Archive for 'Vocabulary'
Funny place names in Greek Posted by Ourania on Nov 13, 2014
Words like εστιατόριο (estiatorio, restaurant), or καφενείο (kafeneio, café) are taught to Greek learners at a very early stage.Besides the place names used in formal language, there are other terms used in oral speech. Some of those terms are generation specific and in some cases they are not even understood outside the generation. Those of…
Pas kala? Exrpess anger in Greek! Posted by Ourania on Nov 4, 2014
One of the stereotypes about Greeks is that they get angry very often and that they use bad language. Although it’s true that the Greek language is rich in slang and idioms that we use when we get angry, cursing is socially acceptable only in football fields or in places where teenagers hang out…
“Black” vocabulary in Greek Posted by Ourania on Oct 31, 2014
Καλό Χάλοουην! (Kalo Halloween, Have a nice Halloween). In Greece we don’t celebrate the Halloween but we are familiar with it through movies and series. In Greek mytholody, the God of the Underword was Hades (Άδης). His kigdom was dark and never reached by the sun and no one was allowed to go back to…
Show your emotions with Greek interjections Posted by Ourania on Oct 22, 2014
The Greek language is rich in interjections. They are short words or phrases which are invariable and are accompanied by the appropriate extralinguistic characteristics, such as body language and facial expressions. They are used in oral speech and also in literature. Α! (ah) : it is used to show exclamation or amazement. We also…
Is there anything good on tv? Posted by Ourania on Oct 14, 2014
Do you like television? In Greece most people like television (τηλεόραση, teeleorasee) because it’s an accessible means of entertainment. Usually, they prefer to watch reality shows, series and entertainment shows. Cooking shows are also very trendy nowadays. Below there is a list of some tv shows. If you want to watch Greek television, you can…
Greek colloquialisms-Quiz Posted by Ourania on Oct 7, 2014
Are you good in colloquialisms? If you were coming to Greece tomorrow would you be able to understand some of the most common expressions used in conversations? Do this quiz to find out! 1. Yannis is penniless. a. Ο Γιάννης δεν έχει χρήματα.(O Yannis den ehei hrimata) b. Ο Γιάννης δεν έχει μία.(O Yannis…
Less is More: Adverbs of Quantity (greek) Posted by Ourania on Sep 30, 2014
Γεια σας! Today’s topic is the use of the adverbs of quantity, such as very, more, less, almost etc. Below there’s a list with the most common adverbs and some examples of their use. The English phrases are sometimes translated directly and I hope they make sense. πολύ λίγο αρκετά σχεδόν καθόλου ελάχιστα…