in πατρίδα
• the δ in πατρίδα sounds like the th in this