Η γιαγιά μου βάζει σταφίδες στο κέικ, αλλά εγώ προτιμώ τις σταφίδες στο γιαούρτι.

Η is the feminine singular definite article, meaning the.

In Greek, family words like γιαγιά often appear with the article, so η γιαγιά μου literally looks like the grandmother of me, but it simply means my grandmother.

This is very normal in Greek:

• η μητέρα μου = my mother
• ο πατέρας μου = my father
• η αδερφή μου = my sister

Sometimes Greek can omit the article in certain contexts, but η γιαγιά μου is the standard, natural phrasing here.

In Greek, unstressed possessive words like μου (my), σου (your), του/της (his/her) usually come after the noun.

So:

• η γιαγιά μου = my grandmother
• το βιβλίο μου = my book
• οι φίλοι μου = my friends

This is different from English, where my comes before the noun.

Βάζει is the 3rd person singular present tense of βάζω, which means to put.

So:

• βάζω = I put
• βάζεις = you put
• βάζει = he/she/it puts

In this sentence, the subject is η γιαγιά μου, so Greek uses βάζει:

• Η γιαγιά μου βάζει... = My grandmother puts...

This is a very common learner question.

In the first clause:

• βάζει σταφίδες στο κέικ

the word σταφίδες is used in a more general sense: she puts raisins in the cake. Greek often leaves out the article when talking about an ingredient or an indefinite quantity.

In the second clause:

• εγώ προτιμώ τις σταφίδες στο γιαούρτι

τις σταφίδες sounds more definite or more like raisins as a thing/category that I prefer in yogurt.

So the contrast is roughly:

• βάζει σταφίδες = puts raisins
• προτιμώ τις σταφίδες = I prefer raisins / I prefer the raisins

In English, both may simply be translated as raisins, but Greek article use is often broader and more natural than English the.

Τις is the feminine plural definite article in the accusative case.

Because σταφίδες is a feminine plural noun, the article is:

• nominative: οι σταφίδες
• accusative: τις σταφίδες

Here it is accusative because σταφίδες is the direct object of προτιμώ:

• προτιμώ τις σταφίδες = I prefer the raisins / I prefer raisins

Στο is the contraction of σε + το.

• σε = in, at, to
• το = the (neuter singular)

So:

• στο κέικ = in the cake
• στο γιαούρτι = in the yogurt

This contraction is extremely common in Greek:

• σε + το = στο
• σε + τη(ν) = στη(ν)
• σε + τα = στα
• σε + τις = στις

Because both phrases mean in the cake and in the yogurt, and Greek uses σε plus the article for that idea.

So:

• στο κέικ = in the cake
• στο γιαούρτι = in the yogurt

Both κέικ and γιαούρτι are neuter singular nouns, so σε + το becomes στο in both cases.

Yes, Greek could absolutely say:

• αλλά προτιμώ τις σταφίδες στο γιαούρτι

Greek often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person:

• προτιμώ already means I prefer

But εγώ is added here for emphasis or contrast:

• Η γιαγιά μου... αλλά εγώ...
• My grandmother... but I...

So εγώ is not required for grammar, but it makes the contrast stronger and more natural.

Προτιμώ is the 1st person singular present tense of προτιμώ, meaning to prefer.

So:

• προτιμώ = I prefer
• προτιμάς = you prefer
• προτιμά = he/she/it prefers

Because the subject is εγώ, the form must be προτιμώ.

Here is the basic case breakdown:

• Η γιαγιά μου: nominative, because it is the subject
• σταφίδες: accusative, because it is the direct object of βάζει
• τις σταφίδες: accusative, because it is the direct object of προτιμώ
• στο κέικ: after σε, so the noun is in the accusative
• στο γιαούρτι: also after σε, so again accusative

One thing that can confuse learners is that some noun forms look the same in nominative and accusative. For example, σταφίδες looks the same in both nominative plural and accusative plural.

Not always. Greek does have case endings, but some forms are identical.

Σταφίδα is a feminine noun. Its plural forms are:

• nominative plural: σταφίδες
• accusative plural: σταφίδες

So the form stays the same. The article shows the case more clearly:

• οι σταφίδες = nominative plural
• τις σταφίδες = accusative plural

That is why τις is especially helpful for learners.

Not completely. Greek word order is more flexible than English, although some versions sound more natural than others.

The original sentence:

• Η γιαγιά μου βάζει σταφίδες στο κέικ, αλλά εγώ προτιμώ τις σταφίδες στο γιαούρτι.

is very natural.

But Greek could also move things around for focus, for example:

• Η γιαγιά μου βάζει στο κέικ σταφίδες...
• Τις σταφίδες εγώ τις προτιμώ στο γιαούρτι.

The original version is probably the clearest and most neutral for a learner.

Αλλά means but.

It links the two contrasting ideas:

• My grandmother puts raisins in cake
• but I prefer raisins in yogurt

So αλλά signals a contrast in preference or habit.

In this sentence, they are best understood as in the cake and in the yogurt.

Greek σε can cover several English prepositions depending on context, including in, at, to, and sometimes on, but here the natural meaning is in because raisins are being added as an ingredient or mixed into something.

So:

• σταφίδες στο κέικ = raisins in the cake
• σταφίδες στο γιαούρτι = raisins in the yogurt

A less emphatic version would be:

• Η γιαγιά μου βάζει σταφίδες στο κέικ, αλλά προτιμώ τις σταφίδες στο γιαούρτι.

This is still completely natural. The only difference is that it is a little less contrastive than using εγώ.

Κέικ is a loanword, borrowed from English cake and adapted to Greek spelling and pronunciation.

Greek has many borrowed food words, especially for modern or international foods. Even though it comes from English, it behaves like a normal Greek noun in phrases such as:

• το κέικ
• στο κέικ

You usually learn the noun together with its article.

In this sentence:

• η γιαγιά = feminine
• η σταφίδα = feminine
• το κέικ = neuter
• το γιαούρτι = neuter

That is why you see:

• η γιαγιά
• τις σταφίδες
• στο κέικ
• στο γιαούρτι

Learning the article with each noun is one of the best habits in Greek.