{"id":3273,"date":"2019-09-30T09:00:54","date_gmt":"2019-09-30T09:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/greek\/?p=3273"},"modified":"2019-09-29T17:05:47","modified_gmt":"2019-09-29T17:05:47","slug":"understanding-colloquial-greek-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/greek\/understanding-colloquial-greek-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding colloquial Greek"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you find it hard to understand the Greeks when they speak, even though your Greek is <\/span>good?<\/span> This happens because they speak fast and also because they do not always pronounce the words and phrases as they write them. In this post, we will see how the Greeks speak when they interact in an informal context.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo by dimitrisvetsikas1969 via Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

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#1. \u0395\u03bd\u03c4\u03ac\u03be\u03b5\u03b9 \u2192 \u2018\u03bd\u03c4\u03ac\u03be\u03b5\u03b9<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

It is one of the most common Greek words. When we speak fast we tend to drop the –<\/span>\u03b5. <\/span>However, it would be inappropriate to use \u2018<\/span>\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03be\u03b5\u03b9 <\/span>in a formal context.<\/span><\/p>\n

#2. \u0395\u03c5\u03c7\u03b1\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03ce \u2192 \u2018\u03c6\u03c7\u03b1\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03ce<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

#3. the personal pronoun <\/span>\u03c3\u03bf\u03c5 drops the <\/span>\u03bf\u03c5<\/strong><\/em> sound when <\/span>\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd<\/strong>, \u03c4\u03b7<\/strong>, \u03c4\u03bf<\/strong>, \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5<\/strong>, \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2<\/strong>, \u03c4\u03b9\u03c2<\/strong>, \u03c4\u03b1<\/strong> follow.<\/span><\/p>\n

Examples:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u03a3\u03bf\u03c5 \u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03b1\u03b3\u03cc\u03c1\u03b1\u03c3\u03b1<\/strong> \u2192 \u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd <\/strong><\/em>\u03b1\u03b3\u03cc\u03c1\u03b1\u03c3\u03b1<\/strong> (<\/span>I bought him for you. Him refers to a masculine singular noun).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u03a3\u03bf\u03c5 \u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c0\u03bb\u03ae\u03c1\u03c9\u03c3\u03b1<\/strong> \u2192 \u03c3\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 <\/strong><\/em>\u03c0\u03bb\u03ae\u03c1\u03c9\u03c3\u03b1<\/strong> (I paid them for you. Them refers to a feminine plural noun).<\/span><\/p>\n

#4. <\/span>When we use the personal pronouns <\/span>\u03c4\u03bf<\/strong> (<\/span>it) and <\/span>\u03c4\u03b1<\/strong> (<\/span>them) before a two or three-syllable verb starting by a vowel, the vowel is omitted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Examples:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u03a3\u03bf\u03c5 \u03c4\u03bf \u03b5\u03af\u03c0\u03b1<\/strong> \u2192 \u03c3\u03bf\u03c5 \u03c4\u03bf \u2018\u03c0\u03b1<\/strong> <\/em>or <\/span>\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf \u2018\u03c0\u03b1<\/strong><\/em> (I told you so).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u03a4\u03b1 \u03b5\u03af\u03b4\u03b1<\/strong> \u2192 \u03c4\u03b1 \u2018\u03b4\u03b1<\/strong><\/em> (I saw them).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u03a4\u03bf \u03b1\u03b3\u03cc\u03c1\u03b1\u03c3\u03b1<\/strong> \u2192 \u03c4\u2019\u03b1\u03b3\u03cc\u03c1\u03b1\u03c3\u03b1<\/strong><\/em> (I bought it).<\/span><\/p>\n

#5. <\/span>A<\/span>rticles <\/span>\u03c4\u03bf <\/span><\/strong>and <\/span>\u03c4\u03b1 <\/span><\/strong>lose the vowels <\/span>\u03bf <\/span><\/strong>and <\/span>\u03b1 <\/span><\/strong>when placed before a noun or adjective which starts by –<\/strong><\/span>\u03b1<\/strong>: \u03c4\u03bf \u03b1\u03b3\u03cc\u03c1\u03b9 \u03bc\u03bf\u03c5<\/strong> (<\/span>my boy) \u2192 <\/span>\u03c4\u2019 \u03b1\u03b3\u03cc\u03c1\u03b9 <\/strong><\/em>\u03bc\u03bf\u03c5<\/strong> \/ \u03b8\u03ad\u03bb\u03c9 \u03c4\u03b1 \u03ac\u03c3\u03c0\u03c1\u03b1<\/strong> \u2192 \u03b8\u03ad\u03bb\u03c9 \u03c4\u2019\u03ac\u03c3\u03c0\u03c1\u03b1<\/em><\/strong> (<\/span>I want the white ones).<\/span><\/p>\n

