Learn Hardcore Greek: Σιγά σιγά προσαρμόζομαι στη νέα χώρα. - Little by little I am adapting to the new country.

The repetition is very common and natural in Greek. You can also use σιγά σιγά in many contexts where English uses gradually or step by step.

You can say just σιγά on its own, but then it usually means slowly or sometimes calm down / take it easy, depending on tone and context. The doubled form σιγά σιγά strongly suggests a process over time.

Is σιγά σιγά always about physical speed, or can it be abstract like in this sentence?

It can be both physical and abstract.

Physical:

Σιγά σιγά περπατάει.
He/She is walking slowly, little by little.

Abstract (like your sentence):

Σιγά σιγά προσαρμόζομαι στη νέα χώρα.
Little by little I’m adapting to the new country.
Σιγά σιγά το καταλαβαίνω.
I’m understanding it little by little.

So it often means gradually in a broad sense, not just slow physical movement.

What tense is προσαρμόζομαι, and does it mean “I adapt” or “I’m adapting”?

Προσαρμόζομαι is in the present tense, middle/passive voice, 1st person singular.

Greek present tense usually covers both:

English simple present: I adapt
English present continuous: I’m adapting

In this specific sentence, with σιγά σιγά, the natural translation is:

Σιγά σιγά προσαρμόζομαι στη νέα χώρα.
→ Little by little I’m adapting to the new country.

The adverbial σιγά σιγά emphasizes an ongoing process, so English prefers the continuous form I’m adapting here.

Why is it προσαρμόζομαι and not προσαρμόζω? What’s the difference?

Greek has an active voice and a middle/passive voice.

προσαρμόζω (active) = I adapt something / I adjust something
- Προσαρμόζω το πρόγραμμα. = I adjust the schedule.
προσαρμόζομαι (middle/passive) = I adapt (myself), I adjust, I get used (to something)
- Προσαρμόζομαι στη νέα χώρα. = I adapt (myself) to the new country.

For changes that happen to you / in you (feelings, state, adaptation), Greek very often uses this middle/passive form, even though English uses an active verb (adapt, get used to, adjust).

How would you pronounce the whole sentence? Where is the stress?

Syllable breakdown with stressed syllables in bold:

Σι-ΓΆ σι-ΓΆ προ-σαρ-ΜΌ-ζο-μαι στη ΝΈ-α ΧΏ-ρα

Approximate phonetic guide (not strict IPA, just to help an English speaker):

σιγά σιγά → see-GAH see-GAH (with a voiced γ like a soft French/Spanish “g” in raga / amigo)
προσαρμόζομαι → pro-sar-MO-zo-me (χ doesn’t appear here; all vowels are clearly pronounced)
στη → stee
νέα → NE-ah (two syllables)
χώρα → HOR-ah but with χ as in a Scottish loch or German Bach, not English h

Stress is crucial in Greek; moving the stress can change the word or make it sound wrong, so it’s worth memorizing stress together with the word.

What exactly does προσαρμόζομαι mean here? Is it more like “adapt” or “get used to”?

In this context, προσαρμόζομαι can be understood as both:

adapt to (change oneself to fit a new environment)
get used to (become accustomed to)

So:

Σιγά σιγά προσαρμόζομαι στη νέα χώρα.
- Little by little I’m adapting to the new country.
  or
- Little by little I’m getting used to the new country.

Προσαρμόζομαι focuses a bit more on adjusting / fitting in than on just feeling familiar, but in everyday speech it often overlaps with the idea of getting used to something.

What is στη made of, and why is it not written as σε τη?

Στη is a contraction of:

σε (preposition: in, at, to)
τη (feminine singular definite article: the)

So:

σε + τη = στη

Greek almost always contracts σε + definite article:

σε + τον → στον
σε + την → στη(ν)
σε + το → στο
σε + τις → στις, etc.

In your sentence:

στη νέα χώρα = in/to the new country

It would be very unnatural to write σε τη νέα χώρα in modern Greek; στη is the normal form.

Why is it στη νέα χώρα and not στη νέος χώρα or something else? How does agreement work?

Greek has gender, number, and case agreement between article, adjective, and noun.

χώρα = country
- gender: feminine
- number: singular
- case: accusative (because it’s the object of the preposition σε)

So the words that go with it must also be:

feminine
singular
accusative

That gives:

Article: τη
Adjective: νέα (feminine singular accusative of νέος / νέα / νέο)
Noun: χώρα

And then with the contraction:

σε + τη νέα χώρα → στη νέα χώρα

So:

στη νέα χώρα = in/to the new country
Everything matches in gender (feminine), number (singular), and case (accusative).

Why is it χώρα and not χώρος? Don’t they both relate to “space/place”?

They are related but not the same:

η χώρα (feminine)
- main meaning: country, nation
- e.g. άλλη χώρα = another country
ο χώρος (masculine)
- main meanings: space, area, room, domain, field
- e.g. εργασιακός χώρος = workplace / work environment
- χώρος στάθμευσης = parking area

In your sentence the meaning is clearly country, so Greek uses χώρα:

Σιγά σιγά προσαρμόζομαι στη νέα χώρα.
→ Little by little I’m adapting to the new country.

Can I change the word order? For example, can I say Προσαρμόζομαι σιγά σιγά στη νέα χώρα?

Yes, Greek word order is quite flexible, and both of these are natural:

Σιγά σιγά προσαρμόζομαι στη νέα χώρα.
Προσαρμόζομαι σιγά σιγά στη νέα χώρα.

They mean essentially the same thing. The difference is very slight:

Starting with σιγά σιγά (version 1) slightly emphasizes the gradual aspect from the beginning.
Putting σιγά σιγά after the verb (version 2) focuses first on the action “I am adapting” and then adds the idea “gradually”.

In everyday conversation, both orders are perfectly fine and common.

Could I leave out σιγά σιγά and just say Προσαρμόζομαι στη νέα χώρα? Would the meaning change?

Yes, you can say:

Προσαρμόζομαι στη νέα χώρα.
= I’m adapting to the new country.

Without σιγά σιγά, you still say that you are adapting, but you lose the nuance of it being gradual or step by step.

With σιγά σιγά, you highlight:

that the process takes time
that it’s happening slowly, not all at once

So the main meaning remains, but the feeling of the sentence becomes softer and more process-oriented with σιγά σιγά.