Accentuation of one-syllable words. Necessary or unnecessary?

Accentuation of one-syllable words. Necessary or unnecessary?

Lesson 49.

In one of the first lessons we talked about the accent mark and we learnt that only one of the last three syllables of a word can be stressed. The syllable is a small part of a word containing a vowel or a diphthong.

One of the most important rules we’ve learnt is that in Modern Greek we don’t put accent to one-syllable rules. Today we will learn the exceptions.

As one-syllable words, the words ναι/yes, και/and, the prepositions με/with, σε/in, at, to, are written without accent mark.

We don’t put accent mark to one syllable verbs as well. For example, the verb λέω/I say in Present tense’s second singular person is λες/you say, and in Future Simple θα πω/I will say, θα πεις/ you will say, θα πει/ he, she, it will say has one syllable so it is written without accent mark.

Also sometimes we pronounce two vowels or a vowel and a diphthong together as if there was a single syllable. This is something we call in Greek συνίζηση. Συνίζηση is the pronunciation of two vowels, a vowel and a diphthong or the pronunciation of two diphthongs together. In two-syllable words, like the preposition για/ for, when we have to pronounce the two vowels as if there was a single syllable, again we don’t put accent mark.

You can see native speakers writing the word γεια/ hello with accent mark over the last vowel, but it is not correct. The word γεια is pronounced as a single syllable word, so it is written without accent mark. According to this rule we write without accent the following words: γιος/ son, πιο/ more, πια/ no more, not any longer and the interrogative pronoun ποιος-ποια-ποιο/ who.

The two syllable words δύο/ two and μία/ a, an (feminine) can be pronounced like two syllable words and like one-syllable words as well. When we pronounce the words δύο and μία as two syllable words we write them with accent mark. When we pronounce these two words as one-syllable words, we write them without accent mark: δυο, μια.

Definite article:  In modern Greek we don’t put accent mark to the definite articles. The feminine definite article in Nominative singular is “η” (eta without accent mark). Eta with accent mark (ή) is a conjunction and it means “or”.

One-syllable question words:

The word τι / what is always written without accent mark.

The word πως/ πώς can be written with accent mark and without accent mark. When the word πώς introduces an independent interrogative sentence or a dependent indirect question, it is an adverb, it means “how” and it is written with accent mark. When the word πως is a conjunction introducing a dependent clause, then it means “that” and it is written without accent mark.

The word που/ πού can be written with accent mark and without accent mark. When the word πού introduces a direct or indirect question, it means “where” and it is written with accent mark.

In modern Greek we don’t put accent mark to the possessive pronouns but as they have the same form as the weak form of the personal pronouns, sometimes to distinguish them we put accent mark to the weak forms of the personal pronouns. We will talk about it in one of the next lessons.

“Getting to know you questions”. Part 2. Theatre and Cinema.

“Getting to know you questions”. Part 2. Theatre and Cinema.

Lesson 48

In the last lesson we learnt how to ask  about the other person’s job, the music he likes and his favourite singer and today we will learn what questions we can ask about theatre and cinema.

Some of the most popular questions are:

Σου αρέσει να πηγαίνεις στο θέατρο; (informal way)/Do you like going to the theatre?

Σας αρέσει να πηγαίνετε στο θέατρο; (formal way)

The easiest way to answer to this question is:

Nαι (yes) or όχι (no). But it is better to be a little bit more talkative.

So we can say:

Μου αρέσει πολύ. Πηγαίνω συχνά στο θέατρο./ I like it very much. I often go to the theatre.

Μου αρέσει πολύ, αλλά δεν πηγαίνω συχνά./I like it very much but I don’t go often.

Δε μου αρέσει καθόλου. Προτιμώ τον κινηματογράφο./I don’t like it at all. I prefer cinema.

To ask the same question to the other person we can say εσένα; (informal way), and if we want to be polite or if we talk to many people we can say εσάς;/and you?

