Greek language courses. How I learned Greek. Personal experience

Learning Greek provokes enough complications, since the Greek language itself is incredibly difficult. The number of courses offered to learn this unique language is incredibly small, and mastering it on your own is very difficult. In order for the Greek language to succumb to learning, one should organize oneself, show perseverance, and acquire the necessary educational literature.

Stages of learning Greek

If we are learning the Greek language from scratch, then we should build learning from getting to know the alphabet, the basics of constructing sentences, memorizing the simplest words, reading and writing. Mere cramming will not help you master the Greek language. This will easily manifest itself when, being in Greece, it will be impossible to read and understand the meaning of a single sign.

If learning Greek from scratch is required in order to master it for tourism purposes, then the beginner course is ideal for solving the tasks, since it includes all the most common colloquial phrases used on the trip. When the goals are outlined, and the tasks are quite clear, you should find a tutor who will help you learn the Greek language. When choosing a tutor or courses, it will not be superfluous to pay attention to the cost of the services provided and the duration of the entire course. It is preferable if three main characteristics are simultaneously combined: cheapness, efficiency and speed of study.

An inexpensive way, but, unfortunately, not the fastest is to learn Greek using information resources. On the net you can find an excellent tutor who will not only tell you where to start learning the Greek language, but will also conduct classes online.

How to learn a language

Greek is a rather difficult language, so efforts should be made to ensure that it does not remain so. A competent tutor will be able to develop an individual program focused on each student, select literature, thanks to which language learning will be exciting and accessible. The tutor will be able to select effective video lessons and useful audio materials. An experienced tutor will be able to build the learning process in such a way that learning the language will be easy and entertaining.

How long does it take to learn Greek

The amount of time required to learn Greek can be completely different. If we study Greek only as a future tourist, then a few dozen classes will be quite enough for this. If the goal is to master the language perfectly, then the number of classes increases. In addition, each person's ability to learn foreign languages ​​is completely different, so the duration of language learning also depends on this parameter.

A rather interesting method of learning the Greek language is to conduct classes with a tutor using information technology. Skype lessons are also highly effective, they are attractive because they do not require extra time allocated for the trip to the tutor and back. Training takes place at home at the computer.

In many language schools, when studying Greek, they also use the practice of conducting classes via Skype. This allows you to have a conversation in Greek with the indigenous people of Greece, who are endowed with high emotionality, so the conversation is never boring. Such conversations help to hone your language skills and feel like a little “Greek”.

Individual and group lessons

The table shows the price of training for a month, during which 8 classes are held.

Meetings with teachers - twice a week. The visit of specialists is included in the cost of services.

Corporate Greek Training

We discuss the terms of the training with you in advance.

We will begin our acquaintance with the Greek language by studying the letters of the alphabet.

Greek vowels [ι, e, a, o, u] are pronounced the same as Russian ones [i, e, a, o, u].
The letter Γ γ is pronounced aspirated, reminiscent of the Ukrainian "g", as well as the Russian "g" in the word "aga". In the future, we will denote this sound as [r], but please do not forget about aspiration.
Before the vowels ε, ι, η, υ, as well as before the letter combinations αι, ει, οι, ευ, γ, it is pronounced close to Russian [й]. The result is sounds similar to the Russian "yu", "ya", "yo". For example, για [I] - for, γιος [yos], or [ёs] - son.
The sounds denoted by the letters Δ δ and Θ θ do not have an exact match in Russian. The first sound is pronounced close to the English th [p] in the word this. The second is practically equivalent to the English sound [θ] in the word thank you.
Η η, Ι ι, Υ υ are pronounced like the Russian “and”, and after vowels like “th”.
O o, Ω ω are always pronounced like the Russian "o" under stress.

Useful words and expressions:

Communication. Greetings.
Γειά σού! (Γειά σας!) Τι κάνεις; (Τι κάνετε;)
Καλά. Εσύ; Καλά. Εσείς;
And to the question "How are you?" a detailed answer is usually not expected. These words are more of a formality than a question.
Acquaintances usually kiss twice on the cheeks when they meet, especially if they haven't seen each other for a long time. At the first meeting, it is customary to shake hands. This rule applies to both men and women. Keep in mind, international etiquette suggests that a woman extends her hand first to greet.

Other greetings:
- Καλημέρα - Good morning!
- Καλησπέρα - Good evening! (during the day usually Γειά σου)
- Καλώς ορίσατε - Welcome!
- Καλώς σας βρήκαμε - Glad to see you!
- Καλώς ήρθατε - Welcome!

Acquaintance. Performance.
My name is… με λένε... [me lene]
Meet… Να σας συστήσω... [in sas sistyso]
My wife is η γυναίκα μου [and yineka mu]
My husband - ο άντρας μου [o andraz mu]
My sister is η αδελφή μου [and azelfi mu]
My brother - ο αδελφός μου [o azelfoz mu]
I came from…- Ηρθα από... [irsa apo…]
... Moscow - ...τη Μόσχα [ty mosha]
I am Russian - Είμαι Ρώσος [ime rosos]
I am Russian - Είμαι Ρωσίδα [ime roshiza]
I am 21 years old - Είμαι 21χρονών [ime ikosi enos chronon]

Greek. Lesson 2: Questions (Ερωτήσεις)

Interrogative sentences in Greek are formed by increasing intonation. Please note that according to the rules of Greek punctuation, a semicolon is used instead of a question mark:

Που πηγαίνετε; Where are you going?

Where is it? Πού είναι; [pu ine]

Questions and answers:

Where? Where? Πού [pu]

within μέσα [mesa]

opposite απέναντι [apenandi]

When? Πότε; [sweat]

today σήμερα [simera]

tomorrow αύριο [avrio]

yesterday χτές [khtes]

now τώρα [torah]

then Μετά [meta]

soon σύντομα [sindoma]

then τότε [tote]

always πάντα [panda]

never ποτέ [pote]

often συχνά [sihna]

why? Γιατί; [yati]

because Γιατί [yati]

as Πως; [pos]

so έτσι [etsy]

good καλά [kala]

bad άσχημα [ashima]

loudly δυνατά [zinata]

slowly, quietly σιγά [whitefish]

quickly γρήγορα [grigora]

early νωρίς [noris]

late αργά [arga]

Greek. Lesson 3: Article. Numbers. Time notation

Article

The article helps us identify what kind of word it is. In Greek (as in Russian), nouns can be masculine, feminine, or neuter. The article is masculine - ο, feminine - η, middle - το. For example, ο φοιτητής (student), η αδερφή (sister), το μπαλκόνι (balcony).

Count up to 20

numbers	writing	pronunciation
1	ένας, μια-μια, ενα	enas, miya-mya, ena
2	δυο, δυο	zio
3	τρεις,τρια	tris, tria
4	τεσσερις, τεσσερα	tesseris, tessera
5	πεντε	pende
6	εξτ	exsi
7	εφτα (επτα)	efta (epta)
8	οχτω (οκτω)	ohto (octo)
9	εννεα εννια	Ennea, Enya
10	δεκα	convict
11	εντεκα	Enzek
12	δωδεκα	zozeka
13	δεκατρεις, δεκατρια	zekatris, zekatriya
14	δεκατεσσερις, δεκατεσσερα	zekatesseris, zekatessera
15	δεκαπεντε	zecapende
16	δεκαεξτ (δεκαξτ)	zekaeksi
17	δεκαεφτα	zekaefta
18	δεκαοχτω	zekaohto
19	δεκαεννια	zekaenya
20	εικοστ	ikosi

Note that the numbers "three" and "four" will change depending on the noun behind them. If it is a masculine or feminine noun (for example, treίV άντρες - three men), then we use treίV. If the noun is neuter (for example, trίa βιβλία three books), then trίa should be used.

Time notation

Let's repeat the numbers we already know:

Ένα, δύο, τρία, τέσσερα, πέντε, έξι, εφτά, οκτώ, εννία, δέκα, ένδεκα, δώδεκα.

Στις 2 (η ‘ωρα) μετά το μεσημέρι - at two (hours) in the afternoon

Greek. Lesson 4: Rules for reading. Indefinite article

Reading Rules

stress

All Greek words, except monosyllabic ones, are always stressed! Sometimes, the meaning of the word depends on the stress. For example, the words "bank" and "table" sound the same and differ only in stress. Τράπεζα - Τραπέζα.

If the stress falls on a combination or digraph, then it is placed over the second letter: εύκολα is pronounced like [‘eucola]).

Articles

Today we continue a rather complicated topic - the article in Greek. Firstly, in our native language, Russian, there are no articles. Secondly, in Greek, the article not only stands before the word, but also changes along with it. Along with the ending, the article indicates the gender, number and case of the noun.

Articles are divided into definite and indefinite. The indefinite article is used when the subject is unknown and not defined “A dog ran down the street” - it is not known which dog is being discussed (one of the dogs) - therefore, we will use the indefinite article. The definite article is used when talking about an already defined subject. And, we will continue our story: "The dog stopped right in front of the door of our house." - We already know something about this dog, and it is he who is now in front of our door, which means, from the point of view of Greek grammar, the definite article should be used.

Indefinite article

The indefinite article does not have a plural. There are four cases in Greek: nominative, genitive, accusative and vocative (note that the article is not used in the vocative case). Let me remind you that the nominative case answers the question who ?, what ?; genitive - whom ?, what ?; accusative - whom?, what? Below is the change of articles by gender, number and case:

Indefinite article:

Appeal

Κύριε! - Mister!

Κυρία! - Madam!

Κυρίες και κύριοι! - Ladies and Gentlemen!

Αγαπητοί φίλοι! - Dear friends!

Νεαρέ! - Young man!

Δεσποινίς! - Young woman!

Αγόρι! - Boy!

Κορίτσι! - Girl!

And a few more useful phrases expressing agreement or denial.

