How to use the small words σαν and ως
We already know that we use the word σαν
in similes.
Πεινάω
σαν λύκος/ I am hungry
like a wolf. But you know that I am not a wolf. So we use the word σαν to say that someone or something is
similar to someone os something else.
Γράφει
σαν ποιητής/he writes
like a poet. When I say σαν ποιητής means that he is not a poet but the way he writes is so special that he
writes as a poet does.
H Mαρία
δουλεύει σαν γραμματέας./ Maria works like a secretary.
Η Μαρία
είναι φιλόλογος, αλλά δουλεύει σαν γραμματέας./ Maria is a philologist, but she works like a
secretary. So when I say σαν γραμματέας means that she studied something else but she
works like a secretary.
In the other hand we use the word ως to give to someone a real quality.
For example :
Ο άντρας
μου εργάζεται ως πολιτικός μηχανικός/ my husband works was a civil engineer. He is a civil engineer. This is
his job because this is what he studied.
Ως μητέρα
σε συμβουλεύω να περνάς περισσότερο χρόνο με τα παιδιά σου./ As a mother I advise you to spend
more time with your kids. Ως μητέρα means that I am a mother. I have my own kids.
Native greek speakers use the two words
interchangeably and they think that the only difference is that ως is more formal than σαν. This is wrong. As you can understand
the meaning of the two words is completely different.
Very often we hear members of Parliament or
even prime ministers saying εμείς σαν κυβέρνηση……/we like a government….. and they don’t realize
that with this phrase they mean that they are not government.
Εγώ σαν πρωθυπουργός…./I like a prime minister….it means
that he is not the prime minister. The correct phrase is εγώ ως
πρωθυπουργός. Now it means
that he is the prime minister.
And the last example.
Εργάζομαι
ως καθηγήτρια./I work
as a teacher. I am a teacher. I am a certified teacher. BUT
Η Μαρία από τότε που πήγε στην Αμερική εργάζεται σαν καθηγήτρια ελληνικών./Maria by the time she went to America she works like a teacher of Greek. Σαν καθηγήτρια. She teaches Greek but she is not a certified teacher.
