{"id":2824,"date":"2018-01-31T18:04:41","date_gmt":"2018-01-31T18:04:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/greek\/?p=2824"},"modified":"2018-02-01T07:12:43","modified_gmt":"2018-02-01T07:12:43","slug":"how-to-be-polite-in-greek-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/greek\/how-to-be-polite-in-greek-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How to be polite in Greek"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u039a\u03b1\u03bb\u03b7\u03c3\u03c0\u03ad\u03c1\u03b1 \u03c3\u03b1\u03c2! This post is about the politeness form. According to the stereotype, the Greeks are direct and are easily on first name terms with people they don’t know. The truth is that the way to address people depends on the circumstances.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Photo via Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

#1. If we want to address someone in a formal way we use the second plural form of the verb <\/strong><\/span>or pronoun<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

E.<\/span>g.<\/span>: <\/span>\u03a4\u03b9 \u03ba\u03ac\u03bd\u03b5\u03c4\u03b5; (how are you?) \/ <\/span>\u03a0\u03ce\u03c2 \u03bb\u03ad\u03b3\u03b5\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5; (How are you called?). <\/span><\/p>\n

#2. We use the words <\/strong><\/span>\u03ba\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03b5<\/em> (sir), <\/span>\u03ba\u03c5\u03c1\u03af\u03b1<\/em> (madam), <\/span>\u03b4\u03b5\u03c3\u03c0\u03bf\u03b9\u03bd\u03af\u03c2<\/em> (miss), <\/span>\u03b3\u03b9\u03b1\u03c4\u03c1\u03ad<\/em> (doctor) etc.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

E.<\/span>g.: <\/span>\u0394\u03b5\u03c3\u03c0\u03bf\u03b9\u03bd\u03af\u03c2! \u03a3\u03b1\u03c2 \u03ad\u03c0\u03b5\u03c3\u03b5 \u03c4\u03bf \u03b5\u03b9\u03c3\u03b9\u03c4\u03ae\u03c1\u03b9\u03cc \u03c3\u03b1\u03c2! (Miss! You dropped your ticket!) \/ <\/span>\u039a\u03b1\u03bb\u03b7\u03c3\u03c0\u03ad\u03c1\u03b1, \u03b3\u03b9\u03b1\u03c4\u03c1\u03ad! \u0395\u03af\u03b4\u03b1\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b5\u03be\u03b5\u03c4\u03ac\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2 \u03bc\u03bf\u03c5; (Good evening, doctor! Have you seen my tests?) \/ <\/span>\u0393\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1 \u03c3\u03b1\u03c2, \u03ba\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03b5 \u0391\u03bb\u03b5\u03be\u03af\u03bf\u03c5! (Hello Mr Alexiou!) <\/span><\/p>\n

Note<\/span> that after the words <\/span>\u03ba\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03b5<\/em>, \u03ba\u03c5\u03c1\u03af\u03b1<\/em> and <\/span>\u03b4\u03b5\u03c3\u03c0\u03bf\u03b9\u03bd\u03af\u03c2<\/em>, the first name can be used, if we are familiar with the person.<\/span><\/p>\n

E.<\/span>g.: <\/span>\u0393\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1 \u03c3\u03b1\u03c2, \u03ba\u03c5\u03c1\u03af\u03b1 \u0388\u03bb\u03bb\u03b7! (Hello, Mrs Ellie!)<\/span><\/p>\n

#3. We use the words <\/strong><\/span>\u03b5\u03c5\u03c7\u03b1\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03ce (thank you<\/span>) and <\/span>\u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ce. \u03a0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ce means please and you are welcome. It can also be used to mean excuse me.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

E.<\/span>g. \u201c<\/span>\u0395\u03c5\u03c7\u03b1\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03ce!\u201d \u201c\u03a0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ce!\u201d (\u201cThank you!\u201d \u201cYou are welcome!\u201d) \/ <\/span>\u039c\u03bf\u03c5 \u03b4\u03af\u03bd\u03b5\u03c4\u03b5 \u03bc\u03af\u03b1 \u03c3\u03bf\u03ba\u03bf\u03bb\u03ac\u03c4\u03b1, \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ce; (Can you give me a chocolate, please?) \/ <\/span>\u03a0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ce, \u03bc\u03ae\u03c0\u03c9\u03c2 \u03be\u03ad\u03c1\u03b5\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b9 \u03ce\u03c1\u03b1 \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03bd\u03ac\u03b5\u03b9 \u03c4\u03bf \u03bb\u03b5\u03c9\u03c6\u03bf\u03c1\u03b5\u03af\u03bf; (Excuse-me, do you know when does the bus come?)<\/span><\/p>\n

#4. If we want to apologize, we use the words <\/span>\u03c3\u03c5\u03b3\u03b3\u03bd\u03ce\u03bc\u03b7 (sorry) or <\/span>\u03bc\u03b5 \u03c3\u03c5\u03b3\u03c7\u03c9\u03c1\u03b5\u03af\u03c4\u03b5 (<\/strong>excuse-me)<\/strong>. The answer could be <\/span>\u03b4\u03b5\u03bd \u03c0\u03b5\u03b9\u03c1\u03ac\u03b6\u03b5\u03b9 (it doesn’t matter) or <\/span>\u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ce.<\/p>\n

