Τα οικονομικά της οικογένειας βελτιώθηκαν.

Here τα οικονομικά means the finances / the financial situation / the financial affairs.

The word οικονομικά can mean different things depending on context:

• economics as a school subject or academic field
• finances or money matters in everyday use

In Τα οικονομικά της οικογένειας, it clearly means the family’s finances.

Τα is the definite article (the) in the neuter plural.

It matches οικονομικά, which is also neuter plural:

• το οικονομικό = the financial matter / the economic one
• τα οικονομικά = the finances / the financial matters

So τα οικονομικά literally looks like the financial things/matters, but in natural English we usually say the finances.

Greek often uses οικονομικά in the plural when talking about someone’s finances or money situation.

This is similar to English, where we often say finances rather than finance when we mean a person’s or family’s money situation.

So:

• τα οικονομικά μου = my finances
• τα οικονομικά της οικογένειας = the family’s finances

Because Greek uses the genitive to show possession.

• η οικογένεια = the family
• της οικογένειας = of the family

So:

• Τα οικονομικά της οικογένειας = the finances of the family
• more naturally in English: the family’s finances

This is one of the most common uses of the genitive in Greek.

In Greek, nouns usually keep their article even inside a phrase like this.

So Greek says:

• τα οικονομικά της οικογένειας

Literally:

• the finances of the family

English often drops the second the when using ’s, but Greek normally keeps the article with οικογένειας.

Βελτιώθηκαν is the aorist, which is the normal Greek tense for a completed past event.

So it means:

• improved
• got better

It does not mean an ongoing process like were improving.
If you wanted that idea, Greek would use a different form.

It is a passive-form verb, but here it is best translated as improved or got better, not necessarily were improved.

Greek often uses passive-looking forms for changes of state. So:

• βελτιώθηκε η κατάσταση = the situation improved
• βελτιώθηκαν τα οικονομικά = the finances improved

In other words, the sentence focuses on the result: the finances became better.

The form βελτιώθηκαν is connected with βελτιώνομαι (to improve / get better) and also with the active verb βελτιώνω (to improve something).

A useful way to think about it is:

• βελτιώνω κάτι = I improve something
• βελτιώνομαι = I improve / I get better
• βελτιώθηκαν = they improved / they got better

So in this sentence, the finances are the thing that improved.

Because the subject is plural:

• τα οικονομικά = plural
• βελτιώθηκαν = they improved

So the verb agrees with the subject.

You may hear that some Greek neuter plural subjects can sometimes take a singular verb, but with οικονομικά a plural verb like βελτιώθηκαν is completely natural and standard.

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English.

For example, you could also say:

• Βελτιώθηκαν τα οικονομικά της οικογένειας.

This still means the same thing: The family’s finances improved.

The original order is neutral and straightforward.
Starting with the verb can sound a little more event-focused, depending on context.

Historically, it comes from an adjective, but here it is being used like a noun.

This is very common in Greek. An adjective can function as a noun when the context is clear.

So τα οικονομικά literally comes from something like the financial matters, but in real usage it simply means:

• the finances
• financial affairs

A simple pronunciation guide is:

Ta ikonomiká tis ikoyéneias veltiṓthikan.

Stress falls on:

• οικονομικά
• οικογένειας
• βελτιώθηκαν

You do not need to pronounce it exactly like the transliteration, but it can help you hear where the stress goes.