Στη δουλειά η αύξηση φέτος ήταν μικρή.

At work the raise this year was small.

Breakdown of Στη δουλειά η αύξηση φέτος ήταν μικρή.

• είμαι: to be
• η δουλειά: the work
• σε: at
• μικρός: small
• φέτος: this year
• η αύξηση: the increase

Questions & Answers about Στη δουλειά η αύξηση φέτος ήταν μικρή.

What exactly does στη mean here? Is it one word or two words combined?

Στη is a contraction of σε + τη(ν).

• σε = in / at / to
• τη(ν) = the (feminine, singular, accusative)

So στη δουλειά literally means at the work / at work. In modern Greek, σε + τη(ν) is almost always written and pronounced together as στη (or στην before some consonants).

Why is it δουλειά and not some other form, like δουλειάς or δουλειά η?

Δουλειά here is in the accusative singular feminine form, because it follows the preposition σε.

• Nominative (subject form): η δουλειά – the work / the job
• Accusative (after prepositions like σε): (τη) δουλειά

So in στη δουλειά:

• στη = σε + τη (puts the noun into accusative)
• δουλειά = accusative singular feminine

Greek does not have a separate “locative” case, so locations like “at work”, “at home” use σε + accusative.

What is the difference between δουλειά and εργασία? Could I say Στην εργασία instead?

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

• δουλειά is everyday, informal or neutral:
  
  • Πάω στη δουλειά. – I’m going to work.
• εργασία is more formal, often used in official or technical contexts:
  
  • Χώρος εργασίας – workplace
  • Σύμβαση εργασίας – work contract

You can say Στην εργασία η αύξηση φέτος ήταν μικρή, but it sounds more formal or bureaucratic. Στη δουλειά is what people naturally say in everyday speech.

Why does the sentence start with Στη δουλειά? Could I put it later in the sentence?

Yes, you can move στη δουλειά. Greek word order is flexible. Some common variants:

• Στη δουλειά η αύξηση φέτος ήταν μικρή.
  – Emphasis on at work (as opposed to somewhere else).
• Η αύξηση στη δουλειά φέτος ήταν μικρή.
  – More neutral, typical word order: subject first (η αύξηση).
• Η αύξηση φέτος στη δουλειά ήταν μικρή.
  – Slight emphasis on this year.

By putting Στη δουλειά first, the speaker highlights where the raise was small.

Is η αύξηση the subject of the sentence? Why does it have η?

Yes, η αύξηση is the subject.

• η = the (feminine, singular, nominative)
• αύξηση = increase / raise (feminine noun)

Greek almost always uses the definite article with specific, known things, much more than English. Here, η αύξηση = the raise (the one we know we’re talking about, e.g. this year’s pay raise at work).

Saying just Αύξηση φέτος ήταν μικρή would sound unnatural or incomplete in this context.

Does αύξηση always mean “pay raise”, or just “increase” in general?

Αύξηση means increase in general:

• αύξηση τιμών – price increase
• αύξηση πληθυσμού – population increase

In a work or salary context, η αύξηση usually means pay raise by default, so in this sentence it is understood as the salary raise or pay increase at work this year.

If you need to be explicit, you can say αύξηση μισθού (pay/salary raise).

What tense is ήταν, and why is it used here?

Ήταν is the past tense (imperfect) of είμαι (to be).

• είναι – it is
• ήταν – it was

We use ήταν because we’re talking about a state in the past (this year’s raise, as a finished period or as a past reference), not about something happening right now.

So ήταν μικρή = was small.

Why is the adjective μικρή in the feminine form?

In Greek, adjectives must agree with the noun in:

• gender (masculine / feminine / neuter)
• number (singular / plural)
• case (nominative / accusative etc.)

The noun αύξηση is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative (it’s the subject)

So the adjective must also be:

• μικρή (feminine, singular, nominative)

If the noun were neuter, e.g. το ποσό (the amount), you’d say:

• Το ποσό φέτος ήταν μικρό. – The amount was small.

Could I say ήταν λίγο instead of ήταν μικρή?

You can, but the meaning changes slightly:

• ήταν μικρή – it was small (small in size/extent; focuses on quality)
• ήταν λίγο – it was a little / not much (focuses more on quantity)

In the context of salary, both could work, but:

• Η αύξηση ήταν μικρή. – The raise was small (judgmental, maybe disappointed tone).
• Η αύξηση ήταν λίγη. – The raise wasn’t a lot (emphasis that the amount was low).

λίγο as an adverb (without a noun) sounds a bit incomplete here; better is λίγη agreeing with αύξηση: Η αύξηση ήταν λίγη.

What does φέτος mean exactly, and how is it used grammatically?

Φέτος means this year.

• It functions like an adverb of time, similar to σήμερα (today), αύριο (tomorrow).
• It does not change form (no cases, no gender).

You can place it in different positions:

• Φέτος η αύξηση ήταν μικρή. – This year, the raise was small.
• Η αύξηση φέτος ήταν μικρή. – The raise this year was small.
• Η αύξηση ήταν μικρή φέτος. – The raise was small this year.

Εφέτος is a more formal or old-fashioned version of the same word.

Why is it στη δουλειά and not στο δουλειά?

The form depends on the gender of the noun:

• στο = σε + το (neuter article)
• στη(ν) = σε + τη(ν) (feminine article)
• στον = σε + τον (masculine article)

Since δουλειά is feminine, we need the feminine article:

• η δουλειά → στη δουλειά

If the noun were neuter, e.g. το γραφείο (the office), we’d say:

• στο γραφείο – at the office

Sometimes I see στην and sometimes στη. Why is it στη δουλειά here and not στην δουλειά?

Both στη δουλειά and στην δουλειά are possible in writing, but in modern usage:

• Before most consonants (like δ), people often write στη.
• Before vowels and some consonants (especially κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ), you’ll often see στην to make pronunciation smoother:
  
  • στην κουζίνα, στην πόλη, στην τάξη

In everyday speech, many Greeks pronounce it almost the same, and the ν often drops. So στη δουλειά is perfectly standard and common.