Καλά - Good

Εντάξει - Okay

Είμαι σύμφωνος - I agree

Ευχαρίστως - With pleasure

Σωστά - Right

Βέβαια - Of course

Έχετε δίκαιο - You are right

Όχι - No

Δε συμφωνώ - I do not agree (-on)

Δε μπορώ - I can't

Δε μπορούμε - We cannot

Ευχαριστώ, δεν το θέλω - Thank you, I don't want to

Δεν είναι σωστό - This is wrong

Διαφωνώ - I object

Greek. Lesson 5: How the article changes

In terms of complexity, the grammar of the Greek language can be compared with Russian. You and I often hear that the Russian language is so difficult! It is difficult for foreigners to understand why some words in our country change like this, while others are completely different. There are rules, but there are exceptions to all rules. Written "sun", and pronounced "sun". "But why?" - ask the tortured students. "I don't know," we dismiss.

Now we are in a similar situation. Look at the rules below. And do not try to understand why so many difficulties have been invented, why everything is exactly like this .... Just learn it by heart.

The definite article changes in cases and numbers. Here is the summary table:

As regards the letter (ν) in accusative articles, the following rule applies:

The letter (ν) is placed if the word following the article begins with a vowel, or with a consonant that can be pronounced instantly (κ, π, τ, γκ, π, ντ, τζ, τσ) or with a consonant denoting a double sound (ξ ψ):

The letter (ν) is not put if the word following the article begins with a consonant that can be pronounced continuously (β, γ, δ ζ, θ, λ, ν, ρ, σ, φ, χ) , τη γραμματεία, ένα βράδυ, ένα σταφύλι.

I want - Θέλω (selo)

I have - Έχω (echo)

Please... Παρακαλώ... (paracalo)

Give... δώστε... (dost)

Wait... περιμένετε... (parimenete)

Show... δείξτε... (dikste)

Close (switch off)... κλείστε... (kliste)

Open (turn on)... ανοίξτε... (anixte)

Call... φωνάξτε... (fonakste)

Call (invite) καλέστε... (kaleste)

Repeat... επαναλάβετε... (epanalavete)

Call... τηλεφωνήστε... (tilephoniste)

Allow me... Επιτρέψτε μου... (epitrepste mu)

Log in... να μπω on bo

Exit... να βγω... to vgo

Pass... να περάσω... on peraso

Greek. Lesson 6: How verbs are conjugated

Today we are starting to study one of the most difficult sections of Greek grammar - the section "verbs". First, we will study the conjugation of verbs in the present tense - this is not difficult. A little cramming, daily repetition of what has been covered and in a month you will know the conjugation of the most commonly used verbs. I only select these for you. And in April we will start studying the times. This activity requires not only time, but also patience. When they began to explain to me all the rules for using (and most importantly, education!) Times, I decided that I would not be able to speak Greek in the next five years. Then everything gradually got used.

Let's start with an important verb - the verb "to have". In Russian we say “I have”, but in Greek we use one instead of three words: έχω

verb έχω (to have)

The basic form of verbs ends with the letter ω. Regular verbs fall into two broad categories: those in which the stress falls on the penultimate syllable, as in έχω ['echo] "I have" and θέλω [village] "I want", and those in which the stress falls on the last syllable, as in αγαπώ [agapo] "I love".

έχω [‘echo] I have

έχεις [‘ehis] you have

έχει [‘ehi] sheonono has

έχουμε [‘ehume] we have

έχετε [‘ehhete] you have

έχουν [‘ehun] they have

Note that you do not need to use pronouns. Not “I have”, but simply “I have”, “I have”. This is the nature of the Greek language. The ending of the verb indicates who is being spoken about. If ω, then "I have", if ουν, then "they have". Get used to it.

Language proficiency

Are you talking / are you saying…? Μιλάτε...

In Russian ρωσικά

Greek ελληνικά

I don't speak Greek. Δε μιλώ ελληνικά.

Do you understand me? Με καταλαβαίνετε;

I do not understand you Δε σας καταλαβαίνω

I understand a little, but I can't speak. Καταλαβαίνω λίγο, αλλά δεν μπορώ να μιλήσω

What language do you know? Τι γλώσσα μιλάτε;

I know Μιλάω

English αγγλικά

German γερμανικά

French γαλλικά

You speak well. Μιλάτε καλά

I don't have practice. Μου λείπει η πρακτική

I want to learn how to speak Greek. Θέλω να μάθω να μιλάω ελληνικά.

Repeat one more time. Πέστε το άλλη φορά.

A little slower. Λίγο πιο αργά.

What does this word mean? Τι σημαίνει αυτή η λέξη;

Greek. Lesson 7: Conjugation of the verb "to be"

Today we are learning to use the forms of the verb είμαι correctly. It can be used as a semantic verb meaning "to be" and a linking verb meaning "to be".

Verb conjugations:

I - (εγω) είμαι

You are (εσύ) είσαι

He - (αυτός) είναι

She (αυτή) είναι

We are (εμείς) είμαστε

You - (εσείς) είστε

They (m.r.) (αυτοί) είναι

Oni (female) (αυτές) είναι

Use:

Past tense:

This verb has only one form of the past tense - the imperfect, which is used when in Russian we say "was", "was", "was", "were".

Compare present and past tenses
The present	Past
Είμαι Είσαι Είναι Είμαστε Είσαστε/είστε Είναι	ήμουν ήσουν ήταν ήμαστε ήσαστε ήταν

Useful words

QUALITIES

1. Good - bad καλός - κακός

2. Beautiful - ugly όμορφος - άσχημος

3. Old - young γέρος - νέος

4. Old - new

παλιός – καινούργιος, νέος

5. Rich - poor πλούσιος - φτωχός

6. Familiar - unfamiliar

γνωστός - άγνωστος

7. Cheerful - boring

εύθυμος – ανιαρός, σκυθρωπός

8. Smart is stupid

έξυπνος – κουτός, ανόητος

9. Strong - weak δυνατός - αδύνατος

10. Big - small μεγάλος - μικρός

Greek. Lesson 8: Pronoun forms and verb conjugation

Today we will continue talking about pronouns. It is said that the most common word in almost any language is the word "I". But this is not the case for Greek. Greeks (and Cypriots, of course, too) practically do not use personal pronouns. They don't say "I see" "you see", just "I see" (βλέπω), "you see" (βλέπεις).

(εγώ) με me (εμείς) μας us

(εσύ) σεyou (εσείς) σας you

(αυτός) τον His (αυτοί) τους them

(αυτή) την Her (αυτές) τις their

Την ξέρω καλά. I know her well.

Σας παρακαλώ. I ask you.

Τον βλέπω. I see him.

Verbs

Note: Pronouns are in brackets because they are often omitted in colloquial speech.

Useful words

1) Long - short μακρύς - κοντός (σύντομος)

2) Wide - narrow πλατύς, φαρδύς - στενός

3) High - low ψηλός - χαμηλός -κοντός

4) Deep - shallow βαθύς - ρηχός

5) Expensive - cheap ακριβός - φτηνός

6) Fast - slow γρήγορος - αργός

7) Light - heavy ελαφρύς - βαρύς

8) Soft - hard μαλακός - σκληρός

9) Thick - thin χοντρός - λεπτός

10) Clean - dirty καθαρός - βρώμικος, λερωμένος

Greek. Lesson 9: Conjugation of verbs in the present tense

Let's repeat the conjugation of the verb γράφω (to write).

γράφω [grapho] I write

γράφεις [graph] you write

γράφει [graph] ononaono writes

γράφουμε [graphume] we write

γράφετε [graphet] you write

γράφουν [graphun] they write

In the previous lesson, we considered the category of verbs that have an accent on the penultimate syllable and are conjugated, like the verb γράφω. In this lesson we will look at the second category verbs, which have the stress on the last syllable and which are conjugated as the verb αγαπώ "I love".

Remember that in Greek, the present tense describes both current actions and repetitive actions, for example, "now I drink coffee" (continued), "every morning I drink coffee" (simple). Both of these actions in Greek express the present tense, i.e. πίνω καφέ τώρα, πίνω καφέ κάθε πρωί.

Verb αγαπώ (I love)

Unit number

αγαπώ [ayapo] I love

αγαπάς [ayapas] you love

αγαπά [ayapa] he she loves it

Plural

αγαπούμε [ayapume] we love

αγαπάτε [ayapate] you love

αγαπόυν [ayapun] they love

The verb ζητώ "I ask, I seek" is conjugated like the verb αγαπώ

Verb μπορώ (I can)

A number of verbs ending in ώ like αγαπώ have other endings when conjugated. One example is the verb μπορώ (boro) "I can".

Unit number

μπορώ [borough] I can

μπορείς [boris] you can

μπορεί [bori] ononaono can

Plural

μπορούμε [borume] we can

μπορείτε [fight] you can

μπορούν [harrow] they can

Παρακαλώ [paracalo] "I ask" is another verb conjugated as μπορώ. It can be used as an equivalent of "please" or "pleased to serve" in response to "thank you".

Greek. Lesson 10: Verbs of the second conjugation. Exceptions to the rules

Verbs of the second conjugation are divided into two subgroups, and are conjugated depending on which subgroup they belong to:

The way of changing the faces of the verbs of the second conjugation must be memorized along with the meaning of the verb itself. In Modern Greek dictionaries, after the verbs of the second conjugation of the first subgroup, the letter alpha (α) is usually in brackets, and after the verbs of the second subgroup, the letter epsilon (ε).

If there are two verbs in your sentence, then most likely they are connected by the particle να.

Please note that (unlike the Russian language) their forms are the same.

Θέλω να διαβάζω καλά βιβλία.

Ξέρω να γράφω ελληνικά.

I can write in Greek.

Ξέρουμε να γράφουμε.

We can write.

Ξέρουν να γράφουν.

They know how to write.

Verbs 1 conjugation

λέω - speak, τρώω - eat, eat, ακούω - listen, κλαίω - cry, πάω - go are conjugated as follows:

Λέω λέμε

Λες λέτε

Λέει λένε

In the last two lessons, we looked at the rules for conjugation of Greek verbs. Today you can add to your dictionary 20 new verbs.

