Η ζωή στην πόλη είναι σκληρή μερικές φορές.

Greek uses the definite article more often than English, including with general ideas and abstract nouns. So η ζωή is a very natural way to say life here.

Grammatically:

• η = the for a feminine singular noun in the nominative
• ζωή = life

So Η ζωή στην πόλη is literally the life in the city, but the natural English meaning is life in the city or city life.

στην is a contraction of:

• σε = in / at / to
• την = the (feminine singular accusative)

So:

• σε την πόλη -> στην πόλη

This contraction is standard in Modern Greek. In this sentence, στην πόλη means in the city.

The preposition σε normally takes the accusative case in Modern Greek.

The noun πόλη is feminine, and in the singular its nominative and accusative forms happen to look the same:

• nominative: η πόλη
• accusative: την πόλη

So the case does change, but the noun itself does not visibly change here. The article shows the case clearly.

Yes. The preposition σε can mean in, at, or to, depending on context.

For example:

• Μένω στην πόλη. = I live in the city.
• Πάω στην πόλη. = I’m going to the city.

In your sentence, the meaning is clearly in the city, because it is describing what life is like there.

είναι is the form of είμαι meaning is here.

So:

• η ζωή = life
• είναι = is
• σκληρή = hard / harsh / tough

Greek needs the verb to be here just like English does: Life in the city is hard sometimes.

Because it agrees with ζωή, which is a feminine singular noun.

Greek adjectives agree with the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

So you get:

• η ζωή είναι σκληρή = feminine singular
• ο δρόμος είναι σκληρός = masculine singular
• το μέτρο είναι σκληρό = neuter singular

Here σκληρή matches ζωή.

In this sentence, it is most naturally understood as harsh, tough, or hard in a figurative sense.

So Η ζωή στην πόλη είναι σκληρή means that life in the city is difficult, demanding, or unforgiving. It is not talking about something physically hard to the touch.

Literally, it means some times.

As a normal expression, though, it means:

• sometimes

This is a very common Greek way to express frequency.

So:

• μερικές φορές = sometimes

Because φορές is a feminine plural noun, and μερικές must agree with it.

• μερικές = feminine plural
• μερικά = neuter plural

Since φορές is feminine, μερικές φορές is correct.

Because μερικές φορές functions as an adverbial time expression, not as a specific noun phrase.

Greek often uses expressions like this without an article:

• κάθε μέρα = every day
• πολλές φορές = many times / often
• μερικές φορές = sometimes

So no article is needed here.

Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

The version you have is natural and neutral:

• Η ζωή στην πόλη είναι σκληρή μερικές φορές.

But you could also say:

• Μερικές φορές η ζωή στην πόλη είναι σκληρή.

That version emphasizes sometimes a bit more. The basic meaning stays the same.

In standard spelling, the final -ν is kept before vowels and certain consonants, including π.

Since πόλη begins with π, the standard form is:

• στην πόλη

So this spelling is exactly what you should expect here.

The accent marks show which syllable is stressed.

In this sentence:

• ζωή -> stress on the last syllable
• πόλη -> stress on the first syllable
• σκληρή -> stress on the last syllable
• μερικές -> stress on the last syllable
• φορές -> stress on the last syllable

Stress matters in Greek pronunciation, so the accents are important.

A rough English-style guide would be:

ee zo-EE steen PO-lee EE-ne sklee-REE meh-ree-KES fo-RES

A few helpful notes:

• η sounds like ee
• ζ sounds like z
• στην sounds like steen
• σκληρή has the stressed ending -ρή
• φορές ends with a stressed -res

A more natural flow is:

ee zo-EE steen PO-lee EE-ne sklee-REE meh-ree-KES fo-RES