Learn Hardcore Greek: Ο παππούς μου δεν δουλεύει πια, αλλά η γιαγιά μου ακόμα δουλεύει λίγο. - My grandfather no longer works, but my grandmother still works a little.

Why do we use the articles ο and η before παππούς and γιαγιά, even though in English we say my grandfather and my grandmother without the?

In Greek, nouns almost always take a definite article, even when they are possessed.

Ο παππούς μου = literally the grandfather my
Η γιαγιά μου = literally the grandmother my

The article:

agrees in gender and number with the noun
- ο for masculine singular (ο παππούς)
- η for feminine singular (η γιαγιά)
is normally kept even when you add a possessive like μου, σου, του, etc.

So where English says my grandfather, Greek usually says ο παππούς μου, not παππούς μου (except in some special contexts like direct address or certain fixed expressions).

Why is μου after the noun (ο παππούς μου) and not before, like μου παππούς?

Greek uses possessive pronouns as enclitics (unstressed words) that normally come after the noun:

ο παππούς μου = my grandfather
η γιαγιά σου = your grandmother
το σπίτι του = his/its house

The pattern is: > article + noun + (optional adjective) + unstressed possessive

You can also use the stressed possessive forms (e.g. ο παππούς μου vs ο δικός μου παππούς). The stressed ones usually add emphasis or contrast, but the position (after the noun) is still the same.

Why is the negation δεν placed before δουλεύει? Could it come after the verb?

In standard Greek, the basic rule is:

Negative particle (δεν, μη(ν)) goes immediately before the verb.

So:

δεν δουλεύει = he/she does not work
δουλεύει δεν ❌ (wrong in standard Greek)

In speech, δεν is often pronounced δε before consonants, but in writing you almost always stick with δεν.

Why is δουλεύει in the present tense if the meaning is doesn’t work anymore / still works a little, which sounds more like a general situation?

Greek present tense (δουλεύει) covers:

Right now actions:
- Δουλεύει τώρα. = He/She is working now.
Habits or general states, like English works / doesn’t work:
- Δεν δουλεύει πια. = He doesn’t work anymore (in general, as a state)
- Ακόμα δουλεύει λίγο. = She still works a little (habitually or generally)

So here δουλεύει is a present tense describing a general, ongoing situation, not just something happening at this exact moment.

What is the difference between πια and ακόμα in this sentence?

They contrast each other:

πια with a negation (δεν … πια) means no longer / not anymore:
- δεν δουλεύει πια = he doesn’t work anymore.
ακόμα means still / yet (positively):
- ακόμα δουλεύει = she still works.

This contrast is very common in Greek:

Δεν καπνίζει πια. = He doesn’t smoke anymore.
Ακόμα καπνίζει. = He still smokes.

So in the sentence:

δεν δουλεύει πια → the activity has stopped.
ακόμα δουλεύει → the activity continues.

Can πια and ακόμα be placed somewhere else in the sentence?

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible, though some positions sound more natural.

For the first part:

Ο παππούς μου δεν δουλεύει πια. (most neutral)
Ο παππούς μου πια δεν δουλεύει. (a bit more emphatic on πια, like “by now he no longer works”)
Πια ο παππούς μου δεν δουλεύει. (also possible, with strong emphasis on the change)

For the second part:

η γιαγιά μου ακόμα δουλεύει λίγο. (neutral)
η γιαγιά μου δουλεύει ακόμα λίγο. (also fine, slightly different rhythm)
ακόμα η γιαγιά μου δουλεύει λίγο. (possible, but sounds more marked/emphatic)

The given sentence is the most natural, everyday order.

Why is there a comma before αλλά?

Αλλά means but, and it usually introduces a contrast between two clauses. In written Greek, you typically separate the two clauses with a comma:

… δεν δουλεύει πια, αλλά …
Θέλω να έρθω, αλλά δεν μπορώ.

So the comma works just like before but in English when connecting two full clauses.

Why is δουλεύει the same form for he and she? How do we know who is doing the action?

In Modern Greek, the 3rd person singular present ending -ει is the same for he, she, and it:

δουλεύει = he works / she works / it works

You understand who is doing the action from the subject noun, not from the verb ending:

Ο παππούς μου δεν δουλεύει πια → ο παππούς (masculine) is the subject → he doesn’t work anymore.
η γιαγιά μου ακόμα δουλεύει λίγο → η γιαγιά (feminine) is the subject → she still works a little.

So the verb form is the same, but the noun phrase tells you the gender.

Why are there no subject pronouns like αυτός or αυτή before δουλεύει?

Greek is a “pro-drop” language: subject pronouns are usually omitted because the verb ending already shows the person and number.

(Αυτός) δουλεύει. → δουλεύει already shows 3rd person singular.
(Αυτή) δουλεύει.

In our sentence, the subjects are clearly expressed by the nouns:

Ο παππούς μου
η γιαγιά μου

Adding αυτός or αυτή here would usually sound unnecessary or emphatic:

Ο παππούς μου αυτός δεν δουλεύει πια → sounds strongly emphatic or contrastive, not neutral.

What exactly does λίγο mean after δουλεύει? Is it about time, intensity, or amount?

Λίγο is an adverb here and means a little / a bit in a general sense.

δουλεύει λίγο can mean:
- she works a few hours, or
- she works not very much, or
- the work she does is limited.

The context usually clarifies whether it’s about hours, intensity, money, etc. Without further context, it just means she doesn’t work much, only a bit.

Could I replace δουλεύει with another verb like εργάζεται here? Would it sound the same?

You could say:

Ο παππούς μου δεν εργάζεται πια, αλλά η γιαγιά μου ακόμα εργάζεται λίγο.

However, δουλεύω is more everyday and neutral. Εργάζομαι is:

more formal,
more common in official or written language (e.g. documents, news).

So for a natural, spoken-sounding sentence about your grandparents, δουλεύει is the better choice.

Is παππούς and γιαγιά informal, or can they be used in all contexts?

Παππούς and γιαγιά are the standard, normal words for grandfather and grandmother in Modern Greek, used in almost all contexts:

everyday speech
writing
even in quite formal contexts when you simply refer to someone’s grandparents

Very old or more formal variants (like παππός) are rare in modern speech. So ο παππούς μου and η γιαγιά μου are exactly what you should normally use.