How to Speak Basic Greek
Know your basic words like hello, goodbye, etc., Know basic sentences, e.g., Ask people basic questions such as how old are you, etc.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know your basic words like hello
Hello (for friends or people younger than you) = yiasou (Γεια σου), Hello (for strangers or people older than you) = yiasas (Γεια σας), Goodbye= adi-o(Αντίο), Good morning= Kal-ee-me-ra (Καλημέρα), Good evening= kal-ee-spera (Καλησπέρα), Goodnight= kal-ee-neehta (Καληνύχτα), Please= Para-kal-oh (Παρακαλώ), Thank you= efhar-ist-oh (Ευχαριστώ) -
Step 2: goodbye
how to order drinks.
I would like a beer, please = Tha eethel-a mee-a bir-a, para-kal-oh.
For wine, it is slightly different.
All Greek words divide into masculine, feminine and neutral.
Wine (krasi
- κρασί), is a neutral word, and so we say 'ena (ένα)' instead of 'mee-a (μία)'.
So 'I would like a wine please'
will be 'Tha eethel-a ena krasi para-kal-oh (Θα ήθελα ένα κρασί παρακαλώ)'.
Coca-Cola is the same as the sentence shown for beer, we just replace 'bira
- μπύρα' with 'Coca-Cola'. , 'What is your name?' Greek has a few sentences that all mean the same, but we'll just use one. 'Pos se lene?' is the translation.
Whoever you are asking may reply, 'Me lene (their name)'
or 'Leg-oh-mai (their name)'. 'Where are you from?' will translate as, 'Apo poo ee-sai?' The person may reply 'Ee-mai apo (their country)'.
For this you need to know the countries.
England= angl-ee-a, America= amer-ikee, Spain= Eespan-ee-a, France= Gallia, Italy= Italia, Germany= Yermania.
So if you said, 'I am from England'
it will translate as 'Ee-mai apo teen angl-ee-a'.
We add 'teen' because it is quite a compicated rule in Greek language.
All the countries above are feminine, so you only need to use 'teen' for the countries listed.
E.g. 'Ee-mai apo teen amer-ikee'.
There are some exceptions to the "feminine rule".
Canada is a masculine so if you're Canadian you will say 'Ee-mai apo ton Kanatha' (th in this case is pronounced like in 'the').
The UK is a neutral 'Ee-mai apo toh Eenomeno Vaseeleeo'.
United States are plural. 'Ee-mai apo tees Eenomenes Po-lee-tee-es. -
Step 3: Know basic sentences
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Step 4: Ask people basic questions such as how old are you
Detailed Guide
Hello (for friends or people younger than you) = yiasou (Γεια σου), Hello (for strangers or people older than you) = yiasas (Γεια σας), Goodbye= adi-o(Αντίο), Good morning= Kal-ee-me-ra (Καλημέρα), Good evening= kal-ee-spera (Καλησπέρα), Goodnight= kal-ee-neehta (Καληνύχτα), Please= Para-kal-oh (Παρακαλώ), Thank you= efhar-ist-oh (Ευχαριστώ)
how to order drinks.
I would like a beer, please = Tha eethel-a mee-a bir-a, para-kal-oh.
For wine, it is slightly different.
All Greek words divide into masculine, feminine and neutral.
Wine (krasi
- κρασί), is a neutral word, and so we say 'ena (ένα)' instead of 'mee-a (μία)'.
So 'I would like a wine please'
will be 'Tha eethel-a ena krasi para-kal-oh (Θα ήθελα ένα κρασί παρακαλώ)'.
Coca-Cola is the same as the sentence shown for beer, we just replace 'bira
- μπύρα' with 'Coca-Cola'. , 'What is your name?' Greek has a few sentences that all mean the same, but we'll just use one. 'Pos se lene?' is the translation.
Whoever you are asking may reply, 'Me lene (their name)'
or 'Leg-oh-mai (their name)'. 'Where are you from?' will translate as, 'Apo poo ee-sai?' The person may reply 'Ee-mai apo (their country)'.
For this you need to know the countries.
England= angl-ee-a, America= amer-ikee, Spain= Eespan-ee-a, France= Gallia, Italy= Italia, Germany= Yermania.
So if you said, 'I am from England'
it will translate as 'Ee-mai apo teen angl-ee-a'.
We add 'teen' because it is quite a compicated rule in Greek language.
All the countries above are feminine, so you only need to use 'teen' for the countries listed.
E.g. 'Ee-mai apo teen amer-ikee'.
There are some exceptions to the "feminine rule".
Canada is a masculine so if you're Canadian you will say 'Ee-mai apo ton Kanatha' (th in this case is pronounced like in 'the').
The UK is a neutral 'Ee-mai apo toh Eenomeno Vaseeleeo'.
United States are plural. 'Ee-mai apo tees Eenomenes Po-lee-tee-es.
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Doris Allen
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