Σήμερα αντιμετωπίζω ένα δύσκολο πρόβλημα στη δουλειά, αλλά προσπαθώ να μείνω ήρεμος.

Greek word order is fairly flexible, so Σήμερα is placed first to set the time frame right away: Today.

You could also say:

• Αντιμετωπίζω σήμερα ένα δύσκολο πρόβλημα...
• Ένα δύσκολο πρόβλημα αντιμετωπίζω σήμερα...

But Σήμερα at the front sounds very natural because it gives the listener the context immediately.

Greek often drops subject pronouns when they are not needed. The verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

For example:

• αντιμετωπίζω = I face / I am dealing with
• προσπαθώ = I try

So Greek does not need εγώ here. You could add εγώ for emphasis, but normally it is omitted.

Αντιμετωπίζω means I face, I deal with, or I am confronted with, depending on context.

In this sentence, it means something like:

• I’m dealing with
• I’m facing

It is a common verb for problems, difficulties, challenges, and situations.

Examples:

• Αντιμετωπίζω δυσκολίες. = I’m facing difficulties.
• Αντιμετωπίζουμε ένα πρόβλημα. = We’re dealing with a problem.

Because πρόβλημα is a neuter singular noun, both the article and the adjective must match it.

So:

• ένα = the indefinite article for neuter singular, meaning a
• δύσκολο = the adjective difficult, in neuter singular form
• πρόβλημα = problem, a neuter noun

This is called agreement. In Greek, articles and adjectives usually agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Because the noun πρόβλημα is neuter.

Greek adjectives change form depending on the gender of the noun:

• δύσκολος = masculine
• δύσκολη = feminine
• δύσκολο = neuter

Since πρόβλημα is neuter, Greek uses δύσκολο.

Yes. Greek often allows both positions.

So both of these are possible:

• ένα δύσκολο πρόβλημα
• ένα πρόβλημα δύσκολο

However, ένα δύσκολο πρόβλημα is the more normal and neutral wording here.

Putting the adjective after the noun can sometimes sound more emphatic, literary, or stylistically marked, depending on context.

Στη δουλειά means at work.

It comes from:

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

These combine into:

• στη

So:

• στη δουλειά = literally at the work, but naturally translated as at work

This contraction is very common in modern Greek:

• σε + τη = στη
• σε + το = στο

Because Greek uses articles more often than English in expressions of place and everyday situations.

So Greek naturally says:

• στη δουλειά = at work
• στο σπίτι = at home / in the house
• στο σχολείο = at school

Even when English has no article, Greek often still uses one.

Προσπαθώ means I try, and it is commonly followed by να plus another verb.

So:

• προσπαθώ να μείνω = I try to stay

The word να is a very important Greek particle used before certain verb forms. In many cases, where English uses to plus a verb, Greek uses να plus a verb.

Examples:

• Θέλω να φύγω. = I want to leave.
• Προσπαθώ να καταλάβω. = I’m trying to understand.

This is a very common learner question.

• μένω is the present form: I stay / I remain / I live
• μείνω is the aorist subjunctive form used after να

After προσπαθώ να, Greek often prefers the aorist subjunctive when talking about achieving a result or maintaining a state as a whole.

So:

• προσπαθώ να μείνω ήρεμος = I’m trying to stay calm

If you said προσπαθώ να μένω ήρεμος, it would sound more like I try to keep being calm habitually / in general, not just in this specific situation.

So μείνω is the natural choice here.

Because ήρεμος here describes the person, not the manner of the action.

In English, we say stay calm, where calm looks the same no matter who it refers to. In Greek, this word changes form like an adjective.

Since the speaker is understood to be a man, Greek uses:

• ήρεμος = masculine singular

If the speaker were a woman, it would be:

• ήρεμη

By contrast, ήρεμα is usually an adverb meaning calmly.

So:

• μένω ήρεμος = I stay calm
• μιλάω ήρεμα = I speak calmly

Only the final adjective would normally change:

• Σήμερα αντιμετωπίζω ένα δύσκολο πρόβλημα στη δουλειά, αλλά προσπαθώ να μείνω ήρεμη.

That is because ήρεμη is the feminine form of ήρεμος.

The rest of the sentence stays the same.

Both are in the present tense.

In Greek, the present can often express:

• what is happening now
• what is currently going on
• sometimes a general or repeated action

In this sentence, they describe a present situation:

• αντιμετωπίζω = I am dealing with
• προσπαθώ = I am trying

So the present tense works very naturally here.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

SÍ-mee-ra andimetop-Í-zo É-na THÍ-sko-lo PRÓ-vlee-ma sti thou-lee-Á, a-LÁ prospa-THÓ na MÍ-no Í-re-mos.

A few helpful notes:

• σήμερα has the stress on σί
• αντιμετωπίζω has the stress on ζώ
• δύσκολο has the stress on δύ
• δουλειά has the stress on the last syllable: -λιά
• προσπαθώ has the stress on the last syllable: -θώ
• ήρεμος has the stress on the first syllable: ή-

Yes. Αλλά is the standard Greek word for but.

It connects two contrasting ideas:

• I’m facing a difficult problem at work
• but I’m trying to stay calm

It is one of the most common linking words in Greek.

Sometimes yes, depending on context, but here at work is the most natural translation.

Στη δουλειά usually refers to the workplace or work situation in a broad everyday sense.

So in this sentence:

• at work sounds best
• in my job is possible, but less natural in this context

If you wanted to emphasize my job more specifically, Greek might use different wording.