Learn Basic Greek Language in a week [2] by Navid Homayoun
October 30, 2017
All right…you Greek language lovers. Here comes the second lesson on learning modern Greek. In the previous lesson you learnt how to meet and greet, in this one we will cover more Greek vocabulary and exciting conversations.
How you write it | How you read it | English translation |
Καλημέρα Νίκος. Πως είσαι σήμερα? | Kalimera Nikos. Pos ise simera? | Good morning Nikos. How are you today? |
Γειά σου Ελένη. Καλά είμαι, ευχαριστώ. Εσύ πως είσαι? | Gia sou Eleni. Kala eime, evcharisto. Esi pos eise? | Hi Eleni. I’m good thanks. How are you? |
Μία χαρά. | Mia chara. | Very well. |
Που πας τώρα? | Pou pas tora? | Where do you go now? |
Πάω στο μαγαζί. Εσύ που πας? | Pao sto magazi. Esi pou pas? | I am going to the shop. Where do you go? |
Εγώ, πάω στον αδερφό μου, ο Βαγγέλης. | Ego, pao ston aderfo mou, o Vanggelis | I go to my brother, Vagelis. |
Πού είναι αυτός? | Pou eine avftos? | Where is he? |
Ο Βαγγέλης είναι στο σχολείο σήμερα. | O Vangelis eine sto scholeio simera. | Vangelis is at the school today. |
A few reading notes:
Itta (Η η), Yiota (I ί), and combination of Epsilon and Yiota (E+I, ε+ί) are all read like 'I' in the word ‘Exit’.
Omega (Ω ω) and Omikron (O ο) are both pronounced as 'O' in the word ‘Orange’.
The above conversation is a short and normal day to day talk in rather a formal and friendly manner. Now a few nice variations of the verbs to practice with…
How you write it | How you read it | English translation |
Εγώ πάω | Ego, pao | I, go |
Εσύ πας | Esi pas | You go |
Αυτός / Αυτή πάει | Avftos / Avfti paei | He/She goes |
Εμείς πάμε | Emis pame | We go |
Εσείς πάτε | Esis pate | You go |
Αυτοί πάνε | Afvti pane | They go |
Note that the letters in bold inside the table above, are the ones which make a verb perform differently. Now as an exercise, let’s practice with another verb below:
How you write | How you read | English translation |
Εγώ τραγουδώ | Ego, traghoudo | I, sing |
Εσύ τραγουδ___ | Esi ………………… | You sing |
Αυτός / Αυτή τραγουδ___ | Avftos / Avfti ………….. | He / She sings |
Εμείς τραγουδ___ | Emis ……………. | We sing |
Εσείς τραγουδ___ | Esis ……………… | You sing |
Αυτοί τραγουδ___ | Afvti …………….. | They sing |
Some more verbs to practice with are in the table below:
How you write | How you read | English translation |
Εγώ βλέπω | Ego vlepo | I, see |
Εσύ διαβάζεις | Esi diavazeis | You read |
Αυτός / Αυτή βοηθάει | Avftos / Avfti voithaei | He / She helps |
Εμείς θέλουμε | Emis theloume | We want |
Εσείς πιστεύετε | Esis pistevete | You believe |
Αυτοί πληρώνουν | Afvti plironoun | They pay |
As you see different verbs have two types and it depends on every verb. The more you get exposed to the Greek language the easier it will become for you to use the correct version. We will go in depth with verbs and genders in the next lesson ‘Learn Basic Greek Language in a week [3] by Navid Homayoun’.
Now as a reward, go listen this beautiful song by a famous Greek singer ‘Nikos Vertis’.
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