Questions & Answers about Βάλε τα βιβλία σε έναν σωρό.
What does Βάλε mean grammatically?
Βάλε is the singular informal imperative of βάζω (to put).
A few useful points:
- It is used when speaking to one person.
- It is the perfective/aorist imperative, so it usually refers to one complete action: Put ...
- That is why it sounds natural here: the speaker wants the books to end up in a pile.
You may notice that the verb changes stem:
- βάζω = I put / I am putting
- βάλε = put!
That stem change is normal for this verb.
Why is it τα βιβλία?
τα βιβλία means the books.
Breakdown:
- τα = the for neuter plural
- βιβλία = plural of βιβλίο (book)
Here it is the direct object of the verb, because these are the things being put somewhere.
Also, with many neuter nouns in Greek, the nominative plural and accusative plural look the same, so τα βιβλία can look the same whether it is a subject or an object. In this sentence, it is clearly the object because of the verb Βάλε.
Why is it σε έναν σωρό and not σε ένας σωρός?