How to say “Welcome” in Greek. Lesson 23.

How to say “Welcome” in Greek. Lesson 23.

            There are two different ways to say “welcome” in Greek.

            First way : We can informally say to one visitor Καλώς ήρθες (well you

came/welcome).

            The word καλώς is the archaic form of the modern greek word καλά,

            which means “well”.

            The word ήρθες is the second singular person  of the verb έρχομαι (I come)

            in Simple Past.

            Αόριστος (Simple Past)

            εγώ ήρθα (I came)

            εσύ ήρθες (you came)

            αυτός / αυτή / αυτό ήρθε (he/she/it came)

            εμείς ήρθαμε (we came)

            εσείς ήρθατε (you came)

            αυτοί / αυτές/ αυτά ήρθαν (they came)

            If we want to be polite or if we talk to many people we can say

            Καλώς ήρθατε.

Second way: We can informally say to one visitor Καλώς όρισες and if we want to be polite or if we have many visitors we can say Καλώς ορίσατε.

It means “well you commanded”, but we use it like welcome.

Αόριστος (Simple Past)

εγώ όρισα

εσύ όρισες

αυτός / αυτή / αυτό όρισε

εμείς ορίσαμε

εσείς ορίσατε

αυτοί / αυτές/ αυτά όρισαν

Answers:

The visitor, one person, can answer to one host Καλώς σε βρήκα (well I have

found you).

Τhe word βρήκα is the first singular person of the verb βρίσκω (I find) in

Simple Past.

Αόριστος (Simple Past)

εγώ βρήκα

εσύ βρήκες

αυτός / αυτή/ αυτό βρήκε

εμείς βρήκαμε

εσείς βρήκατε

αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά βρήκαν

Ιf there are two or more visitors and one only host, then they can answer

Καλώς σε βρήκαμε (well we have found you).

If there is one visitor and two or more hosts, the visitor can answer

Καλώς σας βρήκα.

And if there are two or more visitors and two or more hosts, the visitors can

answer Καλώς σας βρήκαμε.  

Μάθημα 20 (lesson 20)

Μάθημα 20 (lesson 20)

How to ask someone’s name  and how to say our names in modern Greek.

           

            In modern Greek there are 4 different ways to ask someone’s name or to

            say our names. Even though all of them have a different meaning in Greek,

            we use them with the same way, to ask “What is your name?” or to answer

            “My name is….”.

           

            First way:

            Question:

            Ποιο είναι το όνομά σου; (informal way)

            Ποιο είναι το όνομά σας; (formal way)

            Which is your name?/ What is your name?

            Answer:

            To όνομά μου είναι Ζωή.

            Το όνομά μου είναι Γιώργος.

            My name is Zoi/ My name is George.

            You should remember that the proper names are in Nominative case, so the

            most greek male proper names have at the end a sigma teliko (-ς).

           

            Second way:

            Question:

            Πώς λέγεσαι; (informal way)

            Πώς λέγεστε; (formal way)

            How are you called? 

            Answer:

            Λέγομαι Ζωή.

            Λέγομαι Γιώργος.

           

            The proper names are again in Nominative case.

            Third way:

            Question:

            Πώς ονομάζεσαι; (informal way)

            Πώς ονομάζεστε; (formal way)

            How are you named?

            Answer:

            Ονομάζομαι Ζωή.

            Ονομάζομαι Γιώργος.

           

            Τhe proper names are again in Nominative case.

           

            Forth way:

            Question:

            Πώς σε λένε; (informal way)

            Πώς σας λένε; (formal way)

            How they call you?

            Answer:

            Mε λένε Ζωή.

            Με λένε Γιώργο.

            Αs the verb λέω (I say) is in Active voice, the proper names are in

            Accusative. The female proper names are same in Nominative and

            in Accusative, but the most of the greek male proper names have in

            Nominative at the end a sigma teliko (ς). So if you are a man and you

have a greek name ending in sigma teliko, when you use the forth way

to say your name, you have just to remove the sigma teliko.

·         The foreign names are not declinable words, so the foreign names

are same in all cases.

Λέγομαι Jack.

Me λένε Jack.

                       

Μάθημα 19 (lesson 19)

Μάθημα 19 (lesson 19)

            Consonant pronunciation rules:

            First rule:

            When in the middle of the word the consonant –γ (gama) is written

            before the consonant –χ (hi), then we pronounce the –γ like –ν (ni).

            το άγχος: anxiety

            συγχαρητήρια: congratulations

            εγχείρηση: operation, surgery

            έγχρωμος: colored

            εγχειρίδιο: handbook, manual, dagger

            εγχείρημα: venture, attempt

            Second rule:

            When the consonant –μ (mi) is written before the consonant –ψ (psi), then

            we pronounce the –ψ like –σ (sigma).

            η κάμψη: bending, flection

            η λάμψη: brightness, glitter

            ο γαμψός (adj): hooked

            Third rule:

            When the consonant –π (pi) is written between the consonants –μ (mi) and

            -τ (taf), then we don’t pronounce it.

            το σύμπτωμα: symptom

            η σύμπτωση: coincidence

            κάμπτω: bend

            πέμπτος: fifth

Πέμπτη: Thursday

Forth rule:

When the consonant –σ (sigma) is written before the consonants β (vita),

γ (gama), δ (thelta), λ (lamtha), μ (mi), ν (ni) or –ρ (ro), then we pronounce

the –σ like  -ζ (zeta).

το σμήνος: swarm, gaggle, watch, flight

ο σγουρός (adj): curled

η εισροή: influx

σβήνω: switch off, turn off, blow out, extinguish

προσλαμβάνω: employ,  engage, hire

σμίκρυνση: shortening, diminution

προσδοκία: expectation

προσδιορίζω: fix, determine

According to the same rule when a word’s last letter is –ς (sigma teliko) and

the first letter of the following word is β, γ, δ, λ, μ, ν, ρ, then we pronounce the

-ς like –ζ (zeta).

της γάτας (cat’s) – tiz gatas

της βάρκας (boat’s) – tiz varkas.