Η απόφαση μάς απασχολεί.

Η is the definite article meaning the.

In this sentence, η απόφαση means the decision.

A few useful details:

• η is used with feminine singular nouns in the nominative case
• the noun απόφαση is feminine
• so η απόφαση is the normal way to say the decision

Greek articles change for gender, number, and case, much more than English the does.

Because that is simply the grammatical gender of the noun απόφαση.

In Greek, every noun has a grammatical gender:

• masculine
• feminine
• neuter

This does not mean the thing itself is biologically female. It is just a grammatical category. So απόφαση is a feminine noun, which is why it takes the article η.

μάς means us here.

More specifically, it is the weak/clitic form of the 1st person plural personal pronoun in the accusative/genitive form. In this sentence, it functions as the direct object of the verb:

• Η απόφαση = the subject
• μάς = us
• απασχολεί = concerns / preoccupies

So the structure is basically:

• The decision
  • us
    • concerns

In more natural English: The decision concerns us or The decision is on our minds.

Because in Greek, weak object pronouns like με, σε, τον, τη(ν), το, μας, σας, τους usually come before a finite verb.

So Greek says:

• Η απόφαση μάς απασχολεί

not usually:

• Η απόφαση απασχολεί μάς

That second version sounds wrong in standard Modern Greek.

This is a very common pattern in Greek and is worth getting used to early.

Good question. In many cases you will see μας written without an accent. The accented form μάς is often used to make the pronoun stand out more clearly, especially:

• to avoid ambiguity
• for emphasis
• for readability

So in practice:

• μας
• μάς

can both represent us here.

Also, μας can mean our in other contexts, so some writers use μάς when they want to make it extra clear that it means us as a pronoun.

For example:

• Η απόφαση μας απασχολεί = could still be understood as The decision concerns us
• Η απόφαση μάς απασχολεί = makes that reading clearer

απασχολεί is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb απασχολώ.

So:

• απασχολώ = I occupy / concern
• απασχολείς = you occupy / concern
• απασχολεί = he/she/it occupies / concerns

Here the subject is η απόφαση (the decision), which is singular, so the verb is also singular:

• Η απόφαση μάς απασχολεί

Literally, something like:

• The decision occupies us
• more naturally: The decision concerns us

Because the verb agrees with the subject, not with the object.

Here:

• Η απόφαση = the subject, singular
• μάς = the object, plural

So the verb must be 3rd person singular because η απόφαση is singular.

This is the same as in English:

• The decision concerns us
• not The decision concern us

The core idea of απασχολώ is something like:

• occupy
• keep busy
• preoccupy
• concern

Depending on context, Η απόφαση μάς απασχολεί can mean:

• The decision concerns us
• The decision is occupying our thoughts
• The decision is on our minds
• The decision is worrying us or troubling us in some contexts

So the exact English translation depends on tone and situation, but the basic sense is that the decision is mentally or practically affecting us.

Yes, very normal.

Greek word order is more flexible than English, but this sentence is completely natural:

• Η απόφαση μάς απασχολεί

You might also hear:

• Μας απασχολεί η απόφαση

That version can sound slightly more natural in some contexts, especially if the speaker is focusing first on what concerns us.

So both are possible, but the object pronoun still normally stays before the verb:

• Η απόφαση μάς απασχολεί
• Μας απασχολεί η απόφαση

It is in the nominative case, because it is the subject of the sentence.

So:

• η απόφαση = nominative singular
• it is the thing doing the action of concerning

Meanwhile, μάς is functioning as the object, so it corresponds to the accusative use of the pronoun.

Approximately:

• ee a-PO-fa-see mas a-pa-scho-LEE

A few pronunciation notes:

• Η sounds like ee
• απόφαση is stressed on πό
• μάς is a short mas
• απασχολεί is stressed on the last syllable -λεί

A more detailed breakdown:

• Η = ee
• απόφαση = a-PO-fa-si
• μάς = mas
• απασχολεί = a-pa-scho-LEI

The χ in απασχολεί is the Greek sound heard in words like the German Bach or Scottish loch for many learners, though the exact sound depends on the surrounding vowels.

Yes, that is a very helpful way to understand the grammar.

Literal-ish idea:

• Η απόφαση = the decision
• μάς = us
• απασχολεί = occupies / keeps busy / preoccupies

So literally, The decision occupies us.

But in natural English, you will usually translate it more idiomatically as:

• The decision concerns us
• The decision is on our minds
• We are preoccupied with the decision

So the literal meaning helps with grammar, while the natural translation depends on context.

Not in the actual structure of this sentence.

If μας meant our, it would normally be attached to a noun, for example:

• η απόφασή μας = our decision

But here the sentence is:

• Η απόφαση μάς απασχολεί

Since μάς comes before the verb απασχολεί, it is understood as the pronoun us, not the possessive our.

So compare:

• η απόφασή μας = our decision
• η απόφαση μάς απασχολεί = the decision concerns us

Yes, three very useful patterns:

1. Greek articles agree with nouns

   • η απόφαση = feminine singular nominative

2. Weak object pronouns usually go before the verb

   • μάς απασχολεί

3. The verb agrees with the subject, not the object

   • η απόφαση is singular, so απασχολεί is singular

If you remember those three things, this sentence becomes much easier to understand.