How to use the word σαν. Simile or clause of time?

How to use the word σαν. Simile or clause of time?

In this lesson we are going to learn how to use the word σαν, a small word that can be used in many different ways and today we will talk about two of them. The most common way to use the word is in a παρομοίωση/it is the comparison of one thing to another of a different kind in order to make the description more vivid/ so it is the simile.

There are several ways to form a simile in Greek, such as using the words όπως, μοιάζει, λες και, όμοιος με ….but the most often used word to make a comparison is the word σαν.

For example: Πεινάω σαν λύκος. I am hungry as a wolf.

There are 2 different ways to make these comparisons with the word σαν. The first one is to use the word σαν and then a noun in nominative without article. Remember our example. Πεινάω σαν λύκος.  Let’s see some new examples.

Αυτό το μέρος είναι όμορφο σαν ζωγραφιά. This place is beautiful like a painting.

Η Μαρία είναι πολύ ντροπαλή. Όταν της μιλάς γίνεται κόκκινη σαν παπαρούνα. Maria is very shy. When you talk to her she turns red like a poppy.

The other way is to use σαν and then the definite article and a noun in accusative.

Example: Είναι κρύος σαν τον πάγο. He is cold like the ice. Of course here we can use this phrase metaphorically too for someone who is emotionally unavailable.

Δουλεύω σαν το σκυλί. I work like a dog, we mean I work hard and we have σαν, the definite article and the noun in Accusative.

It is not wrong to say «Δουλεύω σαν σκύλος». Ιn this sentence we have σαν and the noun in nominative without article.

 So if we want to make a comparison we can use the word σαν and then a noun in nominative without article or the word σαν, a definite article and a noun in Accusative.  

Let’s learn now some new similes.

Ντυμένος σαν γαμπρός. Dressed like a groom.

To someone who is very well dressed we say that he is dressed like a groom. For example Maria says to her 20 year old son:

 -Πού πας; “where are you going?”. Her son says:

-Πάω σινεμά με τους φίλους μου. “to the cinema with my friends”.

-Πας σινεμά με τους φίλους σου ντυμένος σαν γαμπρός;/“are you going to the cinema with your friends dressed like a groom?

His mom is sure that he is going to meet a girl.

The next one:

Ψηλός – ψηλή – ψηλό σαν κυπαρίσσι. Τall like a cypress. When someone is very tall we say that he is tall like a cypress.

 And when we want to say that someone is too tough we say that he is σκληρός σαν ατσάλι/tough/hard as steel so he is strong and determined. He can tolerate difficulties or suffering.

For someone who is extremely pale like I am we say είναι άσπρος σαν το γάλα /he is white like the milk or είναι άσπρος σαν το χιόνι/he is white like the snow.

After the word σαν we can also have the strong form of the personal pronouns in accusative or other pronouns, adverbs, verbs, nouns in genitive, but we will talk about them in another lesson. Today except for the similes we will learn how this word can introduce an adverbial clause of time. So sometimes we can use the word σαν instead of the word όταν/when. “Σαν πας στην Καλαμάτα και έρθεις με το καλό, φέρε μου ένα μαντίλι να δέσω στον λαιμό”says a traditional greek song and we mean “when you go to Kalamata and you come back, bring me a bandana to tie around my neck.

Όταν έγινε 18 χρονών, έφυγε από το σπίτι του. When he became 18 he left his house.

My favorite poet Konstantinos Kavafis says in one of his most popular poems:

Σαν βγεις στον πηγαιμό για την Ιθάκη, να εύχεσαι να είναι μακρύς ο δρόμος. Αs you set out for Ithaka, hope the voyage is a long one. So in the last examples the word σαν is not the word we use to compare but it is a word used more often in literature instead of the word όταν to introduce an adverbial clause of time.