Tilemahos Efthimiadis @flickr

A couple of days ago while I was having a lesson of conversational Greek, I realized that the verb φτιάχνω is one of the most common verbs. It can be used to mean to make, to fix, to repair, to prepare, to make one’s bed,to make up or to make one’s hair, and the list goes on.

Below, there’s a telephone conversation between two friends with some of the most common uses of the verb φτιάχνω and of some colloquial expressions. Some phrases are literally translated.

–          Έλα, τι κάνεις;  (Ela,ti kaneis?) Hey, how you doing?

–          Γεια. Καλά… Φτιάχνω το ποδήλατό μου. (Geia. Kala. Ftiahno to podilato mou) Hi. I’m good. I’m fixing my bike.

–          Α, κι εγώ σε πήρα για να σου πω να έρθεις για καφέ. Πότε τελειώνεις; (A, ki ego se pira gia na sou po na ertheis gia kafe. Pote teleionis?) Ok, I called you to ask you to come over for a cup of coffee. When will you finish?

–          Σε μισή ωρίτσα, αλλά δεν μπορώ να φύγω. Θα έρθει ο τεχνικός να φτιάξει το πλυντήριο και πρέπει να είμαι σπίτι. (Se misi oritsa, alla den boron a figo. Tha erthi o tehnikos na ftiaxi to plintirio ke prepi na ime spiti) In about half an hour but I can’t leave. A technician will come over to fix the washing machine and I have to stay in.

–          Ο αδερφός σου δεν είναι εκεί; (O aderfos sou den ine eki?) Isn’t your brother at home  (there)?

–          Όχι, φτιάχνει το μαγαζί και λείπει. Δεν έρχεσαι εσύ από δω; Θα σου  φτιάξω καφέ σπέσιαλ. Έχω φτιάξει και τα σοκολατάκια που σ’αρέσουν.  (Ohi, ftiahni to magazi ke lipi apo to proi. Den erhese esi apo do? Tha sou ftiaxo kafe special. Eho ftiaxi ke ta sokolatakia pou sou aresoun) No, he’s having his store reapired and he’s not in. Why don’t you come over? I’ll make you great coffee. I’ve also made the chocolates that you like.

–          Εντάξει. Θα σου φέρω και την καινούργια φωτογραφική. (Entaxi. Tha sou fero ke tin kenourgia fotografiki) Ok. I’ll bring my new camera. (I’ll bring my new camera to show it to you)

–          Έλα! Αγόρασες φωτογραφική; (Ela! Agorases fotografiki?) Did you buy a camera?

–          Ναι, την Χ. (Ne, tin X) Yes, the X.

–          Τώρα με έφτιαξες! Πόσο; (Tora me eftiaxes! Poso?) Now you made my day! How much?

–          500 ευρώ μεταχειρισμένη αλλά σε πολύ καλή κατάσταση. Την πήρα από τη Μαρία. (Pentakosia euro metahirismeni alla se poli katastasi. Tin pira apo ti Maria.)  500 euros second-hand but in very good condition. I got it from Maria.

–          Ποια Μαρία;  (Pia Maria?) Maria who?

–          Τη φίλη της αδερφής μου που τα είχε φτιάξει με το αφεντικό της. Την έχεις  γνωρίσει. (Ti fili tis aderfis mou pou ta eihe ftiaxi me to afentiko tis. Tin ehis gnorisi) My sister’s friend, the one who had an affair with her boss. You’ve met her.

–          Α, ναι. (A ne) Yes.

–          Μου χάρισε και έναν φακό. (Mou harise ke enan fako) She also gave me a lens for free.

–          Τέλεια! Λοιπόν, κλείσε κι έλα! (Telia! Lipon, klise ki ela!) Cool! Well, do hang up and come over!

Moyan_Brenn@flickr