Γράφω - to write

Συνεχίζω - continue

Δουλεύω - work

Επιστρέφω - to return

Αρχίζω - to begin

Τελειώνω - finish

Μένω - to live

Ακούω - hear, hear

Βλέπω - to see

Μιλώ - to speak

Περιμένω - to wait

Αγαπώ - to love

Απαντώ - to answer

Βοηθώ - to help

Δείχνω - to show

Εκτιμώ - appreciate, respect

Ελπίζω - to hope

Do not forget that the conjugation of a verb directly depends on its stress.

Greek. Lesson 11: How to determine the gender of a noun

You already know that Greek nouns can be masculine, feminine, or neuter. Although the gender of a noun can be determined by its ending, the article remains a more reliable means of determining gender, since many nouns do not follow the basic rules below.

You can guess the gender of a noun by its ending (the exception is a small number of words).

masculine endings

The most common masculine endings are –ος, -ης, -ας.

For example, ο δρόμος [o ‘dromos] - road, street, path; ο άντρας [o'antras] - a man; ο μαθητής [o masi‘tis] – student.

Feminine endings

Most often found: -η, -α.

For example, η νίκη [i‘niki] is a victory, η ζάχαρη [and ‘zachary]’ is sugar, η γυναίκα [i’in‘neka] is a woman, η ώρα [and ‘ora] is an hour.

Endings of the neuter gender The most common endings of the neuter gender are: - ο, -ι.

For example, το βουνό [that vu‘no] is a mountain, το ψωμί [that pso‘mi] is bread.

Greek. Lesson 12: Noun Declensions

The declension of nouns in Greek depends on what gender they are (recall that in Greek, as in Russian, there are three genders: masculine, feminine and neuter).

The type of declension of a noun to a large extent depends on the ending and stress.

When talking about masculine nouns ending in -ης, they most often cite as an example the declension of nouns ο φοιτητής (student) and ο εργάτης (worker).

Let's see how they bend:

ο φοιτητής (like all nouns in -ης ending in the last syllable) declines as follows:

Singular

Nominative case ο φοιτητής

Genitive του φοιτητή

Accusative το(ν) φοιτητή

Vocative - φοιτητή

Plural

Nominative case οι φοιτητές

Genitive των φοιτητών

Accusative τους φοιτητές

Vocative - φοιτητές

ο εργάτης - worker (and nouns with stress on the penultimate syllable)

Singular

Nominative case ο εργάτης

Genitive του εργάτη

Accusative τον εργάτη

Vocative - εργάτη

Plural

Nominative case οι εργάτες

Genitive των εργατών

Accusative τους εργάτες

Vocative - εργάτες

Please note that the endings in both cases are exactly the same.

Only in the conjugation of nouns with stress on the penultimate syllable in the genitive plural does the stress still fall on the last syllable.

And that's it! It's not difficult, is it?

New words and expressions:

Greek. Lesson 13: Genitive

Η γυναίκα – της γυναίκας

Το δέντρο – του δέντρου

το παιδί – του παιδιού

Genitive case of masculine singular nouns

The way the form of the genitive case is formed depends on the end of the word. That is why in the last lesson we considered in detail the declension of masculine nouns. I recommend memorizing the forms of the nouns given in the last lesson. You can use them as an example.

USEFUL WORDS

What is the weather today! Τί καιρός!

What a lovely day! Τί όμορφη ημέρα! ti omorphi imera

What terrible weather! Τί απαίσιος καιρός! ti apecios caros

How cold/hot it is today! Κάνει τόσο κρύο /τόση ζέστη σήμερα! kani toso cryo/toshi zesti simara

Today... Έχει... e'hi

sunny ήλιο orio

cloudy συννεφιά synefya

Greek. Lesson 14: Possessive Pronouns

It's a shame there's so little space left today! Next week I will try to devote more time and effort to the Greek lesson. Today I got carried away with an article about memory. By the way, check it out. There is something to think about.

Last week I explained to you the formation of the genitive case of nouns. And I planned to continue. But the topic is serious, and I decided to devote enough space to it next week. And today we will talk about possessive pronouns (Let's take a break from noun conjugation!).

my / my / my μου [mu]

our/our/our μας [wt]

yours / yours / yours σου [su]

your/your/your σας [sas]

his του [tu] her της [yew]

their τους [tus] (for masculine gender) τις [yew] (for feminine r.)

Note that in Greek possessive pronouns come after the word they define (which in this case is always used with an article):

my name is onomo mu

your name is onomo su

his name is onomo tu

her friend o philos tis

our aunt and fia mas

your aunt and fia sas

their house then sleep tus

Useful words and expressions

Talking on the phone

Hello, this is Maria. Εμπρός. Είμαι η Μαρία... embros ime and Maria

I would like to speak to...

Speak louder/slower, please. Μιλάτε πιο δυνατά / πιο αργά, παρακαλώ, milate pio dinata / pio arga paracalo

Repeat, please. Μπορείτε να το επαναλάβετε; borite nα to epanalavete

You have dialed the wrong number. Έχετε λάθος νούμερο. ehete lasos numero

Wait a minute. Μισό λεπτό, miso lepto

Wait please. Περιμένετε, παρακαλώ. parimenete paracalo

I'll call back. θα έρθω σε επαφή. sa erso se epafi

Greek. Lesson 15: How nouns change

Noun declension is perhaps one of the most extensive topics in Greek grammar. It’s even difficult for me to select material for you. And one is needed, and another. And as a result, so much new information is obtained that it is extremely difficult to digest it. Let's go in order.

The declension of a noun depends on its gender. Once we have decided on the gender (male, female or neuter), we need to think about the end. After all, it depends on him exactly how we will incline. And thirdly, you need to remember the exceptions to the rules. Suddenly, the word belongs to the list of exception words and conjugates according to its own rules. In the end, you come to the conclusion that you just need to memorize the words. And then, with practice, the use of words comes to automatism. And you no longer need to think about what form to use.

I will try to give as many examples today as possible. And if the rules are hard to learn, please learn whole phrases. It's practical. And useful.

Note that there are only four cases in Greek. Those. not everything coincides with the usual Russian grammar. For example, to convey the meaning of the dative case (to whom?, what?), the initial letter of the preposition σε is added to the article of the noun in the accusative case, for example, "Ο πατέρας λέει στο γιο του: Σίμερα δεν διαβάζεις καλά you are reading."

In the twelfth lesson, we considered the declension of masculine nouns ending in -ης. Today, let's remember how nouns with the endings ας and oς change.

Masculine nouns ending in -ας

Masculine nouns ending in -oς

Pay attention to the following features:

1) If the stress falls on the last syllable, then it remains in all cases on the last syllable;

2) If the stress falls on the penultimate syllable, then it remains in all cases on the penultimate syllable;

3) If the stress falls on the third syllable from the end, then it goes to the penultimate syllable in the genitive singular and plural and in the accusative plural.

Brother - ο αδελφός
Singular	Plural
I. p. ο αδελφός R. p. του αδελφού V. p. τον αδελφό Sound n. - αδελφέ	οι αδελφοί των αδελφών τους αδελφούς - αδελφοί
Builder - ο οικοδόμος
Singular	Plural
I. p. ο οικοδόμος R. p. του οικοδόμου V. p. τον οικοδόμο Sound n.- οικοδόμε	οι οικοδόμοι των οικοδόμων τους οικοδόμους - οικοδόμοι
Man - ο άνθρωπος
Singular	Plural
I. p. ο άνθρωπος R. p. του ανθρώπου V. p. τον άνθρωπο Sound n.- άνθρωπε	οι άνθρωποι των ανθρώπων τους ανθρώπους - άνθρωποι

Got it? Now about cases. I have already mentioned that there are four cases in Greek. When a sentence has a subject (who? what?), then this noun is always in the nominative case. Any other noun you see in the same sentence will be in the genitive or accusative. Less often in the vocative.
Here the vocative case presents some difficulty for us. Indeed, in Russian we do not memorize separately the form of addressing a person. When I was preparing the material for this lesson, I learned something new. For myself and maybe for you. Of course, there are philologists in our office, and my colleagues told me that the Old Russian language also had a vocative case. Remember Pushkin in "Golden Fish" - "What do you need, old man?". Here is the vocative case for you (compare the Greek “fillet”, “kumbare”).

Greek. Lesson 16: Feminine Nouns

Most feminine nouns in Greek end in -η and -α, e.g. εφημερίδα (newspaper) and many others.

Such nouns are declined as follows:
1) If the stress falls on the last syllable, then it does not change in all cases (η καρδιά - heart, η περιοχή - district, η προσευχή - prayer, η χαρά - joy):
Nominative case:
η καρδιά - οι καρδιές
Genitive:
της καρδιάς - των καρδιών
Accusative:
τη(ν) καρδιά - τις καρδιές
vocative case:
Καρδιά - καρδιές

2) If the stress does not fall on the last syllable (η χώρα - country, η λέσχη - club, η αγάπη - love, η θάλασσα - sea, η ημέρα - day, η γλώσσα - language), then in the genitive plural, the stress shifts to last syllable:
Nominative case:
η χώρα - οι χώρες
Genitive:
της χώρας - των χωρών (pay attention to the stress!)
Accusative:
την χώρα - τις χώρες
vocative case:
Χώρα - χώρες

Exceptions are some nouns ending in -α (such as η μητέρα - mother, η δασκάλα - teacher), which, despite not having an accent on the last syllable, do not change it in all cases:
It should also be noted that if a word ends in -ση, -ξη or -ψη (for example, η τάξη - order, η επιχείρηση - enterprise, η λάμψη - brilliance), then in the singular it will decline in the same way as words, ending in -η, and in the plural will have the following endings:
Nominative case:
η λάμψη - οι λάμψεις (!)
Genitive:
της λάμψης - των λάμψεων (!)
Accusative:
τη(ν) λάμψη - τις λάμψεις (!)
vocative case:
Λάμψη - λάμψεις (!)

