{"id":1710,"date":"2014-12-04T23:01:35","date_gmt":"2014-12-04T23:01:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/greek\/?p=1710"},"modified":"2014-12-04T23:01:35","modified_gmt":"2014-12-04T23:01:35","slug":"decoding-greek-what-greek-people-say-and-what-they-really-mean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/greek\/decoding-greek-what-greek-people-say-and-what-they-really-mean\/","title":{"rendered":"Decoding Greek: What Greek people say and what they really mean"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"By<\/a>

By vintagedept under a CC on Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

Sometimes there is a big difference between what people say and what they actually mean. If one wants to communicate efficiently in a foreign language it is very important to be able to tell the difference between the literal and the actual meaning of a sentence in the target language. Although, we have the reputation of being sincere and abrupt, in some cases we hide what we really want to say because we don\u2019t eant to hurt other people\u2019s feelings, because we want to avoid arguments or because\u00a0 we just want to lie. Below, there is a list of phrases and short dialogues with their meanings. Don\u2019t take them too seriously, except the ones related to time.<\/p>\n

1. \u00ab\u039d\u03b1 \u03c4\u03b1 \u03c0\u03bf\u03cd\u03bc\u03b5 \u03b1\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf-\u03bc\u03b5\u03b8\u03b1\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf.\u00bb<\/strong> (Na ta poume avrio methavrio)<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u039d\u03b1\u03b9, \u03b2\u03ad\u03b2\u03b1\u03b9\u03b1.\u00bb<\/strong> (Ne, vevea)<\/p>\n

“Let\u2019s meet one of these days.” = Maybe we’ll meet, maybe we won’t<\/em>.<\/p>\n

“Yes, sure.” =\u00a0Whatever…<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. \u03a4\u03b1 \u03bb\u03ad\u03bc\u03b5 \u03b1\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf \u03c3\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b4\u03ad\u03ba\u03b1.<\/strong> (Ta leme avrio stis deka)<\/p>\n

Talk to you tomorrow at 10. = Talk to you tomorrow at 10:30 or maybe at 11…<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. \u00ab\u03a0\u03ce\u03c2 \u03c3\u03bf\u03c5 \u03c6\u03ac\u03bd\u03b7\u03ba\u03b5 \u03bf \u0393\u03b9\u03ac\u03bd\u03bd\u03b7\u03c2;\u00bb<\/strong> (Pos sou fanike o Yanis)<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u039a\u03b1\u03bb\u03cc\u03c2 \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9.\u03a6\u03b1\u03af\u03bd\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c3\u03bf\u03b2\u03b1\u03c1\u03cc\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03ce\u03c1\u03b9\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2.\u00bb<\/strong> (Kalos ine. Fenetai sovaros kai orimos)<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think of Yannis?\u00bb<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s good. He looks serious and mature.\u201d\u00a0= He’s old enough to be your father.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. \u0388\u03c7\u03b5\u03b9 \u03bb\u03af\u03b3\u03b7 \u03ba\u03af\u03bd\u03b7\u03c3\u03b7. \u0398\u03b1 \u03ba\u03ac\u03bd\u03bf\u03c5\u03bc\u03b5 \u03ba\u03b1\u03bd\u03ad\u03bd\u03b1 \u03c4\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03c1\u03c4\u03ac\u03ba\u03b9 \u03bd\u03b1 \u03c6\u03c4\u03ac\u03c3\u03bf\u03c5\u03bc\u03b5.<\/strong> (Ehei ligi kinisi. Tha kanoume kanena tetartaki na ftasoume)<\/p>\n

There\u2019s little traffic. It will take us about a quarter to get there. = There’s traffic jam. We’ll be lucky if we get there by the end of the day.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

5. \u0398\u03b1 \u03c3\u03ba\u03b5\u03c6\u03c4\u03ce \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c3\u03c6\u03bf\u03c1\u03ac \u03c3\u03b1\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b8\u03b1 \u03c3\u03b1\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bb\u03b5\u03c6\u03c9\u03bd\u03ae\u03c3\u03c9.<\/strong> (Tha skefto tin prosfora sas kai tha sas tilefoniso)<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll think about your offer and I\u2019ll call you.\u00a0= I\u2019m not interested and I won’t call you.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

