Tag Archives: Colloquial Greek
Compound adjectives in Greek Posted by Ourania on Nov 18, 2020
Γεια σας! In this post we will explore compound adjectives. These adjectives give an expressive aspect to the meaning they describe, they are widely used and they cannot be found in grammar books. αγουροξυπνημένος (άγουρος: unripe + ξυπνάω: to wake up): who just woke up, half-awake Όπως ήταν αγουροξυπνημένος, έβαλε να φτιάξει καφέ και του…
Greek vocabulary: to be out of line Posted by Ourania on Oct 13, 2020
Γεια σας! We all know people who often act inappropriately and create problems to the others. Today we will see the most common phrases we use when someone “goes beyond the limits”, as we say in Greek. Most of these expressions are formed by the prefix παρα- and a verb. Παρα- means excessively…
Quiz on Greek idioms Posted by Ourania on Sep 22, 2020
Γεια σας! Do you understand Greek idioms and phrases? Do this quiz to find out: Pick (a) or (b) to translate the English phrases in Greek. #1. I will start the washing machine. a. Θα βάλω μπρος το πλυντήριο. b. Θα αρχίσω το πλυντήριο. #2. I will make a lot of money. a. Θα…
Colloquial phrases in modern Greek Posted by Ourania on Jun 24, 2020
Γειά χαρά! Today we are going to take a look into some colloquial phrases we often hear in Greek but are quite difficult to understand. Colloquial phrases are metaphorical expressions used in everyday speech. These are usually short, often incomplete, phrases, usually taken from a proverb or anecdotal incident, so it is difficult to…
Eight colloquial Greek verbs Posted by Ourania on Feb 18, 2020
Γεια σας! Everyday life expressions are always interesting and hard to know because they cannot be found in textbooks. In this post, there are eight common verbs used in casual conversations. #1. κουκουλώνομαι: to cover oneself with a blanket or with thick clothes. Example: Γιατί κοκουλώθηκες έτσι; Κρυώνεις; / Why did you cover yourself…
Understanding colloquial Greek Posted by Ourania on Sep 30, 2019
Do you find it hard to understand the Greeks when they speak, even though your Greek is good? This happens because they speak fast and also because they do not always pronounce the words and phrases as they write them. In this post, we will see how the Greeks speak when they interact in an…
Colloquial Greek: a list of common phrases Posted by Ourania on Aug 7, 2019
One of the biggest challenges we face when we communicate in a foreign language is to understand the colloquial language: we hear people speak and even though we know the meanings of the words they use, we cannot decode their phrases. In this post, there is a list of colloquial phrases which will help you…