The plural of Greek feminine nouns is formed by adding the ending -ες:

H γυναίκ-α H ώρ-α H δραχμ-ή Hαδερφ-ή

οι γυναίκ-ες οι ώρ-ες οι δραχμ-ές οι αδερφ-ές

When you address someone in Greek, you have to use the noun in the vocative case. Look at the vocative case of feminine nouns.
Vocative singular:
- Γειά σου, Φωτεινή! - Hello, Fotini (female name; Russian analogue - Sveta)!
Vocative plural:
- Κυρίες και κύριοι! - Ladies and Gentlemen!

Greek. Lesson 17: Noun Cases

In this lesson, we finish the topic of noun declension. It remains for us to deal with neuter nouns, which for the most part end in -ο, -ι, -α.

See how they change depending on the case.

Let's go back to the topic of plural nouns. Now we can compare the plural formation of masculine, feminine and neuter nouns.

Noun cases (plural)

The plural is formed as follows.

Feminine nouns end in -ες:
Η γυναίκ-α Η ώρ-α Η δραχμ-ή Η αδερφ-ή	οι γυναίκ-ες οι ώρ-ες οι δραχμ-ές οι αδερφ-ές
Neutral nouns end in -α:
Το παιδ-ί Το κρασ-ί Το δέντρ-ο Το βουν-ό	τα παδι-ά τα κρασι-ά τα δέντρ-α τα βουν-ά
Masculine nouns ending in -ης and -ας end in -ες, and those that end in --ος - ending οι.
Ο μαθητής Ο επιβάτης Ο ναύτης Ο άνδρας Ο πατέρας Ο άνθρωπος Ο ουρανός Ο δρόμος	οι μαθητές οι επιβάτες οι ναύτες οι άνδρες οι πατέρες οι άνθρωποι οι ουρανοί οι δρόμοι

Feminine and neuter nouns

Changes occur only with the definite article.

Masculine nouns

Note that the stress has been shifted from the first (from the end) to the second syllable. There are rules governing the transfer of stress, but we will not go into details now. Suffice it to say that this rarely happens in words of less than three syllables.

Useful words and expressions

Sights of Cyprus

Cyprus Museum [cypriako musio] Κυπριακό Μουσείο

Municipal theater [dimotyko teatro] Δημοττικό Θέατρο

Kykkos Monastery [monasteries tou kiku] Μοναστήρι του Κύκκου

Mahera Monastery [Monasteries tou Mahera] Μοναστήρι του Μαχαιρά

Church of St. Lazarus in Larnaca

Castle - fortress in Limassol

Municipal park with a zoo in Limassol

Δημόσιο πάρκο με ζωολογικό κήπο στη Λεμεσό

Castle in Kolossi [frurio tou kolosiou]

Rock "Petra tou Romiou" [Petra tou Romiou] Πέτρα του Ρωμιού

"Baths of Aphrodite" [ta lutra thousand aphrodites] Τα Λουτρά της Αφροδίτης

Greek. Lesson 18: Prepositions

Prepositions are function words, for example "in, to, for." In Greek, nouns after prepositions are usually in the accusative case. We will consider the prepositions σε, από, με, μαζί, χωρίς, και, παρά, μετά, πριν, για, μέχρι.

Σε - in, on
Indicates position:
Είστε στο καφενείο; Are you in a cafe? (often loses the ending -ε before the article, for example, στον κήπο, στην Αθήνα, στο δρόμο);
denotes movement towards something: Πηγαίνουμε στο θέατρο. We are going to the theatre.
In addition, this preposition is also used when reporting time and in this sense means "in". More often it loses the final letter and joins the article, for example, σε τις - στις or σε ένα - σ'ένα. For example, Έφτασα στις δύο. I arrived at two. Θα σε δω στις έξι. See you at six.

Από - from
denotes movement from somewhere: Ήρθα από την Κέρκυρα. - I came from Corfu.
This preposition is usually followed by a noun in the accusative case, for example, “from home” από το σπίτι.

Με - from, to
Ήμουν με την Αλίκη. I was with Alice. Πήγαμε με το λεωφορείο. We traveled by bus.

Μαζί με - with
Ήμαστε μαζί. We were together.
Ήμουν μαζί με την Αλίκη. I was with Alice.

Χωρίς - without
Είμαι χωρίς παπούτσια. I am without shoes.

Παρά - without
This preposition is used when telling time and means "without". Είναι δέκα παρά πέντε. It's now five to ten.
It can also mean "in spite of, in spite of." For example, Δε σε ευχαρίστησε παρά τη βοήθεια σου. He didn't thank you despite your help. Πέθανε παρά τις προσπάθειες των γιατρων. He died despite the doctor's efforts.

Μετά - after
is used in this sense if it is followed by a noun and a definite article. For example,
Μετά το θέατρο πήγαμε σε μια δισκοθήκη. After the theater we went to the disco.
Το καλοκαίρι είναι μετά την άνοιξη. Summer comes after spring.

Πριν - before
Θα φύγουμε πριν το μεσημέρη. We'll leave before noon.

Για - on
Ήρθε για δυο μέρες. He came for two days.
This preposition is usually followed by a word in the accusative case, for example, για σένα.

Μέχρι - until, until then
Σε περίμενα μέχρι της δέκα. I waited for you until ten.
Θα σε πάρω μέχρι το σπίτι σου. I will take you to your house.

Και - and
In addition to the meaning of "and", this word is used in the communication of time, meaning "after".

Greek. Lesson 19: Adjectives: Masculine Forms

We already know that Greek nouns can be masculine, feminine or neuter. And it is on the gender of the noun that its declension, the form of the article, depends.
Today we are talking about adjectives. And the form of the adjective also depends on the noun that the adjective defines. As, however, in Russian. "Red Ball", "Red Car", "Red Apple"...
Below is a list of the most common adjectives that will come in handy in almost any situation. Learn them.

1. Good - bad
καλός – κακός

2. Beautiful - ugly
όμορφος – άσχημος

3. Old - young
γέρος – νέος

4. Old - new
παλιός – καινούργιος, νέος

5. Rich - poor
πλούσιος - φτωχός

6. Familiar - unfamiliar
γνωστός – άγνωστος

7. Cheerful - boring
εύθυμος – ανιαρός

8. Smart is stupid
έξυπνος – κουτός, ανόητος

9. Strong - weak
δυνατός - αδύνατος

10. Big - small
μεγάλος – μικρός

We have given only the masculine form. Naturally, you will need all three forms of adjectives. In the next lesson, we will learn how to form the feminine and neuter form and agree on the adjective with the noun.

Greek. Lesson 20: Adjectives must change!

Last week we got acquainted with the form of masculine adjectives. And how to form a feminine form? It's easy if you know the basic rule.

Adjectives ending in -ος

Masculine adjectives ending in -ος correspond to feminine adjectives ending in -η or -α and neuter adjectives ending in -ο. For example, καλός (good) - καλή - καλό, ωραίος (beautiful) - ωραία - ωραίο

If there is a consonant before the end of the masculine adjective in -ος in the nominative case, then in the feminine such an adjective ends in -η, for example, γέρος (old) - γέρη.

If there is a vowel before the end of the masculine adjective in -ος in the nominative case, then in the feminine such an adjective ends in -α, for example, νέος (new) - νέα.

Adjectives that have the same endings as nouns are inflected according to the rules for declension of nouns. The only difference is that in adjectives, the stress always remains on the same syllable.

Good man
(Singular)

I. p. ο καλός άνθρωπος
R. p. του καλόυ ανθρώπου
V. p. τον καλό άνθρωπο
Sv.p.- καλέ άνθρωπε

Good people
(Plural)

I. p. οι καλοί άνθρωποι
R. p. των καλών ανθρώπων
V. p. τους καλούς ανθρώπους
Soundp - καλοί άνθρωποι

Let's learn 23 more adjectives. Most of them end in -ος, so you shouldn't have any problems with the formation of feminine and neuter. Try, for the sake of practice, to form the feminine and neuter forms from the masculine adjectives below.

1) Long - short
μακρύς – κοντός (σύντομος)

2) Wide - narrow
πλατύς, φαρδύς – στενός

3) High - low
ψηλός – χαμηλός -κοντός

4) Light - dark
βαθύς – ρηχός

5) Expensive - cheap
ακριβός – φτηνός

6) Fast - slow
γρήγορος – αργός

7) Light - heavy
ελαφρύς – βαρύς

8) Soft - hard
μαλακός – σκληρός

9) Thick - thin
χοντρός – λεπτός

10) Clean - dirty
καθαρός – βρώμικος, λερωμένος

Greek. Lesson 21: Building Greek Phrases

As promised, today we will begin to understand the construction of Greek phrases. The most important thing to learn is that the Greek language cannot be approached with our (Russian) standards. Let's start with the fact that the pronoun as a subject is almost never used. For example, "I write" in Greek is simply γράφω. The ending is already and indicates to us that it is in the first person. If you wanted to say "he writes", you would use a different form: γράφει. But you don't need to use a pronoun.

Now let's talk about pronouns in the indirect case. Την ξέρω καλά. - I know her well. Look, in Greek we said "I know her well." So it is necessary. Here are two more examples:

Σας παρακαλώ. I ask you.

Τον βλέπω. I see him.

We will continue to talk about sentences in the next lesson.

I often talk with our readers on a variety of topics. But, since my photo is usually seen on the page with lessons, they almost always recognize not the abstract head of the company, but the column leader. And then all the conversations come down to the topic of the lessons. Almost every second person I talk to regularly or irregularly, but looks through this page. And many ask to publish Greek phrases not in Greek, but in Russian letters. I am against such a mockery of the language. But I understand perfectly well those who missed our first lessons and cannot read. Or those who have no time to understand the intricacies of the rules of reading, but need to speak right now: today, tomorrow. And talk to the Cypriots. At least on the fingers.

