Learn Hardcore Greek: Κάνω δύο ερωτήσεις γιατί η δουλειά είναι δύσκολη σήμερα. - I ask two questions because work is difficult today.

In Greek, the idiomatic way to say “ask a question” is κάνω μια ερώτηση (literally “make a question”) or simply ρωτάω/ρωτώ with the person or the content: e.g., ρωτάω τον καθηγητή, ρωτάω κάτι. The phrase ρωτάω μια ερώτηση is widely felt to be redundant/non‑idiomatic, even if you may hear it. So κάνω δύο ερωτήσεις is the natural choice here. A formal alternative is θέτω μια ερώτηση (“I pose a question”).

What form is ερωτήσεις and why?

It’s the accusative plural of the feminine noun η ερώτηση. It’s plural because the numeral is “two,” and accusative because it’s the direct object of κάνω.

Singular: η ερώτηση (nom), την ερώτηση (acc)
Plural: οι ερωτήσεις (nom), τις ερωτήσεις (acc) In the sentence, you have the object in the form (κάνω) δύο ερωτήσεις.

Does δύο change by gender/case, and can I write δυο?

δύο/δυο is invariable in modern Greek: it does not change for gender or case.
Both spellings are standard. δυο (without an accent) is very common in everyday writing; δύο is also correct and a bit more formal in look.

Do I need a comma before γιατί?

No. In Greek you normally do not use a comma before γιατί when it means “because” and the main clause comes first: Κάνω δύο ερωτήσεις γιατί… is correct. If the reason clause comes first, you use a comma after it: Επειδή η δουλειά είναι δύσκολη σήμερα, κάνω δύο ερωτήσεις.

Does γιατί mean “why” or “because” here? How can I avoid ambiguity?

Here γιατί means “because.” Context, intonation, and punctuation distinguish it from “why.” As a standalone question, Greek writes the question with the Greek question mark (which looks like a semicolon): Γιατί; = “Why?” If you want to avoid any possible ambiguity in writing, use επειδή (“because”), or the formal διότι.

Why is the article used: η δουλειά and not just δουλειά?

Greek uses the definite article much more than English, especially with subject nouns. Η δουλειά είναι δύσκολη σήμερα is the natural way to say “Work is difficult today.” Omitting the article here would sound unidiomatic. You’d only use μια δουλειά when you mean “a (particular) job/task.”

Why is it δύσκολη (feminine) and not δύσκολο?

Adjectives agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. δουλειά is feminine singular, so you need δύσκολη (fem.). The paradigm is: δύσκολος (masc), δύσκολη (fem), δύσκολο (neut). Don’t use the adverb δύσκολα here—that modifies verbs (e.g., Δουλεύω δύσκολα = “I work with difficulty”), not nouns.

Can I move σήμερα or change the word order?

Yes, Greek word order is flexible for emphasis. All of these are natural:

Κάνω δύο ερωτήσεις γιατί η δουλειά είναι δύσκολη σήμερα.
Κάνω δύο ερωτήσεις γιατί σήμερα η δουλειά είναι δύσκολη.
Σήμερα η δουλειά είναι δύσκολη, γι’ αυτό κάνω δύο ερωτήσεις.
With the reason first (more formal/explicit): Επειδή η δουλειά είναι δύσκολη σήμερα, κάνω δύο ερωτήσεις.

Where is the “I”? Why isn’t εγώ used?

Greek is a pro‑drop language: the verb ending -ω in κάνω already shows first person singular (“I do”). You add Εγώ only for emphasis or contrast: Εγώ κάνω δύο ερωτήσεις (“I, for my part, am asking two questions”).

Can I say Έχω δύο ερωτήσεις instead of Κάνω δύο ερωτήσεις?

Yes, but there’s a nuance:

Έχω δύο ερωτήσεις = “I have two questions (to ask).” You’re announcing possession/intention.
Κάνω δύο ερωτήσεις = “I ask two questions.” You’re performing the act. In practice, both are common when you’re about to ask them.

Does δουλειά mean “work” or “job”? Are there synonyms?

δουλειά covers both “work” (tasks, workload) and “a job” (employment), depending on context:

Έχω πολλή δουλειά σήμερα. = “I have a lot of work today.”
Ψάχνω για δουλειά. = “I’m looking for a job.” A more formal word for “work” is εργασία (e.g., academic or official contexts). For “job” in formal contexts, εργασία can also be used, but δουλειά is the everyday choice.

Any pronunciation or spelling gotchas in this sentence?

γιατί ≈ ya-TEE (the γ before ι/ε is like an English “y” sound).
δουλειά ≈ thoo-LYÁ (the δ is like “th” in “this”; λει here sounds like “lya”).
Accepted spellings you might see: δύο or δυο (both standard). You may also encounter δουλιά in older/colloquial texts, but the modern standard is δουλειά.