Learn Hardcore Greek: Στη δουλειά ο διευθυντής προτιμάει τη βιντεοκλήση, γιατί δεν θέλει να ανοίγει την κάμερα στο σπίτι. - At work the manager prefers a video call, because he doesn’t want to turn on the camera at home.

σε + τη δουλειά → στη δουλειά
- σε = in / at / to
- η δουλειά (feminine noun) = work / job
- In spoken and written Greek, σε + τη contracts to στη.

If the noun were masculine or neuter, you’d see:

σε + τον δρόμο → στον δρόμο (on the road)
σε + το σπίτι → στο σπίτι (at home / to the house)

Because δουλειά is feminine, the correct contraction is στη.

Why does the sentence start with Στη δουλειά instead of Ο διευθυντής? Is that normal word order?

Yes, it’s normal. Greek word order is flexible and often used for emphasis or flow.

Ο διευθυντής προτιμάει τη βιντεοκλήση στη δουλειά…
is also correct.

By starting with Στη δουλειά, the sentence emphasizes the place/situation:

Στη δουλειά (in the work context), the director prefers the video call…
(implying: elsewhere, maybe he prefers something else)

So the order here highlights the contrast between στη δουλειά and στο σπίτι later in the sentence.

What is the difference between προτιμάει and προτιμά? Are both correct?

Both are correct present tense forms of προτιμάω (to prefer):

προτιμάει = he/she prefers
προτιμά = he/she prefers

They mean the same thing. προτιμά is slightly shorter and often considered a bit more standard or neutral in writing, while προτιμάει can feel a bit more colloquial or “full”. You’ll hear and see both very often:

Προτιμά(ει) τη βιντεοκλήση. = He prefers the video call.

Why is it τη βιντεοκλήση with the definite article? In English we might just say “video calls” in general.

Greek uses the definite article much more than English, even for general or abstract things.

τη βιντεοκλήση = the video call
Here it really means video calling as a method, not necessarily one specific call.

In Greek you often say things like:

Μου αρέσει ο καφές. = I like coffee. (literally: I like the coffee)
Προτιμάω το τσάι. = I prefer tea. (literally: I prefer the tea)

So προτιμάει τη βιντεοκλήση is naturally understood as he prefers video calls / the video-call option.

What is the role of γιατί here? I thought γιατί meant “why.”

γιατί can mean both:

why (in questions)
because (in statements)

In this sentence it clearly means because:

…προτιμάει τη βιντεοκλήση, γιατί δεν θέλει…
= …he prefers the video call, because he doesn’t want…

Examples:

Question: Γιατί δεν ήρθες; = Why didn’t you come?
Answer: Γιατί δούλευα. = Because I was working.

There is also επειδή, which only means because, but γιατί is more common in everyday speech.

Why is it δεν θέλει να ανοίγει and not δεν θέλει να ανοίξει? What’s the difference?

This is about aspect (habitual vs one-time action).

να ανοίγει (imperfective aspect) suggests:
- a repeated, habitual, or ongoing action
- “doesn’t want to be opening / doesn’t like having to open”
να ανοίξει (perfective aspect) would suggest:
- a single, complete action
- “doesn’t want to open (it) once / in that instance”

In this sentence:

δεν θέλει να ανοίγει την κάμερα στο σπίτι
implies he generally doesn’t like the idea of having to turn his camera on at home (in general, as a rule).

If you said:

δεν θέλει να ανοίξει την κάμερα
it would sound more like he doesn’t want to turn it on this particular time.

Why is it την κάμερα? What case is this, and why is the article there?

την κάμερα is in the accusative case, singular, feminine, used for the direct object of the verb:

Verb: να ανοίγει (to open)
Direct object: την κάμερα (the camera)

Pattern:

ανοίγω κάτι = I open something
ανοίγει την πόρτα = he opens the door
ανοίγει την κάμερα = he turns on / opens the camera

Greek almost always uses the definite article with concrete objects:

την πόρτα (the door)
το φως (the light)
την κάμερα (the camera)

Even when English might drop the, Greek usually keeps την / το / τον.

Why is στο σπίτι used, and not στο σπίτι του? Does it still mean “at his home”?

στο σπίτι literally means at the house / at home, without specifying whose.
In context, it is naturally understood as his home, because we’re talking about the director’s habits.

στο σπίτι = at home (general, but context often supplies the owner)
στο σπίτι του = at his house (explicitly his)

So:

…δεν θέλει να ανοίγει την κάμερα στο σπίτι.
= he doesn’t want to turn on the camera at home.

If there were ambiguity (e.g. could be someone else’s house), Greek might prefer στο σπίτι του.

Where is the word “he” in the Greek sentence? Why isn’t a pronoun like αυτός used?

Greek usually drops subject pronouns (like εγώ, εσύ, αυτός) because the verb ending already shows the person.

προτιμάει = he/she prefers
θέλει = he/she wants

The subject ο διευθυντής (the director) appears once and then it’s understood:

Ο διευθυντής προτιμάει… γιατί δεν θέλει…
= The director prefers… because he doesn’t want…

You would only add αυτός for strong emphasis or contrast:

Αυτός δεν θέλει να ανοίγει την κάμερα.
= He (as opposed to others) doesn’t want to turn on the camera.

How is δουλειά different from εργασία? Both seem to mean “work.”

Both mean work, but they differ in usage and tone:

δουλειά
- Very common, everyday word
- Can mean job, work, task
- More colloquial and broad
- Πάω στη δουλειά. = I’m going to work.
εργασία
- More formal or technical
- Used in official / academic / legal contexts
- Also used for assignment / project
- Στείλτε την εργασία σας. = Send your assignment.

In this sentence, Στη δουλειά is natural, everyday Greek.
Στην εργασία would sound formal or bureaucratic in comparison.