Μετά τις διακοπές μπαίνω πάλι σε πρόγραμμα σιγά σιγά.

In Modern Greek, μετά meaning after normally takes the accusative:

• μετά τις διακοπές = after the holidays / after vacation

So τις διακοπές is accusative plural.

You may also hear μετά από + accusative:

• μετά από τις διακοπές

That is also correct. In everyday speech, both are common, though μετά τις διακοπές is very natural and compact.

Because in Greek, vacation / holidays is normally expressed with the plural noun διακοπές.

• οι διακοπές = holidays, vacation

The singular διακοπή usually means something different, such as:

• interruption
• break
• cut-off

For example:

• διακοπή ρεύματος = power cut
• διακοπή εργασιών = suspension of work

So if you want to talk about going on vacation, Greek normally uses διακοπές, not the singular.

Literally, μπαίνω means I enter / go into, and πρόγραμμα means program / schedule.

But μπαίνω σε πρόγραμμα is a very common idiomatic expression meaning:

• to get into a routine
• to get back on schedule
• to become organized again
• to return to a more structured way of living

So it is not about joining a literal program. It is about daily structure: sleep, meals, work, exercise, studying, and so on.

Good question. The version without the article, σε πρόγραμμα, sounds more general and idiomatic here.

• σε πρόγραμμα = into a routine / into an organized pattern
• στο πρόγραμμα = into the program / into the schedule

If you say στο πρόγραμμα, it often sounds like you mean a specific program, plan, or schedule already known from the context.

So in this sentence, σε πρόγραμμα is the natural choice because the speaker means a routine in general, not one particular program.

In Greek, the present tense is often used for something planned, expected, or felt as certain in the near future, especially when there is already a time expression like:

• Μετά τις διακοπές = after the holidays

So μπαίνω πάλι σε πρόγραμμα can mean something like:

• I’m getting back into a routine after the holidays
• After the holidays I go/get back into a routine

If you wanted to make the future more explicit, you could say:

• Μετά τις διακοπές θα μπω πάλι σε πρόγραμμα.

That is also correct. The version without θα sounds a bit more immediate, conversational, and natural in many contexts.

Here πάλι means again or, more naturally in English, back.

So:

• μπαίνω πάλι σε πρόγραμμα = I get back into a routine

Greek often uses πάλι where English might prefer back instead of again.

Compare:

• Το ξανακάνω = I do it again
• Πάω πάλι στη δουλειά = I go back to work / I go to work again

In this sentence, πάλι shows that the speaker had a routine before, stopped it during the holidays, and is now returning to it.

Because σιγά σιγά is a fixed, very common Greek expression meaning:

• little by little
• gradually
• step by step
• slowly

Greek often uses repetition like this to create natural adverbial expressions.

By itself, σιγά can mean slowly, gently, or even quietly, depending on context. But in this sentence, σιγά σιγά is the standard and most natural expression.

So:

• σιγά σιγά = gradually

Yes, Greek word order is fairly flexible, and σιγά σιγά can move around.

For example, you could hear:

• Μετά τις διακοπές μπαίνω πάλι σε πρόγραμμα σιγά σιγά.
• Μετά τις διακοπές μπαίνω σιγά σιγά πάλι σε πρόγραμμα.
• Σιγά σιγά μπαίνω πάλι σε πρόγραμμα μετά τις διακοπές.

All of these are possible, though they may sound slightly different in emphasis.

The original order is very natural because it gives:

1. the time frame first: Μετά τις διακοπές
2. the main action: μπαίνω πάλι σε πρόγραμμα
3. the manner: σιγά σιγά

That is a very normal flow in spoken Greek.

Greek uses the definite article much more often than English.

Here, τις διακοπές refers to a specific vacation period that speaker and listener can identify from context:

• μετά τις διακοπές = after the holidays / after the vacation

Even when English might say just after vacation, Greek often prefers the article:

• μετά τις διακοπές
• μετά το καλοκαίρι
• μετά τη δουλειά

So the article is completely normal here.

Yes, very often.

Although μπαίνω literally means enter / go in, Greek uses it in many figurative ways too. For example:

• μπαίνω σε σειρά = get into order
• μπαίνω σε διαδικασία = get involved in a process / go through the process
• μπαίνω στο νόημα = get the point
• μπαίνω σε πρόγραμμα = get into a routine

So this sentence is a very normal example of a literal motion verb being used metaphorically.

A simple pronunciation guide would be:

Meta tis diakopés béno páli se prógrama sigá sigá.

A few useful points:

• Μετά = meh-TA
• διακοπές = thee-ah-koh-PES
• μπαίνω = BE-no
  
  • At the beginning of a word, μπ is usually pronounced like b
• πάλι = PA-li
• πρόγραμμα = PRO-gra-ma
• σιγά σιγά = see-GA see-GA

The stress matters a lot in Greek, so paying attention to the accented syllables is important.