I thought long and hard about which is more important. And I came to the conclusion that, along with explanations and grammatical and lexical comments, it is still necessary to publish simple colloquial phrases written in Russian letters. From next week we will start publishing a small Russian-Greek phrasebook. And to fit more, we will omit the phrases in Greek writing. You will see the Russian phrase and how it sounds in Greek. So, of course, it's easier. But I have a request to you: do not stop reading grammar comments. After all, our ultimate goal is not a mechanical, mindless repetition of phrases, but the ability to speak Greek. Don't forget about it!

Greek. Lesson 22: Learning how to build sentences

When we talk about the belonging of one object to another, we are forced to use the genitive case form. And at the same time, do not forget that in the Greek language, not only nouns, but also articles change according to cases.

For example, we want to say that the newspaper belongs to Elena:
η εφημερίδα της Ελένης - Elena's newspaper

Now let's make a little suggestion. In order for a phrase to become a sentence, you need to add a verb. Please note that in Russian the linking verb is rarely used. But in English and Greek, this verb is indispensable. Compare: Ειναι η εφημερίδα της Ελένης - This is Elena's newspaper. In the Russian sentence, we will not say “this is Elena's newspaper”. And in Greek, this is how a simple sentence is built. Get used to it.

Well, what if we want to say: “these are Elena's newspapers”? Then you need to change the noun, putting it in the plural. Don't forget that the article will also change!
Ειναι οι εφημερίδες της Ελένης - These are Elena's newspapers.

What if it's about a man? For example, "brother's wife".
Let's remember how masculine nouns ending in -ος change

Remembered? So we say: η γινεκα του αδελφού.

Here are some more examples:
το γράμμα της μητέρας - mother's letter
η στάση του λεωφορείου - bus stop

Now write down in your dictionary (I hope you have a special notebook for new words?) a few more phrases. In my opinion very useful.

Useful words

This year - fatos - Φέτος
Next year - epomeno chrono tone - Τον επόμενο χρόνο
Last year - that mberasmeno chrono - Toν περασμένο χρόνο
What is today's date? Are you imerominia ehume shimera? – Τι ημερομηνία έχουμε σήμερα;
What is today's date? – Poses tou minos ehume simera? – Πόσες του μηνός έχουμε σήμερα;
A day later - mata mya mayor - Μετά μια μέρα
On Friday - you are Mbaraskevi - Την Παρασκευή
On Saturday - that Savato - Το Σάββατο
Last Tuesday - you mberasmeni triti - Την περασμένη Τρίτη
Next Thursday - tyn ali epomeni pumpty - Την άλλη επόμενη Πέμπτη
On the next Saturday - that epomeno savato - Το επόμενο Σάββατο
What day? - Am I drinking the mayor? - Για ποια μέρα;
Friday - I'm you Mbaraskevi - Για την Παρασκευή
Since what time? - Apo pote? – Από πότε;
From Tuesday - apo you ndriti - Από την Τρίτη

Greek. Lesson 23: Answering the question: “Where are you from?”

Let's see how the question can be answered: Από πού είσαι (είστε); - Where are you from? It is pronounced "apopu ise (iste). Remember how the verb "to be" is conjugated? είσαι is singular, είστε is plural.
I'm from Russia. - Είμαι από την Ρωσία. [ime αpo tin rosiya]. An article must be used before a noun. The word "Russia" in the Greek language is feminine. In the nominative case it would be η Ρωσία, but in our case we use a different form of the article. Let's look at a few more examples: Είμαι από την Λευκορωσία. - I'm from Belarus. Είμαι από την Ουκρανία. – I am from Ukraine. Είμαι από την Αγγλία. - I am from England.
What if the country is middle class? Like Kazakhstan, for example? Then we will say: Είμαι από το Καζαχστάν. – I am from Kazakhstan.
Now for some useful words. Many of them can be used today. Feel free to speak Greek!

Useful words

Weather - kerosene - καιρός
Temperature - thermocrasia - θερμοκρασία
Degree - wattmos - βαθμός
Heat - zesty, capsa - ζέστη, κάψα
Cold - cryo - κρύο
Sun - ilios - ήλιος
Sunrise - Anatoli zisi tou iliou - ανατολή δύση του ήλιου
Star of a star - aster / o (pl. -a) - άστρ / ο (-α)
Moon, month - fe(n) gari, salini - φεγγάρι, σελήνη
Air – aeras –– αέρας
Wind - aeras, anemos - αέρας, άνεμος
Fog - omihli - ομίχλη
Rain - vrohi - βροχή
Snow - hyoni - χιόνι
Today... the weather is o keros simera ine - Ο καιρός σήμερα είναι ...
good - kalos - καλός
bad - aschimos (cacos) - άσχημος (κακός)
Today - Simera Kani - Σήμερα κάνει ...
Hot - zesty - ζέστη
Cold - cryo - κρύο
It's raining - vrehi - βρέχει
Today + 25 heat - simera ehi 25 (koshi pende) - Σήμερα έχει 25 βαθμούς
Today + 25 heat - wattmus pano apo to misen - πάνο από το μηδέν
Tomorrow will be ... - avrio sa hume - αύριο θά'χουμε ...
Good weather - kalo kero (kalokeria) - καλό καιρό (καλοκαιρία)
Bad weather - aschimo kero (kakokeria) - άσχημο καιρό (κακοκερία)
All day yesterday... – htes oli tin imera... – χτες όλη την ημέρα ...
- it was raining - evrehe - έβρεχε
– it was hot – ekane zesty – έκανε ζέστη

Greek. Lesson 24: Suggestions

Let's take a look at this sentence: We come here every year.
Ερχόμαστε εδώ κάθε χρόνο. [erchomaste ezo kase chrono] Ερχόμαστε means "we are coming". After all, you remember that you don’t need to use a pronoun? The word εδώ means "here", "here" and will not change: this is an adverb. κάθε χρόνο - every year. Pay attention to the form of the noun. In the nominative case it will be χρόνος. But in this case, the noun is not the subject. So, we use it in the required form. Using this scheme, you can make dozens of useful phrases. For example, "I am here every evening (κάθε βράδι)", "We work every day (κάθε μέρα)" and so on. The main thing is to use the verb correctly.

Useful words

I/We are here for the first time. - Είναι η πρώτη μου /μας επίσκεψη. - [ine and proti mu / mas episkepsi]
I like it here - Μου αρέσει... εδώ. – [mu oresi... ezo]
I like to travel. - Μου αρέσι να ταξιδεύω - [mu oresi in taxizevo]
This is... – Είναι... – ine
- beautiful - όμορφο - [omorpho]
- boring - βαρετό - [wareto]
- interesting - ενδιαφέρον - [endyaferon]
- romantic - ρομαντικό - [romandico]
- terrible - φοβερό - [fovero]
- bad - άσχημο - [ashhimo]
I like it. - Μου αρέσει - [mu aresi]
I do not like it. - Δεν μου αρέσει - [den mu areshi]

Greek. Lesson 25: Examples

We continue to learn from examples. And, as I promised, today we will consider more complex proposals.

1. Χθες μιλούσα στο φίλο μου. - I was talking to my friend yesterday.

In this case, we use the past tense form. And do not forget that the word "my" is always placed after the noun.

2.Τον ρώτησα να μου τηλεφωνήσει σήμερα γιατί θα πάμε στην Αγγλία σύντομα και πρέπει να κάνα – I asked him to call me today because we are going to England and we need to make a plan.

The word σχέδια means both a plan, a schedule, and a scheme of actions. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that we put the pronouns τον and μου before the verb. He asked me to call - that's how we speak Greek. The particle να is needed in order to connect two verbs: ρώτησα and τηλεφωνήσει. Without a particle, you cannot use two verbs in one sentence. θα πάμε is the form of the future tense. Remember? We substitute θα for the present tense of a verb of any group and get the simple future tense. Look, in the phrase πρέπει να κάνουμε the second verb is conjugated. We need to make a plan. - Πρέπει να κάνουμε σχέδια. You need to make a plan. - Πρέπει να κάνετε σχέδια. They need to make a plan. - Πρέπει να κάνουν σχέδια.

Greek. Lesson 26: Suggestions

(continued) Considering the sentence that we are analyzing today, you need to pay attention to the agreement of the members of the sentence and the use of tenses in Greek.
- Την περασμένη εβδομάδα η γυναίκα μου και εγώ οδηγούσαμε από την Πάφο στη Λεμεσό για ένα ραντεβού όταν είδαμε πολλά κρεμμύδια στον δρόμο. Είχαν πέσει από ένα φορτηγό που σταμάτησε στην άκρη του δρόμου.

Last week my wife and I drove from Paphos to Limassol for a meeting and saw a lot of bulbs scattered along the highway. They fell out of a truck that had stopped on the side of the road.

Την περασμένη εβδομάδα η - last week. If we want to say "last Tuesday", then we use the same word περασμένη: Την περασμένη Τρίτη [tim berazmeni trity]. Do you know the word "next"? Επόμενη. So, "next Thursday" will be Την άλλη επόμενη Πέμπτη [tyn ali epomeni pumpty].

In Greek (as well as in English, by the way) you need to say "my wife and I" instead of the Russian construction "my wife and I." And "I" is usually put in last place. An article is required before city names. After all, these words change according to the general rules of declension of nouns. Most cities are feminine: από την Πάφο στη Λεμεσό - from Paphos to Limassol.

πολλά κρεμμύδια - look, the adjective must be consistent with the noun. In this case, they are neuter and are in the plural.

Στην άκρη του δρόμου - on the edge (on the side) of the road. Στην and not στη because the noun begins with a vowel. Don't forget that the word "road" must also change. On the edge of what? - roads.

Greek. Lesson 27: Communication. Greetings.

When meeting, Cypriots usually communicate as follows:
Γειά σού! [I su] Τι κάνεις; [Ti canis]
Γειά σας! [I sas] Τι κάνετε; [Chi kanete]
Hello! (Hello!) How are you? (How are you doing?)
Καλά. [kala] Εσύ; [esi]
Καλά. [kala] Εσείς; [esis]
Good. And you? (Good and you?)
And to the question "How are you?" a detailed answer is usually not expected.
Acquaintances usually kiss twice on the cheeks when they meet, especially if they haven't seen each other for a long time.
The expression "Γειά σου" is also used as a farewell.
Note that in Greek, a semicolon (;) is used instead of a question mark (?).

