7 Greek adjectives used in English every day
It’s possible to describe and comment simply but effectively by using είμαι I am, είναι he/she is etc. and certain adjectives that are similar in English and Greek. –ic/-ical ικός-ική-ικό Είμαι αλλεργικός στο σιτάρι. Ι’m allergic to wheat Eίναι ασθματική. She…
wordpower
The more Greek you learn, the more you will realise how many English words have their origins in Greek. The Greek pronunciation can be completely different but the meaning can become clear when you begin to understand how Greek letters are transcribed into English. For…
All about Greek nouns
Nouns (are the words for living beings, things, places and concepts) Every single Greek noun belongs to one of the three groups called genders: masculine(m), feminine(f) or neuter(n). The nouns for male and female people are usually masculine or feminine: ο πατέρας (father), η μητέρα…
Top 10 essentials
Describing and commenting Eίναι ωραίο! It’s nice/lovely! Είναι πολύ γλυκό! It’s very/too sweet! Δεν είναι καλό! It isn’t good! Talking about what’s available Υπάρχει νοσοκομείο; Is there a hospital? Έχει πρόβλημα. There’s a problem. Δεν έχει ζεστό νερό. There’s no hot water. Talking…
Greek possessives
To express possession or belonging in Greek, you use the following: μου: my (lit. “of me”) μας: our σου: your (singular/informal) σας: your (plural/ formal) του: his …
Using two verbs together
Because there is no infinitive in Greek, if you want to say I want to go; can we do?; they want to know etc., you link the two verbs together using the word να, e .g. Θέλω να πάω I want to go (lit. I…
5 funny Greek idiomatic expressions
In every language, there are certain expressions and phrases that can’t be directly translated from one language to another because the meaning is different than what it appears. For example, an idiomatic expression in English is, “What’s up?” We aren’t actually asking about what is…
contracted verbs: πάω, λέω, ακούω, τρώω
Contracted words There are a few μένω-type verbs whose stem ends with a vowel. These verbs are contracted, i.e. shortened in certain forms, so that the vowel in the ending merges with the one in the stem. The most common of these verbs are: πάω…
10 smart Greek words to sound more professional
Today you’ll learn 10 smart Greek words, you’ll sound professional and positive. just a few small changes can have a big impact. Who wouldn’t want that? Ασφαλώς= certainly Ασφαλώς is a great alternative to ναι or εντάξει, which are used way too much in Greek….
Greek for beginners- Γεια σου!
Greek expressions Saying hello, goodbye & how are you In Greece and Cyprus people tend to be informal with each other and seldom use each other’s surnames. You may well hear people addressed as, for example, Mr George (κύριε Γιώργο) or Mrs…