Η τρυφερότητα της γιαγιάς μου έδιωξε την αμηχανία της μικρής.

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Breakdown of Η τρυφερότητα της γιαγιάς μου έδιωξε την αμηχανία της μικρής.

• η γιαγιά: the grandmother
• η μικρή: the little girl
• η τρυφερότητα: the tenderness

Questions & Answers about Η τρυφερότητα της γιαγιάς μου έδιωξε την αμηχανία της μικρής.

Why are there so many the words in this sentence: Η, της, την, της?

Greek uses the definite article much more often than English.

In this sentence:

• Η τρυφερότητα = the tenderness
• της γιαγιάς μου = of my grandmother
• την αμηχανία = the awkwardness / embarrassment
• της μικρής = of the little girl / of the little one

So the articles are not extra or strange in Greek; they are a normal part of how nouns are marked for gender, number, and case.

Also, the forms change depending on case:

• η = nominative feminine singular
• την = accusative feminine singular
• της = genitive feminine singular

How do I know what the subject is in this sentence?

The subject is Η τρυφερότητα της γιαγιάς μου.

A useful clue is the case:

• Η τρυφερότητα is in the nominative case, which is the usual case for the subject.
• την αμηχανία is in the accusative case, which is the usual case for the direct object.

So:

• Η τρυφερότητα της γιαγιάς μου = the subject
• έδιωξε = the verb
• την αμηχανία της μικρής = the object

Even if the word order changed, the case endings would still help you identify who did what.

Why is της γιαγιάς μου in the genitive?