We continue to analyze the use of correct grammatical forms.
If there are two verbs in the sentence, then the particle ‘να’ usually stands between us. For example, "I want to write books" - θέλω να γράφω τα βιβλία. But, note that both verbs change. "We want to write books" - θέλουμε να γράφουμε τα βιβλία.

Examples:
May I come in...
Επιτρέψτε μου να βγω... (epitrepste mu in vgo)
Allow me to pass...
Επιτρέψτε μου να περάσω.. (epitrepste mu in peraso)
I understand a little, but I can't speak. Καταλαβαίνω λίγο, αλλά δεν μπορώ να μιλήσω (catalaveno ligo alla zen boro on miliso)
I want to learn how to speak Greek. Θέλω να μάθω να μιλάω ελληνικά. (selo to maso to milao ellenica)

Greek. Lesson 28: Questions

Repetition

Interrogative sentences in Greek are formed by increasing intonation. Please note that according to the rules of Greek punctuation, a semicolon is used instead of a question mark: Που πηγαίνετε; Where are you going?
Where is it? Πού είναι; [pu ine]
Where are you going (going)? Πού πηγαίνετε; [pu pienete]
in Greece/to Greece στην Ελλάδα [stin Hellas]
to Cyprus στην Κυπρο [stin cypro]
from Russia από την Ρωσία [apotin rosiya]

Questions and answers:

Where? Where? Πού [pu]
here (here) εδώ (ως εδώ) [ezo] (os ezo’)
there (there) εκεί (ως εκεί) [eki] (os eki)
next to the bank κοντά στην τράπεζα [konda stin meal]
left/right στα αριστερά/δεξιά [sta aristera/daksya]
within μέσα [mesa]
opposite απέναντι [apenandi]
at the hotel (to the hotel)

When? Πότε; [sweat]
today σήμερα [simera]
tomorrow αύριο [avrio]
yesterday χτές [khtes]
now τώρα [torah]
then Μετά [meta]
soon σύντομα [sindoma]
then τότε [tote]
always πάντα [panda]
never ποτέ [pote]
often συχνά [sihna]
sometimes μερικές φορές [merikes fores]
after lunch μετά to μεσημεριανό [meta to mesimeriano]
at seven o'clock στις εφτά [stis efta]
ten minutes ago πριν από δέκα λεπτά
daily καθημερινά [kacimarina]
every week κάθε εβδομάδα [kase evdomaz]
within two hours για δύο ώρες [ya zio ores]
in 20 minutes σε είκοσι λεπτά [se ikosi lepta]

why? Γιατί; [yati]
because Γιατί [yati]

as Πως; [pos]
so έτσι [etsy]
good καλά [kala]
bad άσχημα [ashima]
loudly δυνατά [zinata]
quiet σιγά [whitefish]
quickly γρήγορα [grigora]
slowly αργά [arga]

Continuation

Today you will learn how to correctly explain the road and how to find out where the place you need is.
Είναι... This is...
ευθεία straight
στα αριστερά to the left
στα δεξιά to the right
από την άλλη μεριά του δρόμου
on the other side of the street
στη γωνία at the corner
στη γωνία λίγο πιο κάτω around the corner
απέναντι .../πίσω .. opposite/behind...
δίπλα στο /στη /μετά next to / after
Πάρτε... Walk along...
Περάστε... Pass (cross)...
την πλατεία area
Στρίψτε αριστερά ... Turn left...
μετά τα πρώτα φώτα after the first traffic light
By car
Είναι... από εδώ. It's to... from here.
Πάρτε το δρόμο για ... Take the road to...
Είστε σε λάθος δρόμο. You are on the wrong road.
Πρέπει να πάτε πίσω στο ... You will have to return to...
It is far? Πόσο απέχει;
Είναι... This is...
Κοντά /όχι πολύ μακριά/ close/not very far/
far away
δέκα λεπτά με το αυτοκίνητο 10 minutes by car

Greek. Lesson 29: Continuing the topic "Questions"

Repetition

Continuing the theme "Questions".

We answer the question "when?"
then τότε [tote]
always πάντα [panda]
never ποτέ [pote]
often συχνά [sihna]
sometimes μερικές φορές [merikes fores]
after lunch μετά to μεσημεριανό [meta to mesimeriano]
at seven o'clock στις εφτά [stis efta]
ten minutes ago πριν από δέκα λεπτά
daily καθημερινά [kacimarina]
every week κάθε εβδομάδα [kase evdomaz]
within two hours για δύο ώρες [ya zio ores]
in 20 minutes σε είκοσι λεπτά [se ikosi lepta]

why? Γιατί; [yati]
because Γιατί [yati]

as Πως; [pos]
so έτσι [etsy]
good καλά [kala]
bad άσχημα [ashima]
loudly δυνατά [zinata]
quiet σιγά [whitefish]
quickly γρήγορα [grigora]
slowly αργά [arga]

What's this?
We have to ask such a question often enough.Τι είναι; = What is this?
Είναι is a form of the verb "to be". If we translated literally, it would turn out "what is there?" If we add the word "this" (Αυτό), then we get the translation of our question: Τι είναι αυτό;
We answer: Είναι ρολόι. = This is a clock.
And if the word "this" is put in the first place in the sentence, the meaning will change a little.
Αυτό, τι είναι; = And what is this? = And this is a clock.
By the way, do you know that if a word starts with a vowel, then the word και will turn into κι? For example, Κι εγώ ευχαριστώ. = And I thank you.
Finally, here are a few examples:
Αυτό είναι κλειδί. = This is the key
Αυτό είναι κλειδί και (κι) εκείνο είναι ρολόι. = This is the key, but this is the clock.
Τι είναι; - Είναι βάζο. = What is this? - This is a vase

Continuation

Today we are learning words related to the topic "city".
αεροδρόμιο - aerodrome - airport
αστυνομικό τμήμα - astinomiko tmima - police station
διαδρομή λεωφορείων - diazromi leophorion - bus route
εκκλησία - eklisia - church
θέατρο - teatro - theater
πάρκο - parko - park
στάση λεωφορείων - stasi leophorion - bus stop
ταχυδρομείο - tachidromyo - mail

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Impressions Εντυπώσειο
This is... Είναι... ine
delightfully καταπληκτικό cataplictico
beautifully όμορφο omorpho
interesting ενδιαφέρον endyaferon
I like it. Μου αρέσει, muaresi
I do not like. Δεν μου αρέσει, den mu areshi

Greek. Lesson 30: Negative sentences

Repetition

Last week we asked the question "what is it?" and learned to answer "this ..". And today we will build negative sentences.
Είναι βιβλίο. - This is a book.
Δεν είναι βιβλίο. - It's not a book.
Δεν είναι μολύβι, είναι κλειδί. It's not a pencil, it's a key.
Δεν είναι ρολόι, είναι κουτί. This is not a watch, this is a box.
Εκείνο είναι τραπέζι, δεν είναι ερμάρι. This is a table, this is not a closet.
Αυτό δεν είναι περιοδικό, είναι βιβλίο. This is not a magazine, this is a book.
Clear?

Continuation

This week we're talking about entertainment. Pay attention to the phrase θα ήθελα - I would like to. This is the form of the verb θέλω - to want. When using θα ήθελα, you are speaking in the subjunctive mood. By the way, in the phrasebook, the word “entertainment” is translated as Έξοδος – exit. Well, "go out to the people"?

Entertainment - Έξοδος
What are your plans for...? Ποια είναι τα σχέδια σου (σας) για ...; Pya ine ta skhezya su (sas) ya
...today σήμερα simera
... evening απόψε apopse
... tomorrow αύριο avrio
Are you free tonight? Είστε ελεύθερος /-η απόψε; iste zlefseros/-i apopse
Where would you like to (would you like) to go? Πού θα ήθελες (θα θέλατε) να πάμε; pu sa iseles (sa selate] na pame
I would like to go to... θα ήθελα να πάω ... сα isela na πаο
I would like to see... θα ήθελα να δώ ... sa isela na zo
Do you like...? Σου αρέσει...; su areshi

Greek. Lesson 31: Question and negative. Time designation.

Repetition

Question and denial. Time designation.

To say "no" we use the word όχι. Cypriots sometimes say "oh" - this is a truncated version, equivalent to our "not", which in colloquial speech replaces the usual word "no". Look carefully at the Cypriot saying "oh". He nods his head. It just nods upwards. We make a similar gesture, asking "what?". And in Cyprus, such a gesture means "no." Sometimes your interlocutor does without words. Get it right.
To turn a declarative sentence into an interrogative one, simply raise your voice at the end of the sentence. Don't forget that instead of the traditional question mark, there will be a semicolon at the end of the sentence.
Examples of interrogative and negative sentences:
What's this? Τι είναι αυτό;
This is a pencil. Είναι μολύβι
Is this a magazine? - Είναι περιοδικό εκείνο;
No. This is not a magazine, this is a book. - Όχι, δεν είναι. Δεν είναι περιοδικό, είναι βιβλίο.
The words αυτό and εκείνο can be at the beginning, at the end or in the middle of a sentence. Unlike English, where word order is clearly defined, Greek (like Russian!) allows you to freely rearrange words in a sentence.