We can ask the same question about cinema too, but instead of the word theatre we will use the word cinema. The word cinema in Greek is κινηματογράφος (ο), but we also use the word σινεμά (το). So we can say:

Σου αρέσει να πηγαίνεις στον κινηματογράφο/στο σινεμά; (informal way)

Σας αρέσει να πηγαίνετε στον κινηματογράφο/ στο σινεμά; (formal way)/ Do you like going to the cinema?

We can answer the same way as we did before about theatre.

If the other person said only if he likes going to cinema/ theatre or not, then you can ask him:

Πόσο συχνά πηγαίνεις στο θέατρο; (informal way)/How often do you go to the theatre?

Πόσο συχνά πηγαίνετε στο θέατρο; (formal way)/How often do you go to the theatre?

Κάθε πότε πηγαίνεις στο θέατρο; (informal way)/How often do you go to the theatre?

Κάθε πότε πηγαίνετε στο θέατρο; (formal way)/ How often do you go to theatre?

Πόσο συχνά πηγαίνεις στον κινηματογράφο; (informal way)/How often do you go to the cinema?

Πόσο συχνά πηγαίνετε στον κινηματογράφο; (formal way)/How often do you go to the cinema?

Πηγαίνω στον κινηματογράφο κάθε σαββατοκύριακο./I every weekend go to the cinema.

κάθε σαββατοκύριακο: every weekend

κάθε δύο εβδομάδες: every two weeks

μία φορά τον μήνα: once a month

Δεν πηγαίνω συχνά. Δυο τρεις φορές τον χρόνο./I don’t go often. Two-three times a year.

A very popular and interesting question is:

Προτιμάς το θέατρο ή τον κινηματογράφο; (informal way)

Προτιμάτε το θέατρο ή τον κινηματογράφο; (formal way)/ Do you prefer theatre or cinema?

Another question with similar meaning is:

Σου αρέσει πιο πολύ να πηγαίνεις στον θέατρο ή στον κινηματογράφο; (informal way)

Σας αρέσει πιο πολύ να πηγαίνετε στο θέατρο ή στον κινηματογράφο; (formal way)/What do you like most, going to theatre or to the cinema?

Προτιμώ τον κινηματογράφο. Το θέατρο είναι βαρετό./ I prefer cinema. Theatre is boring.

Προτιμώ τον κινηματογράφο, επειδή τα εισιτήρια είναι πιο οικονομικά./I prefer cinema because the tickets are cheaper.

Προτιμώ το θέατρο, επειδή με διασκεδάζει και με διδάσκει ταυτόχρονα./I prefer theatre because it entertains me and teaches me at the same time.

To ask the same question to the other person we say:

Εσύ; (informal way) / Εσείς; (formal way).

Eμένα δε μου αρέσει να πηγαίνω ούτε στο θέατρο ούτε στον κινηματογράφο. Προτιμώ να βλέπω ταινίες στο σπίτι. / I don’t like going to theatre nor to the cinema. I prefer watching movies at home.

6 getting to know you questions in Greek

6 getting to know you questions in Greek

Lesson 47.

            Getting to know new people in a foreign language can be really hard, so

            we will learn together some “getting to know you questions” in Greek.

            Also if you are a beginner and you are interested in obtaining a qualification

            in Greek, then this lesson and the next 1-2 parts will help you to get ready

            for the first part of the oral examination.

            A very good question  to break the ice is:

1.      Από πού είσαι; (informal way to ask one person)/ Where are you from?

            Από πού είστε; (formal way to ask one person or to ask many people)./ Where

            are you from?

            To answer to this question we use the verb είμαι (I am), the preposition από

            (from), the definite article and the country’s or the city’s name in Accusative

            case.

            Είμαι από την Αμερική. (I am from America).

            Είμαι από τον Καναδά. (I am from Canada).

             To ask the same question to the other person we can say:

            Εσύ; (informal way to ask one person)/ and you?

            Eσείς; (formal way to ask one person or to talk to many people)/ and you?

2.      Second question:

Πού μένεις; (informal way)/ where do you live?

