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.

4 Steps 2 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. 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)
  2. 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.
  3. Step 3: Know basic sentences

  4. 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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