Tag Archives: Greek colloquialisms
“Animal” verbs in Greek Posted by Ourania on Mar 8, 2018
Γεια σας! A few years ago I wrote a post about animal words used when describing people. In this post, there is a list of slang words deriving from animal words. They are verbs and we use them everyday but when translated, they are less “revealing”. If you use similar expressions in your language, feel…
Untranslated Greek colloquialisms Posted by Ourania on Feb 28, 2018
The most difficult phrases for foreigners to understand, are those who are not listed in dictionaries. They are commonly used when speaking but can be also found in texts. In this post, there is a list with some of the most common expressions with examples on their use. #1. Ε, να “Τι σου είπε ο…
Formal and Informal Greek words Posted by Ourania on Feb 8, 2017
In order to communicate effectively, we have to adjust the way we speak according to the social situations. When learning a new language, we focus on informal words and expressions. Even if we do not use formal language, we have to be able to understand words used in announcements and other contexts. In this post, there…
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…
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…
Slang words for stingy or penniless in Greek Posted by Ourania on Dec 4, 2013
The Greeks enjoy having long conversations. Their favorite topics are politics, football, food and hobbies. For the last few years, a new topic has been added: money. Some of the new words that are introduced in our daily conversations are “bailout”, “public debt” and “debt restructuring”. Fortunately, this is not an economy blog, so…