Πού μένετε; (formal way)/ where do you live?

To answer to this question we can use the verb μένω (I live/I stay), the

preposition σε, the definite article and the country’s or the city’s name in

Accusative case.

Μένω στη Θεσσαλονίκη. (I live in Thessaloniki).

Μένω στην Αθήνα. (I live in Athens).

To ask the same question to the other person we can say again:

Εσύ; (and you?/informal way).

 Εσείς (and you?/ formal way).

3.      Third question:

Τι δουλειά κάνεις; (informal way)/ what is your job?/what do you do for a living?

Τι δουλειά κάνετε; (formal way)/ what is your job?/ what do you do for a living?

Another way to ask the same question is:

Mε τι ασχολείσαι; (informal way)/ what is your occupation?

Με τι ασχολείστε; (formal way)/ what is your occupation?

To answer to this question:

1.  We can use the verb είμαι (I am) and then a noun in Nominative case. We don’t use article before the profession.

Είμαι καθηγήτρια. (I am a teacher).

Είμαι οδοντίατρος. (I am a dentist).

2. we can use the verb δουλεύω (I work), the preposition σε, article and a noun in Accusative case.

Δουλεύω σε ένα κατάστημα ρούχων. (I work at a clothing store).

Δουλεύω σε ένα ξενοδοχείο. (I work at a hotel).

Eσύ; /  Εσείς;

4.      Forth question.

Τι κάνεις στον ελεύθερο χρόνο σου; (informal)/what do you do in your free time?

Τι κάνετε στον ελεύθερο χρόνο σας; (formal)/ what do you do in your free time?

Answers:

            Παίζω ποδόσφαιρο. (I play football).

            Πηγαίνω στο γυμναστήριο. (I go to the gym).

            Διαβάζω βιβλία. (I read books).

Επισκέπτομαι τους γονείς και τους φίλους μου. (I visit my parents and my friends).

Another way to ask the same question:

Tι σου αρέσει να κάνεις στον ελεύθερο χρόνο σου; (informal)/what do you like to do in your free time?

Τι σας αρέσει να κάνετε στον ελεύθερο χρόνο σας; (formal)/ what do you like to do in your free time?

Answers:

Μου αρέσει να παίζω ποδόσφαιρο. (I like playing football).

Μου αρέσει να πηγαίνω στο γυμναστήριο. (I like going to the gym).

Μου αρέσει να διαβάζω βιβλία. (I like reading books).

To ask the same question to the other person we can informally say to one person “Εσένα;”, and if we want to be polite or if we talk to many people we can say “Εσάς;”

5.      Fifth question:

Τι μουσική ακούς; (what type of music do you listen to?)

Ποιο είδος μουσικής προτιμάς; (which type of music do you prefer?)

We can answer 1. by using the verb προτιμώ (I prefer), the definite article and a noun in Accusative case.

Προτιμώ την κλασική μουσική (I prefer the classical music).

2. Μου αρέσει πολύ (I like very much), the definite article and a noun in Nominative case.

Μου αρέσει πολύ η κλασική μουσική. (I like very much the classical music).

6.      Sixth question.

Ποιος είναι ο αγαπημένος σου τραγουδιστής; (who is your favorite singer?)

Ποια είναι η αγαπημένη σου τραγουδίστρια; (who is your favorite female singer?).

Ποιος τραγουδιστής σου αρέσει πιο πολύ; (which singer do you like the most?)

Ποια τραγουδίστρια σου αρέσει πιο πολύ;(which female singer do you like the most?).

Answers:

Μου αρέσει πολύ ο ………….(I like very much………….)

Μου αρέσει πολύ, definite article and the proper name in Nominative case.

Λατρεύω τον ……………(I adore ……………)

Λατρεύω (I adore), definite article and the proper name in Accusative case.

For more than οne singers:

Moυ αρέσουν πολύ ο Αντώνης Ρέμος, η Μαρινέλλα και η Δέσποινα Βανδή. (I like very much Antonis Remos, Marinella and Despina Vandi.