Η γιαγιά μου δεν χρησιμοποιεί τη σκάλα γιατί είναι κουρασμένη.

My grandmother doesn’t use the stairs because she is tired.

Breakdown of Η γιαγιά μου δεν χρησιμοποιεί τη σκάλα γιατί είναι κουρασμένη.

• είμαι: to be
• δεν: not
• μου: my
• γιατί: because

Questions & Answers about Η γιαγιά μου δεν χρησιμοποιεί τη σκάλα γιατί είναι κουρασμένη.

Why do we need η before γιαγιά μου? In English we just say “my grandmother”, not “the my grandmother”.

In Greek, a possessive like μου almost always goes together with the definite article:

• η γιαγιά μου = my grandmother
• ο πατέρας μου = my father
• το σπίτι μου = my house

The pattern is: article + noun + possessive pronoun.

Leaving out the article (γιαγιά μου) is possible in some special, more emotional or poetic uses, but the normal, neutral way is to include the article: η γιαγιά μου.

Why does μου come after γιαγιά, instead of before like in English (“my grandmother”)?

Greek possessive pronouns usually follow the noun:

• η γιαγιά μου = my grandmother
• ο φίλος σου = your friend
• το βιβλίο του = his book

The order noun + possessive is the default.
If you put the pronoun before (e.g. μου η γιαγιά), it sounds unusual or highly marked and isn’t used in normal speech.

Why is the negative word δεν and not μην?