Η ζήλια της κράτησε ένα λεπτό, αλλά μετά έμεινε μόνο λίγη ενοχή.

In Greek, possessive pronouns like μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους usually come after the noun.

So:

• η ζήλια της = her jealousy
• literally: the jealousy of her

This is very common Greek word order. English says her jealousy, but Greek normally says the jealousy her.

Here της is the feminine/genitive form meaning her.

Greek uses the definite article much more often than English.

So:

• η ζήλια της literally = the jealousy of her
• natural English = her jealousy

Even when English would just use a possessive like her, Greek often keeps the article:

• η μητέρα μου = my mother
• το σπίτι του = his house
• η ζήλια της = her jealousy

So the article η is completely normal here.

Yes, κράτησε comes from κρατάω / κρατώ, which often means hold, but it can also mean last.

In this sentence:

• Η ζήλια της κράτησε ένα λεπτό = Her jealousy lasted a minute

So κράτησε does not mean someone physically held something here. It means that the state or feeling continued for a certain amount of time.

This is a very natural use in Greek:

• Η βροχή κράτησε ώρες = The rain lasted for hours
• Η συζήτηση κράτησε πολύ = The conversation lasted a long time

Greek can express duration directly without a preposition.

So:

• κράτησε ένα λεπτό = it lasted one minute

This is like saying the amount of time directly.

You may also see Greek use για in some time expressions, but after verbs like κρατάω meaning last, the direct time expression is very natural and common.

So here:

• ένα λεπτό is functioning as a duration phrase: for one minute

Both are in the aorist, which is a very common Greek past tense.

Here:

• κράτησε = lasted
• έμεινε = remained / stayed

The aorist is often used for actions or events viewed as a whole. In this sentence, it presents the sequence as completed facts:

1. her jealousy lasted a minute
2. then only a little guilt remained

So the sentence sounds like a finished event in the past.

Έμεινε is the aorist form of μένω, which means:

• stay
• remain
• be left

In this sentence:

• μετά έμεινε μόνο λίγη ενοχή = after that, only a little guilt remained

So έμεινε is being used in the sense of was left or remained.

A few similar examples:

• Έμεινε μόνο ένα κομμάτι = Only one piece was left
• Έμεινε σιωπηλός = He remained silent

Λίγη means a little or some and agrees with ενοχή, which is feminine singular.

So:

• λίγη ενοχή = a little guilt

Using λίγη makes the amount of guilt sound limited or small. It is not total overwhelming guilt, just some guilt.

Agreement:

• λίγη = feminine singular
• ενοχή = feminine singular

That is why the form is λίγη.

Because this phrase is indefinite and expresses quantity, not a specific identifiable guilt.

• μόνο λίγη ενοχή = only a little guilt

Greek often omits the article with expressions like:

• λίγο νερό = a little water
• πολλή χαρά = a lot of joy
• λίγη ενοχή = a little guilt

If you added an article, it would sound different and more specific. Here the speaker simply means that what remained was some amount of guilt.

Μόνο means only.

Here it limits what remained:

• έμεινε μόνο λίγη ενοχή = only a little guilt remained

So the idea is:

• after the jealousy passed,
• the only thing left was a little guilt

It emphasizes that nothing stronger or more dramatic remained.

Greek word order is more flexible than English, but this order is very natural.

• μετά = then / afterwards
• έμεινε = remained
• μόνο λίγη ενοχή = only a little guilt

This order moves from time marker to verb to the thing left behind.

Greek could rearrange parts for emphasis, but this version sounds neutral and smooth. For example, μόνο λίγη ενοχή έμεινε would place more emphasis on only a little guilt.

Here μετά means then, after that, or afterwards.

So:

• αλλά μετά = but then / but afterwards

It connects the two parts of the sentence in time:

1. the jealousy lasted a minute
2. after that, only a little guilt remained

So this is not μετά used with a noun, as in after X. It is being used adverbially to mean afterwards.

Yes, ζήλια is feminine.

You can tell from:

• the article η
• the possessive phrase η ζήλια της
• the general noun pattern: many nouns ending in -ια are feminine, though you should always learn nouns with their article

So it is best to memorize it as:

• η ζήλια = jealousy

That helps you remember its gender and use it correctly with articles and adjectives.

In other sentences, της can indeed mean to her or her, depending on context. But here it means her because it is attached to the noun ζήλια.

• η ζήλια της = her jealousy

If της were functioning with the verb, the structure and meaning would be different. In this sentence, the most natural reading is clearly possessive.

So here της is a possessive genitive, not an indirect object.