E.g. \u201c\u03a0\u03ae\u03c1\u03b1 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03ac \u03bb\u03ac\u03b8\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c4\u03bf \u03c3\u03c4\u03c5\u03bb\u03cc \u03c3\u03b1\u03c2, \u03c3\u03c5\u03b3\u03b3\u03bd\u03ce\u03bc\u03b7!\u201d \u201c\u0394\u03b5\u03bd \u03c0\u03b5\u03b9\u03c1\u03ac\u03b6\u03b5\u03b9! \/ \u03a0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ce!\u201d (<\/span>I took your pen by mistake, I’m sorry! \/ It doesn’t matter!)<\/p>\n

#5. If we want to make a request in a polite way, we can use the conditional form or <\/strong>\u03bc\u03ae\u03c0\u03c9\u03c2<\/strong><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

E.g. \u0398\u03b1 \u03ae\u03b8\u03b5\u03bb\u03b1 \u03ad\u03bd\u03b1 \u03ba\u03b9\u03bb\u03cc, \u03bb\u03b5\u03bc\u03cc\u03bd\u03b9\u03b1, \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ce. \/ <\/span>I would like one kilo of lemons, please. \/ \u039c\u03ae\u03c0\u03c9\u03c2 \u03bc\u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u03b5\u03af\u03c2 \u03bd\u03b1 \u03bc\u03bf\u03c5 \u03b4\u03ce\u03c3\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c4\u03bf \u03bc\u03b1\u03cd\u03c1\u03bf \u03c3\u03bf\u03c5 \u03c6\u03cc\u03c1\u03b5\u03bc\u03b1; \/ <\/span>(<\/span>Perhaps) you can give me your black dress?<\/p>\n

#6. Asking directly about a person’s job could be considered as a sign of curiosity and, by some people, lack of manners.<\/strong> It is better to ask \u03bc\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b9 \u03b1\u03c3\u03c7\u03bf\u03bb\u03b5\u03af\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5<\/em> (<\/span>what is your occupation).<\/p>\n

E.g. \u201c\u039c\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b9 \u03b1\u03c3\u03c7\u03bf\u03bb\u03b5\u03af\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5;\u201d \u201c\u0395\u03af\u03bc\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c8\u03c5\u03c7\u03bf\u03bb\u03cc\u03b3\u03bf\u03c2. \u0395\u03c3\u03b5\u03af\u03c2;\u201d \/ \u201c<\/span>What is your occupation?\u201d \u201cI am a psychologist. And you?)<\/p>\n

#7. We avoid asking people their age directly<\/strong>, or making comments such as \u03b1\u03bd \u03ae\u03c3\u03b1\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd \u03bd\u03b5\u03cc\u03c4\u03b5\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2 <\/span><\/em>(if you ere younger) or \u03c6\u03b1\u03af\u03bd\u03b5\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03cd<\/em> \u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ac \u03b3\u03b9\u03b1 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03b7\u03bb\u03b9\u03ba\u03af\u03b1 \u03c3\u03b1\u03c2 <\/em><\/span>(you look very well in spite of your age).<\/p>\n

#8. It is acceptable to be informal to very old people or to old people who come from a village.<\/strong><\/p>\n

E.g. \u0393\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1 \u03c3\u03bf\u03c5 \u03ba\u03c5\u03c1\u03ac-\u039c\u03b1\u03c1\u03af\u03b1, \u03c4\u03b9 \u03ba\u03ac\u03bd\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2; \u03a0\u03ae\u03b3\u03b5\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c4\u03b7 \u03bb\u03b1\u03ca\u03ba\u03ae \u03c3\u03ae\u03bc\u03b5\u03c1\u03b1; \/ <\/span>Hello Mrs Maria, how are you? Did you go to the green market today?<\/p>\n

#9. If a person you don’t know is talking to you in an informal or rude way and you find them disrespectful, you<\/strong> can ask them<\/strong> to use the politeness form,by saying this phrase: <\/strong>\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03c0\u03bb\u03b7\u03b8\u03c5\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc, \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ce<\/em>.<\/strong> (<\/span>Literally, it means \u201cin plural, please\u201d).<\/p>\n

On the contrary, if you want to be on first terms with someone, you can ask: <\/span>\u03bd\u03b1 \u03bc\u03b9\u03bb\u03ac\u03bc\u03b5 \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03b5\u03bd\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc;<\/em> (literally it means \u201cshall we speak to singular?\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have questions, please, feel free to leave a comment!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Photo via Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

\u039a\u03b1\u03bb\u03b7\u03c3\u03c0\u03ad\u03c1\u03b1 \u03c3\u03b1\u03c2! This post is about the politeness form. According to the stereotype, the Greeks are direct and are easily on first name terms with people they don’t know. The truth is that the way to address people depends on the circumstances. #1. If we want to address someone in a formal way we use…<\/p>\n

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