Βλέπω ότι η προσπάθειά σου στα ελληνικά γίνεται όλο και μεγαλύτερη κάθε μήνα, και αυτό μου δίνει χαρά.

I see that your effort in Greek is getting bigger every month, and that gives me joy.

Breakdown of Βλέπω ότι η προσπάθειά σου στα ελληνικά γίνεται όλο και μεγαλύτερη κάθε μήνα, και αυτό μου δίνει χαρά.

• και: and
• αυτός: this
• ελληνικά: in Greek
• σου: your

Questions & Answers about Βλέπω ότι η προσπάθειά σου στα ελληνικά γίνεται όλο και μεγαλύτερη κάθε μήνα, και αυτό μου δίνει χαρά.

Why is there an accent on the last syllable of προσπάθειά in η προσπάθειά σου, instead of the usual η προσπάθεια?

The basic noun is η προσπάθεια (stress on -σπά-: προσπάθεια).

When you attach a short unstressed pronoun like μου, σου, του after it, Greek treats the whole thing (προσπάθεια σου) as one phonological word. Greek has a rule that the stress must fall within the last three syllables of this whole unit.

• προσπάθεια has 4 syllables: προ–σπά–θει–α
• Adding σου gives 5: προ–σπά–θει–α–σου

If the stress stayed on σπά, it would now be on the 4th syllable from the end, which is not allowed. So the stress shifts towards the end. In this word it ends up on the last syllable of προσπάθεια, written as προσπάθειά σου.

This kind of stress shift is normal when a word stressed early (like προσπάθεια) is followed by an enclitic pronoun (μου, σου, του etc.).

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What exactly is σου in η προσπάθειά σου? Is it like the English word your?