And now let's repeat the numbers that we already know, and learn how to say what time it is.
Ένα, δύο, τρία, τέσσερα, πέντε, έξι, εφτά, οκτώ, εννιά, δέκα, ένδεκα, δώδεκα.
Είναι πέντε τώρα. - It's five o'clock.
In addition, to indicate time, you will need the preposition σε (σ’) and one of the forms of the feminine article = στις.
Στις 6 (η ώρα) το πρωί - at 6 (o'clock) in the morning
Στις 2 (η ώρα) μετά το μεσημέρι - at two (hours) in the afternoon
Στις 7 (η ώρα) το βράδυ - at 7 (hours) in the evening

Continuation

Talking on the phone

Hello, this is... – Εμπρός. Είμαι ο/η ... – embros. ime o/i
I would like to speak to... – θα ήθελα να μίλησα με τον /την... – sa isela na miliso me ton/tin
Speak... – Μιλάτε... – milate
louder - πιο δυνατά - pyo dinata
slow down, please - πιο αργά, παρακαλώ - pyo arga paracalo
Repeat, please. – Μπορείτε να then επαναλάβετε; – borite na that epanalavete
Sorry, he/she is not here. - Λυπάμαι, αλλά δεν είναι εδώ. – lipame ala den ine eso
You have dialed the wrong number. - Έχετε λάθος νούμερο. – ehete lasos numero
Wait a minute. - Μισό λεπτό. – miso lepto
Wait please. - Περιμένετε, παρακαλώ. – parimenete paracalo
When will he/she be? – Πότε θα επιστρέψει; – pote sa epistrapsi
Could you tell him/her that I called? – Μπορείτε να του /της πείτε ότι πήρα τηλέφωνο; – borite na tu/yew – pite oti pira tilefono
My name is... - Λέγομαι... - legome
Ask him/her to call me. – Μπορείτε να τον /την ζητήσετε να με πάρει τηλέφωνο; -
borite no tone/tin zitisete na me pari tilefono
Can I leave a note? - Μπορώ να αφήσω ένα μήνυμα, παρακαλώ; – boro na afiso ena minima parakalo

Greek. Lesson 32: Rules for reading letter combinations and an invitation

Repetition
Rules for reading letter combinations
The combination αυ is pronounced as [av] before vowels and voiced consonants (αυγό), and as [af] before voiceless consonants (αυτοκίνητο).
The combination ευ is pronounced as [ev] before vowels and voiced consonants (ευγένεια), and as [eff] before voiceless consonants (ευτυχία).
The combination τσ conveys the Russian [ts] (τσάϊ).
The combination τζ conveys the Russian [dz] (τζάκι).
The combination μπ at the beginning of a word is pronounced like Russian [b] (μπύρα), in the middle of a word - like Russian [mb] (εμπρός).
The combination ντ at the beginning of a word is pronounced like Russian [d] (ντάμα), in the middle of a word - like Russian [nd] (άντρας).

Continuation

Invitation

Won't you dine (Won't you dine) with us at...?
θέλεις (θέλετε) να έρθεις (έρθετε) για βράδυνα στις ...; [se'lis (selete) na ersis (zrsete) ya vradina stis]
I would like to invite you (you) to dinner.
θα ήθελα να σε (σας) καλέσω για μεσημεριανό. [sa isela na se (sas) caleso ya mesimaryano]
Maybe we can have a drink tonight?
Μπορείς να έρθεις (μπορείτε να έρθετε) για ένα ποτό απόψε;
(Boris na ersis (borite na erset) ya ena poto apopse]
We're having a party. Can you join?
Κάνουμε ένα πάρτι. Μπορείς να έρθεις; [kanume ena parti. Boris on Ersis]
May I join you?
Να έρθουμε μαζί σας; [on ersume mazi sas]
Would you like (want) to join?
θέλεις να έρθεις (θέλετε να έρθετε) μαζί μας; [selis on ersis (selete on ersete) ointment mas]

Greek. Lesson 33: Articles and Stores

Repetition

Article

The article helps us identify what kind of word it is. In Greek (as in Russian), nouns can be masculine, feminine, or neuter. Along with the ending, the article indicates the gender, number and case of the noun.
Articles are divided into definite and indefinite. The indefinite article is used when the subject is unknown and not defined "A dog ran down the street" - it is not known which dog is being discussed (one of the dogs) - therefore, we will use the indefinite article. The definite article is used when talking about an already defined subject. And, we will continue our story: "The dog stopped right in front of the door of our house." - We already know something about this dog, and it is he who is now in front of our door, which means, from the point of view of Greek grammar, the definite article should be used.

Indefinite article(singular)
Masculine - ένας, feminine - μία, neuter - ένα
For example, ένας φοιτητής (student), μία αδερφή (sister), ένα μπαλκόνι (balcony).

Definite article(singular)
The article is masculine - ο, feminine - η, middle - το.
For example, ο φοιτητής, η αδερφή, το μπαλκόνι.

Continuation

Shops

Where...? - Πού είναι...; [pu ine]
Where is the nearest...? Πού είναι το κοντινότερο ...; [pu ine to condinotero]
Where is the good...? Πού υπάρχει ένα καλό...; [pu iparhi ena kalo]
It is far from here? Είναι μακριά από εδώ; [ine makria apo ezo]
How to get there? Πώς να πάω εκεί; [pos na pao eki]
antique shop
bakery to αρτοποιείο [to orthopio]
bank η τράπεζα [and meal]
barbershop to κουρείο [to curio]
bookstore τо βιβλιοπωλείο [to vivliopolio]
butcher shop τо κρεοπωλείο [to creopolio]
clothing store
pharmacy
flower shop τо ανθοπωλείο [to ansopolio]
jewelry store το κοσμηματοπωλείο [to kosmimatopolio]
kiosk το περίπτερο [to pariptero]
market η αγορά [and agora]

Greek. Lesson 34: Demonstratives and Services

Repetition

Demonstrative pronouns

The gender of a noun can also be determined by its ending. You already know that Greek nouns can be masculine, feminine, or neuter.

Masculine Endings The most common masculine endings are –ος, -ης, -ας. For example, ο δρόμος [o ‘dromos] - road, street, path; ο άντρας [o'andras] - a man; ο μαθητής [o masi‘tis] – student.

Feminine endings Most common: -η, -α. For example, η νίκη [i‘niki] is a victory, η ζάχαρη [and ‘zachary]’ is sugar, η γυναίκα [i’in‘neka] is a woman, η ώρα [and ‘ora] is an hour.

Endings of the neuter gender The most common endings of the neuter gender are: - ο, -ι. For example, το βουνό [that vu‘no] is a mountain, το ψωμί [that pso‘mi] is bread.

But the article (see last lesson) is a more reliable means of determining gender, since several nouns do not follow the above basic rules.

Continuation

Services Υπηρεσίες

clinic – η κλινική – [and clinics]
dentist - o οδοντίατρος - [o odondiyatros]
doctor - o γιατρός - [o yatros]
dry cleaning - το καθαριστήριο - [that kaforistirio]
hospital - that νοσοκομείο - [that nosocomio]
library - η βιβλιοθήκη - [and vivliociki]
optics - o οπτικός - [o opticos]
police station - then αστυνομικό τμήμα - [to astinomiko tmima]
mail - το ταχυδρομείο - [that takhizromio]
travel agency

Greek. Lesson 35: Noun Endings and Service

Repetition

Noun endings

The genitive case is used primarily to express possession, belonging.
For example, το αυτοκίνητο του Γιώργου is George's car.
It is very easy to explain the formation of the genitive case, so in today's lesson everything will be clear the first time. So…
Genitive case of feminine nouns singular
A noun is simply added - ς at the end of a word
Η γυναίκα – της γυναίκας
η εφημερίδα της Ελένης - Elena's newspaper
το γράμμα της μητέρας - mother's letter
Genitive case of neuter singular nouns
The ending is -ου. So if a word ends in -ο, we just add -υ.
Το δέντρο – του δέντρου
If the word ends in -ι, like το παιδί, we add -ου.
το παιδί – του παιδιού
η στάση του λεωφορείου - bus stop

Continuation

Service Εξυπηρέτηση

Can you help me? – Μπορείτε να με βοηθήσετε; - [borite na me voisisete]
I'm looking for... - Ψάχνω για... - [psahno ya]
I'm just watching. - Απλώς κοιτάω - [aplos kitao]
Now it's my turn. - Είναι η σειρά μου - [ine to siramu]
You have...? – Έχετε καθόλου ...; - [ehete kafolu]
I would like to buy... – θα ήθελα να αγοράσω... –
Could you show me...? – Μπορείτε να μου δείξετε ...; – [borite on mu ziksete]
How much does this/that cost? – Πόσο κάνει αυτό /εκείνο; - [poso kani αftό / ekino]
Nothing more, thank you. - Τίποτε άλλο. Ευχαριστώ. - [tipote alo efharisto]

Greek. Lesson 36: Let's talk about verbs and Choice

Repetition

Let's talk about verbs

Today we are starting to study one of the most difficult sections of Greek grammar - the section "verbs". First, we will study the conjugation of verbs in the present tense - this is not difficult. A little cramming, daily repetition of what has been covered and in a month you will know the conjugation of the most commonly used verbs. I only select these for you. A little later, we will begin to study the times. Let's start with an important verb - the verb "to have". In Russian we say “I have”, but in Greek we use one instead of three words: έχω.
verb έχω (to have)
The basic form of verbs ends with the letter ω. Regular verbs fall into two broad categories: those in which the stress falls on the penultimate syllable, as in έχω ['echo] "I have" and θέλω [village] "I want", and those in which the stress falls on the last syllable, as in αγαπώ [agapo] "I love".
The verb έχω is typical of the first category. In the present tense and active voice, it is conjugated like this:
έχω - [‘echo] - I have
έχεις - [‘ehis] - you have
έχει - [‘ehi] - sheonono has
έχουμε - [‘ekhume] - we have
έχετε - [‘ehhete] - you have
έχουν - [‘ehun] - they have
Note that you do not need to use pronouns. Not "I have", but simply "I have", "I have". This is the nature of the Greek language. The ending of the verb indicates who is being spoken about. If ω, then "I have", if ουν, then "they have".