#6. <\/span>Type <\/span>\u0391<\/span> (ending in –<\/em><\/span>\u03ac\u03c9, -\u03ce<\/span><\/em>)<\/span> verbs have two forms in <\/span>\u03a0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03c2<\/em> (<\/span>Past Continuous).<\/span><\/p>\n

Examples:<\/p>\n

\u039c\u03b9\u03bb\u03bf\u03cd\u03c3\u03b1 \/ \u039c\u03af\u03bb\u03b1\u03b3\u03b1<\/strong> (<\/span>\u03bc\u03b9\u03bb\u03ac\u03c9, <\/span>to speak<\/span>). The second type is used <\/span>in oral speech<\/span>: <\/span>\u038c\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd \u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03b5\u03af\u03b4\u03b1, \u03bc\u03af\u03bb\u03b1\u03b3\u03b5 \u03bc\u03b5 \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03c6\u03af\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5. (<\/span>When I saw him, he was speaking with his friends).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u039e\u03b5\u03ba\u03b9\u03bd\u03bf\u03cd\u03c3\u03b5 \/ \u039e\u03b5\u03ba\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b3\u03b5<\/strong> (<\/span>\u03be\u03b5\u03ba\u03b9\u03bd\u03ac\u03c9, <\/span> to <\/span>start<\/span>): <\/span>\u03a4\u03bf \u03bc\u03ac\u03b8\u03b7\u03bc\u03b1 \u03be\u03b5\u03ba\u03af\u03bd\u03b1\u03b3\u03b5 \u03c3\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u03bf\u03ba\u03c4\u03ce. \/ <\/span>The class used to start at 8.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u03a0\u03b5\u03c1\u03bd\u03bf\u03cd\u03c3\u03b1\u03bc\u03b5 \/ \u03a0\u03b5\u03c1\u03bd\u03ac\u03b3\u03b1\u03bc\u03b5<\/strong> (\u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03bd\u03ac\u03c9, to spend, to pass): <\/span>\u03a0\u03b5\u03c1\u03bd\u03ac\u03b3\u03b1\u03bc\u03b5 \u03c9\u03c1\u03b1\u03af\u03b1 \u03bc\u03ad\u03c7\u03c1\u03b9 \u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 \u03ae\u03c1\u03b8\u03b5 \u03b7 \u039c\u03c5\u03c1\u03c4\u03ce. (We were having a nice time until Mirto came).<\/span><\/p>\n

Note the following sentences:<\/span><\/p>\n

We write: <\/span>\u03a3\u03bf\u03c5 \u03c4\u03bf \u03b5\u03af\u03c0\u03b1 \u03cc\u03c4\u03b9 \u03b8\u03b1 \u03c4\u03bf \u03b1\u03b3\u03cc\u03c1\u03b1\u03b6\u03b1<\/strong> \u2192 <\/span>We say: <\/span>\u03a3\u03c4\u03bf \u2018\u03c0\u03b1<\/strong> \u03cc\u03c4\u03b9 \u03b8\u03b1 \u03c4\u2019\u03b1\u03b3\u03cc\u03c1\u03b1\u03b6\u03b1<\/strong><\/span>. <\/span>(I told you I would buy it).<\/span><\/p>\n

We write: <\/span>\u03a4\u03b1 \u03ad\u03c6\u03b1\u03b3\u03b5\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b1 \u03b1\u03c5\u03b3\u03ac \u03c3\u03bf\u03c5;<\/strong> \u2192 \u03a4\u03b1 \u2018\u03c6\u03b1\u03b3\u03b5\u03c2<\/strong> \u03c4\u2019 \u03b1\u03c5\u03b3\u03ac<\/strong> \u03c3\u03bf\u03c5;<\/span> (<\/span>D<\/span>id you eat<\/span> your eggs?)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You can see an example of colloquial Greek on the funny video that follows. It is about the different types of hotel guests:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ydkgmPDKEKI<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Do you find it hard to understand the Greeks when they speak, even though your Greek is good? This happens because they speak fast and also because they do not always pronounce the words and phrases as they write them. In this post, we will see how the Greeks speak when they interact in an…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":3276,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[529028,1057,529353],"class_list":["post-3273","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pronunciation","tag-colloquial-greek","tag-examples","tag-greek-pronounciation"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t