Πάνω στη συρταριέρα έβαλα μια παλιά κορνίζα με φωτογραφία της οικογένειάς μου.

Here πάνω στη συρταριέρα means on the dresser or more literally on top of the dresser.

A few useful points:

• πάνω = up / on top
• σε + τη becomes στη
• So πάνω στη συρταριέρα is literally something like on top of the dresser

In everyday Greek, this is a very natural way to say that something is placed on a surface.

στη is the contracted form of σε τη.

Greek often writes:

• σε + το = στο
• σε + τη(ν) = στη(ν)

The final -ν in στην is often dropped before many consonants. Since συρταριέρα starts with σ, στη συρταριέρα is the normal form here.

So:

• στη συρταριέρα = standard and natural here
• στην συρταριέρα would sound more formal or less usual in this context

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

Putting Πάνω στη συρταριέρα first gives the location first, almost like setting the scene:

• Πάνω στη συρταριέρα έβαλα... = On the dresser, I put...

This can feel slightly more natural if the speaker wants to highlight where they put the object.

A more neutral order is also possible:

• Έβαλα μια παλιά κορνίζα πάνω στη συρταριέρα.

Both are correct. The difference is mainly emphasis and information flow, not grammar.

έβαλα is the aorist form of βάζω.

• βάζω = I put / I am putting / I put habitually
• έβαλα = I put in the sense of I placed at one specific moment

So έβαλα shows a completed action: the speaker placed the frame on the dresser.

This is very common in Greek when talking about a single finished action in the past.

Both μια and μία exist, but μια is the very common everyday form of one / a in Modern Greek.

Here μια παλιά κορνίζα means an old frame.

Very roughly:

• μια = normal everyday spelling in many contexts
• μία can look slightly more careful, formal, or emphatic

For most learners, using μια in ordinary sentences is completely safe and natural.

Because the adjective has to agree with the noun.

κορνίζα is:

• feminine
• singular
• accusative here

So the adjective παλιός changes to the matching feminine singular form:

• masculine: παλιός
• feminine: παλιά
• neuter: παλιό

That is why we get:

• μια παλιά κορνίζα

Greek adjectives usually agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Because it is the direct object of έβαλα.

The speaker is saying what they put:

• έβαλα = I put
• μια παλιά κορνίζα = the thing that was put

In Greek, direct objects typically go in the accusative case.

So:

• nominative: μια παλιά κορνίζα
• accusative: μια παλιά κορνίζα

In this case, the form happens to look the same, which is common with many feminine nouns.

Because με φωτογραφία here means with a photo, in an indefinite, descriptive way.

The phrase is describing the frame:

• μια παλιά κορνίζα με φωτογραφία...
• an old frame with a photo...

If you said με μια φωτογραφία, that would also be possible, but it would sound a little more explicitly like with a photo as a separate, countable item.

Without μια, the phrase feels a bit more compact and descriptive.

So both can work, but με φωτογραφία is very natural in this kind of sentence.

It describes κορνίζα.

So the structure is:

• μια παλιά κορνίζα
• με φωτογραφία της οικογένειάς μου

Together: an old frame with a photo of my family

The phrase με φωτογραφία... gives extra information about what kind of frame it is. It does not mean that the speaker used a photograph as a tool to put something somewhere. It is simply a description of the object.

It is genitive.

The noun οικογένεια becomes genitive because it depends on φωτογραφία:

• φωτογραφία της οικογένειάς μου = a photo of my family

This is the normal Greek way to express of relationships.

So:

• nominative: η οικογένεια
• genitive: της οικογένειας

With the possessive μου, you get:

• της οικογένειάς μου

So the structure is basically:

• photo
• of the family
• my

Very literally, Greek is saying photo of the family my.

No. They do different jobs.

• της is the genitive article for οικογένεια
• μου means my

So:

• της οικογένειας = of the family
• της οικογένειάς μου = of my family

The article is not optional here in normal Greek. Greek often uses the definite article in places where English does not.

This happens because μου is an unstressed clitic, and Greek often adds an extra written accent to the preceding word in that situation.

Compare:

• η οικογένεια
• η οικογένειά μου

and here:

• της οικογένειας
• της οικογένειάς μου

So the extra accent helps show the correct stress pattern when μου follows.

This is a common feature with possessives like:

• ο δάσκαλός μου
• η φίλη μου
• η οικογένειά μου

It is something worth noticing, but you will get used to it through exposure.

Yes, absolutely.

That version is probably the most straightforward, neutral order for many learners:

• Έβαλα μια παλιά κορνίζα πάνω στη συρταριέρα.

The original version:

• Πάνω στη συρταριέρα έβαλα μια παλιά κορνίζα...

just puts more attention on the location first.

So both are correct. Greek allows this kind of movement much more easily than English does.

Yes, συρταριέρα is a common word. It means a dresser or chest of drawers.

It comes from συρτάρι, meaning drawer.

So if you remember that connection, it becomes easier:

• συρτάρι = drawer
• συρταριέρα = drawer-unit, dresser, chest of drawers

In everyday English, the best translation depends on context, but dresser works well in this sentence.