Στην τράπεζα έκανα μια μικρή κατάθεση και μετά κοίταξα το υπόλοιπο πριν κάνω ανάληψη.

Because στην is the normal contracted form of σε + την.

• σε = in / at / to
• την = the for a feminine noun in the accusative

So:

• σε την τράπεζα → στην τράπεζα

This contraction is extremely common in Greek:

• στο = σε + το
• στον = σε + τον
• στη / στην = σε + τη(ν)

Here, στην τράπεζα means at the bank or to the bank, depending on context.

In this sentence, τράπεζα clearly means bank because of the surrounding words:

• κατάθεση = deposit
• υπόλοιπο = balance
• ανάληψη = withdrawal

So the banking context makes the meaning obvious.

Historically and in some contexts, τράπεζα can also refer to a table in older/literary usage, but for everyday modern Greek, learners will most often meet τράπεζα as bank.

Greek often uses κάνω + noun to express actions that English may express with a single verb.

So:

• κάνω κατάθεση = make a deposit
• κάνω ανάληψη = make a withdrawal

This is very natural Greek.

There is also a single verb:

• καταθέτω = deposit
• past form: κατέθεσα

So you could also say something like:

• Στην τράπεζα κατέθεσα ένα μικρό ποσό...

But έκανα μια μικρή κατάθεση is completely normal and very common.

Both έκανα and κοίταξα are in the aorist, which is the Greek past tense typically used for completed actions.

Here the speaker is describing a sequence of finished actions:

1. έκανα μια μικρή κατάθεση
2. κοίταξα το υπόλοιπο
3. before I made a withdrawal

So the aorist fits well because the sentence narrates specific completed events.

A quick note:

• έκανα = I did / I made
• κοίταξα = I looked at / I checked

μικρή is the adjective small, and it agrees with κατάθεση in gender, number, and case.

• κατάθεση is feminine singular
• so the adjective must also be feminine singular
• that gives μικρή

So:

• μια μικρή κατάθεση = a small deposit

This is adjective agreement, which is very important in Greek.

For comparison:

• ένας μικρός λογαριασμός = a small account bill / small account
• ένα μικρό ποσό = a small amount

Both μια and μία are acceptable spellings for one / a in Modern Greek.

In everyday writing, μια is very common.
μία can look a bit more careful, formal, or emphatic.

So:

• μια μικρή κατάθεση
• μία μικρή κατάθεση

Both are correct.

For most learners, the important thing is to recognize that both forms mean the same thing here.

υπόλοιπο literally means remainder or what is left. In banking, it means balance.

So:

• κοίταξα το υπόλοιπο = I checked the balance

The article το is used because this is a specific balance: the balance of the relevant bank account.

Greek uses the definite article very often, sometimes more often than English does, so το υπόλοιπο sounds natural here.

Because after πριν (before), Greek often uses a subjunctive-type non-past form to refer to an action that was still pending at that point in the story.

So:

• πριν κάνω ανάληψη = before making / before I made a withdrawal

Even though the whole sentence is in the past, the withdrawal had not happened yet at the moment when the speaker checked the balance. That is why Greek uses κάνω, not έκανα, here.

You can think of it as:

• first I made a deposit
• then I checked the balance
• before I was going to make a withdrawal

After πριν, Greek can use the subjunctive form with or without να, depending on style and register.

So both of these are possible:

• πριν κάνω ανάληψη
• πριν να κάνω ανάληψη

In modern everyday Greek, omitting να after πριν is very common and natural.

So the sentence sounds perfectly normal as written.

Greek often leaves out the article with action nouns after κάνω when the meaning is simply perform that action.

So:

• κάνω ανάληψη = make a withdrawal
• κάνω κατάθεση = make a deposit

This is very idiomatic.

If you say:

• κάνω μια ανάληψη

that can sound more like I make one withdrawal / a specific withdrawal.

So the version without the article is more general and very natural in this kind of banking phrase.

Yes. Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

Starting with Στην τράπεζα puts the location first, almost like setting the scene:

• At the bank, I made a small deposit...

This is natural Greek.

You could also say:

• Έκανα μια μικρή κατάθεση στην τράπεζα...

That would also be correct, but it shifts the emphasis a little. The original sentence foregrounds where the actions happened.

Yes.

• μετά = after / then
• πριν = before

In this sentence:

• και μετά κοίταξα το υπόλοιπο = and then I checked the balance
• πριν κάνω ανάληψη = before making a withdrawal

They help organize the sequence of events very clearly.

Several nouns here are in the accusative, because they are objects of verbs or because they follow a preposition that takes the accusative.

Examples:

• στην τράπεζα: after σε, Greek uses the accusative
• μια μικρή κατάθεση: object of έκανα
• το υπόλοιπο: object of κοίταξα
• ανάληψη: object-like noun after κάνω

This is useful to notice because Greek cases affect articles, adjectives, and sometimes noun endings. In this sentence, some forms happen to look the same as the nominative, but grammatically they are functioning as accusatives.