6. \u0395\u03bb\u03ac\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c0\u03ac\u03bb\u03b9 \u03b1\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b8\u03b1 \u03b4\u03bf\u03cd\u03bc\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b9 \u03bc\u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u03bf\u03cd\u03bc\u03b5 \u03bd\u03b1 \u03ba\u03ac\u03bd\u03bf\u03c5\u03bc\u03b5.<\/strong> (Elate pali avrio kai tha doume ti boroume na kanoume)<\/p>\n

Come back tomorrow and we\u2019ll see what we can do.\u00a0= Come back in a week and we\u2019ll see if there\u2019s anything we can do.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

7. \u0394\u03b5\u03bd \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03cc\u03c4\u03b9 \u03b4\u03b5 \u03bc\u03bf\u03c5 \u03b1\u03c1\u03ad\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2, \u03b1\u03c0\u03bb\u03ce\u03c2 \u03c7\u03c1\u03b5\u03b9\u03ac\u03b6\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c7\u03c1\u03cc\u03bd\u03bf.<\/strong> (Den einai oti den mou areseis aplos hreiazomai hrono)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not that I don\u2019t like you, I just need time.\u00a0= I want to break up with you but\u00a0I cannot tell you that directly.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

8. \u0398\u03ad\u03bb\u03c9 \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03cd \u03bd\u03b1 \u03b4\u03bf\u03c5\u03bb\u03ad\u03c8\u03c9 \u03b1\u03bb\u03bb\u03ac \u03b4\u03b5 \u03b2\u03c1\u03af\u03c3\u03ba\u03c9 \u03ba\u03ac\u03c4\u03b9 \u03b1\u03bd\u03ac\u03bb\u03bf\u03b3\u03bf \u03bc\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b1 \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c3\u03cc\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1 \u03bc\u03bf\u03c5.<\/strong> (Thelo poli na doulepso alla de vrisko kati analogo me ta prosonta mou)<\/p>\n

I really want to get a job but my qualifications go beyond any job requirements (literally).\u00a0= I don\u2019t want to get a job because I\u2019m lazy on principle.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

9. \u00ab\u03a0\u03ce\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b1 \u03c0\u03ac\u03b5\u03b9 \u03bf \u0393\u03b9\u03ce\u03c1\u03b3\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf \u03c3\u03c7\u03bf\u03bb\u03b5\u03af\u03bf;\u00bb<\/strong> (Pos ta paei o Yorgos sto sholeio?)<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0395, \u03be\u03ad\u03c1\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2… \u03c4\u03bf \u03b3\u03c5\u03bc\u03bd\u03ac\u03c3\u03b9\u03bf \u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b4\u03cd\u03c3\u03ba\u03bf\u03bb\u03bf, \u03bf\u03b9 \u03ba\u03b1\u03b8\u03b7\u03b3\u03b7\u03c4\u03ad\u03c2 \u03b1\u03c0\u03b1\u03b9\u03c4\u03b7\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03bf\u03af…\u00bb<\/strong> (E, ksereis…to gimnasio einai diskolo, oi kathigites apetitiki…)<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is George doing in school?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know\u2026 high school is difficult, the teachers are demanding\u2026\u00a0= He\u2019s doing really bad.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

10. \u00ab\u0398\u03ad\u03bb\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2 \u03bd\u03b1 \u03c3\u03b5 \u03b3\u03bd\u03c9\u03c1\u03af\u03c3\u03c9 \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u039a\u03ce\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1;\u00bb<\/strong> (Theleis na se gnoriso ston Kosta?)<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u039d\u03b1\u03b9, \u03b1\u03bc\u03ad! \u0395\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c9\u03c1\u03b1\u03af\u03bf\u03c2;\u00bb<\/strong> (Nai, ame! Einai oraios?)<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0395\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03cd \u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03cc \u03c0\u03b1\u03b9\u03b4\u03af.\u00bb<\/strong> (Einai poli kalo paidi)<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want me to introduce you to Kostas?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sure! Is he handsome?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a really nice guy\u201d.\u00a0= He\u2019s ugly.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"by<\/a>

by gterez under a CC license on Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Sometimes there is a big difference between what people say and what they actually mean. If one wants to communicate efficiently in a foreign language it is very important to be able to tell the difference between the literal and the actual meaning of a sentence in the target language. Although, we have the reputation…<\/p>\n

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