By dorena-wm under a CC license on Flickr

The first thing we learn in a foreign language is how to introduce ourselves. However, sometimes it’s not the easiest thing one learns. The Greek phrases that we use are not so easy to remember and many learners need many days of practice in order to “digest” them. Here is what I would say in order to introduce myself:

Με λένε Ουρανία. Είμαι από την Ελλάδα. Μένω στην Αθήνα.

My name is Ourania. I come from Greece. I live in Athens.

What do these phrases really mean?

1. Με λένε Ουρανία = literally it means (they) call me Ourania. Another option would be “είμαι η Ουρανία”= I am Ourania. The word η is a female article and can be translated as “the” so the phrase means “I am the Ourania”.

2. Είμαι από την Ελλάδα = I am from Greece. Από means from. The word την is an article and it means the, so this phrase means “I am from the Greece” (I come from Greece). In Greek, the place names have genders and numbers so την can be τον, το, τους, τις or τα according to the gender of the place name.

E.g: Είμαι από τον Καναδά= I come from Canada. Είμαι από το Μεξικό= I come from Mexico. Είμαι από τις ΗΠΑ= I come from the USA.

3. Μένω στην Αθήνα= I live in Athens. Στην is formed by the preposition σε which means to, in or at and the article την. It can be στον, στο, στους, στις, στα depending on the noun that follows.

E.g.: Μένω στο Κολωνάκι= I live in Kolonaki.

Μένω στους Παξούς= I live in Paxous.

Μένω στα Χανιά= I live in Chania.

Why are these phrases so difficult to remember?

The words την and στην are confusing because they are not translated in English.

Some common mistakes are: Είμαι από στην Αμερική. / Είμαι από Αμερική. / Μένω το Νέα Υόρκη etc.

The good news is that even if one omits them, i.e. if they say “είμαι από Αμερική” instead of “είμαι από την Αμερική” the native speakers will still understand what they mean, so don’t worry too much. The Greeks are very happy when they meet someone who can pronounce a few sentences in Greek, so just relax and enjoy the communication process.

Με λένε Ουρανία. Είμαι από την Ελλάδα. Μένω στην Αθήνα.