Questions & Answers about Πάλι είσαι στη δουλειά;
Why does the sentence end with a semicolon?
In Greek, the question mark is written as a semicolon (;). So ; in Greek equals ? in English. That’s why you see Πάλι είσαι στη δουλειά; with a semicolon at the end.
What does είσαι mean, and why isn’t there an inversion like “are you”?
είσαι means you are (2nd person singular of είμαι = to be). Greek yes/no questions usually rely on intonation, not inversion. Statement: Είσαι στη δουλειά. Question: Είσαι στη δουλειά; The word order can stay the same; you just raise your voice at the end.
What exactly is στη?
στη is a contraction of the preposition σε (at/in/to) + the feminine singular definite article τη(ν) (the). So στη δουλειά literally means at the work, i.e., at work.
Why is it στη δουλειά and not στην δουλειά?
Modern Greek often drops the final -ν of feminine την when the next word starts with most consonants (δ included). So before δουλειά you normally say/write στη δουλειά. You keep the -ν before vowels and certain consonants (π, τ, κ, ξ, ψ, μπ, ντ, γκ, and double consonants): e.g., στην εργασία.
What case is in, and why doesn’t it look different?