Continuation

Choice of Προτίμηση

I want something... – θέλω κάτι... – selo kati
It must be ... - Πρέπει να είναι ... - pre'pi on ine
large/small – μεγάλο/μικρό – megalo/micro
cheap / expensive - φτηνό / ακριβό - ftino / akrivo
light/heavy – ελαφρύ /βαρύ – elafri/vari
dark/light
oval/round/square – οβάλ/στρογγυλό /τετράγωνο – oval/strongilo/tetragono
I wouldn't want anything too expensive

Greek. Lesson 37: The Verb “to Be” and Choice

Repetition
In the last lesson we talked about the verb "to have", today we are learning to use the forms of the verb είμαι correctly. It can be used as a semantic verb meaning "to be" and a linking verb meaning "to be".
Ο φίλος μου είναι Έλληνας - My friend is Greek.
Verb conjugations:
I - (εγω) είμαι
You are (εσύ) είσαι
He - (αυτός) είναι
She (αυτή) είναι
We are (εμείς) είμαστε
You - (εσείς) είστε
They (m.r.) (αυτοί) είναι
Oni (female) (αυτές) είναι

Use:
Είμαι απο τη Ρωσία. - I'm from Russia.
Είμαστε απο την Κύπρο. We are from Cyprus.
This verb has only one form of the past tense - the imperfect, which is used when in Russian we say "was", "was", "was", "were".
Compare the present and past tenses.
Είμαι ήμουν
Είσαι ήσουν
Είναι ήταν
Είμαστε ήμαστε
Είσαστε/είστε ήσαστε
Είναι ήταν

New words and expressions (feel free to use them more often!)

I want - Θέλω (selo)
I have - Έχω (echo)
I don't understand you - Δε σας καταλαβαίνω (de sas catalaveno)
I don't speak Greek - Δε μιλώ ελληνικά (de milo elinika)
I am learning Greek - Μαθαίνω ελληνικά (maseno elinika)
Please... – Παρακαλώ... (paracalo)
Give... – δώστε... (dost)
Wait... – περιμένετε... (parimenete)
Show... – δείξτε... (dikste)
Close (switch off)... – κλείστε... (kliste)
Open (turn on)... - ανοίξτε... (anixte)
Call... - φωνάξτε... (fonakste)
Call (invite) - καλέστε... (kaleste)
Repeat... – επαναλάβετε... (epanalavete)
Call... – τηλεφωνήστε... (tilephoniste)
Allow me .. - Επιτρέψτε μου ... (epitrepstemu)
To come in.. -. να μπω (on bo)
Exit... – να βγω... (on vgo)
Pass... – να περάσω... (in peraso)

Continuation

Choosing Προτίμηση (beginning in the last lesson)

What (Which) ... Do you want? – Τί... θα θέλατε; χρώμα /σχήμα colors/shapes
ποιότητα /ποσότητα of quality/quantity
What type do you want? – Τί είδος θα θέλατε;
What amount do you have? – Περίπου σε τι τιμή σκεφτόσαστε;
Do you have anything...? – Έχετε κάτι...; ehete kati
more - μεγαλύτερο megalitero
best quality - καλύτερης ποιότητας kalitheris piotitas
cheaper - φτηνότερο fsinotero
less - μικρότερο microtero
Will you show me this/that...? – Μπορείτε να μου δείξετε εκείνο/αυτό...; borite no mu dixete ekino/afto
these / those - αυτά / εκείνα aphta / ekin
what is in the window - αυτό στη βιτρίνα
others - μερικά άλλα of the Merik ala

Greek. Lesson 38: Pronouns

It is said that the most common word in almost any language is the word "I". But this is not the case for Greek. Greeks (and Cypriots, of course, too) practically do not use personal pronouns. They don't say "I see" "you see", just "I see" (βλέπω), "you see" (βλέπεις).
You can guess who you are talking about by the form of the verb and the meaning of the sentence.

I did write the forms of personal pronouns for you. In parentheses, what corresponds to our I, you. He she…. And next to it is written what is more useful to you - forms of the accusative case. You will have to use these pronouns quite often.

Monosyllabic personal pronouns have the following accusative forms:

(εγώ) - με - Me (εμείς) - μας - us
(εσύ) - σε - You (εσείς) - σας - you
(αυτός) - τον - His (αυτοί) - τους - their
(αυτή) - την - Her (αυτές) - τις - their

Monosyllabic personal pronouns in a sentence are placed directly before the verb, for example:
Την ξέρω καλά. “I know her well.
Σας παρακαλώ - I beg you.
Τον βλέπω. - I see him.

Greek. Lesson 39: Verbs of the first conjugation

In Greek, as in Russian, verbs change according to persons, tenses, voices and moods. Verbs can be divided into two large groups:

1) Verbs of I conjugation. They have an accent on the penultimate syllable: μαθαίνω, διαβάζω

2) Verbs of II conjugation. They have an accent on the last syllable: αγαπώ, μπορώ

Verbs of the first conjugation change according to persons in the present tense as follows:
1 person
(Εγώ) γράφω - I write (Εμείς) γράφουμε - we write
2 person
(Εσύ) γράφεις - you write (Εσείς) γράφετε - you write
3 person
(Αυτός/αυτή) γράφει - he/she writes (Αυτοί/αυτές) γράφουν - they write
Note: Pronouns are in parentheses because they are omitted in colloquial speech.

Greek. Lesson 40: Verbs of the second conjugation

In the last lesson, we learned the conjugation of the verb γράφω (to write). Let's repeat.
γράφω - [grapho] - I write
γράφεις - [graphics] - you write
γράφει - [graphics] - ononaono writes
γράφουμε - [graphume] - we write
γράφετε - [graphete] - you write
γράφουν - [graphun] - they write

In the previous lesson, we considered the category of verbs that have an accent on the penultimate syllable and are conjugated like the verb γράφω. In this lesson we will look at the second category verbs, which have the stress on the last syllable and which are conjugated as the verb αγαπώ "I love".
Remember that in Greek the present tense describes both actions that are happening at the moment and actions that are repeated, for example, "now I drink coffee" (continued), "every morning I drink coffee" (simple). Both of these actions in Greek express the present tense, i.e. πίνω καφέ τώρα, πίνω καφέ κάθε πρωί.

Verb αγαπώ (I love)

Unit number
αγαπώ - [ayapo] - I love
αγαπάς - [ayapas] - you love
αγαπά - [ayapa] - he she loves it

Plural
αγαπούμε - [ayapume] - we love
αγαπάτε - [ayapate] - you love
αγαπόυν - [ayapun] - they love
The verb ζητώ "I ask, I seek" is conjugated like the verb αγαπώ

Verb μπορώ (I can)

A number of verbs ending in ώ like αγαπώ have other endings when conjugated. One example is the verb μπορώ (boro) "I can".
Unit number
μπορώ - [boro] - I can
μπορείς - [Boris] - you can
μπορεί - [bori] - ononaono can

Plural
μπορούμε - [borume] - we can
μπορείτε - [fight] - you can
μπορούν - [borun] - they can

παρακαλώ - [parakalo] - "I ask" - another verb conjugated as μπορώ. It can be used as an equivalent of "please" or "pleased to serve" in response to "thank you".
Unfortunately, there is no easy way to distinguish which of the verbs in this category ending in ώ is conjugated as αγαπώ and which is conjugated as μπορώ. Gradually you will memorize them.

Greek. Lesson 41: Verb conjugation (continued)

In the last two lessons, we looked at the rules for conjugation of Greek verbs. Today you can add 20 new verbs to your vocabulary.
Καταλαβαίνω - to understand
Διαβάζω - read
Γράφω - to write
Συνεχίζω - continue
Δουλεύω - work
Επιστρέφω - to return
Αρχίζω - to begin
Τελειώνω - finish
Μένω - to live
Ακούω - hear, hear
Βλέπω - to see
Μιλώ - to speak
Περιμένω - to wait
Αγαπώ - to love
Απαντώ - to answer
Βοηθώ - to help
Γνωρίζω - to know, to get acquainted
Δείχνω - to show
Εκτιμώ - appreciate, respect
Ελπίζω - to hope
Do not forget that the conjugation of a verb directly depends on its stress. Remember the rules that we went through in the previous lessons.

If there are two verbs in your sentence, then most likely they are connected by the particle να. Please note that (unlike the Russian language) their forms are the same.
Θέλω να διαβάζω καλά βιβλία. - I want to read good books.
Ξέρω να γράφω ελληνικά. - I can write in Greek.

If the person or number changes, then the change occurs in both verbs:
Θέλεις να διαβάζεις. - You want to read.
Θέλει να διαβάζει.- He wants to read.
Ξέρουμε να γράφουμε. - We can write.
Ξέρουν να γράφουν. - They know how to write.

Verbs of the first conjugation
λέω - speak, τρώω - eat, eat, ακούω - listen, κλαίω - cry, πάω - go are conjugated as follows:
Λέω – λέμε
Λες – λέτε
Λέει – λένε

Greek. Lesson 42: Verb conjugation

(end) We have finished studying the rules of conjugation of verbs in the present tense. Verbs of the first conjugation are conjugated like this: γράφω, γράφεις, γράφει, γράφουμε, γράφετε, γράφουν Several verbs of the first conjugation (λέω, τρώω, ακούω, κλαίω, πάω) are conjugated differently: Λέω, λες, λέει, λέμε, λέτε, λένε.

Verbs of the second conjugation are divided into two subgroups.
The verb, αγαπώ, for example, belongs to the first subgroup: Αγαπώ, αγαπάς, αγαπά (αγαπάει), αγαπάμε, αγαπάτε, αγαπάν (αγαπάνε). Verbs of the second subgroup are conjugated as follows: μπορώ, μπορείς, μπορεί, μπορούμε, μπορείτε, μπορούν
To consolidate the topic, I propose to learn a few new words and expressions:
You say (you say)...

Μιλάτε (μιλάς)... - [milate] - [milas]

I'm not saying ... - (Δε) μιλάω .. - [ze milao]
... in Russian - ρωσικά - [rosika]
... in Greek - ελλινικά - [elinika]
I speak a little - Μιλάω λίγο - [milao ligo]
I only say... – Μιλάω μόνω... – [milao mono]
... in Russian - ρωσικά - [rosika]
... in English - αγγλίκα - [English]

Where do you live? - Πού μένετε - [pu menete]
I live... - Μένω... - [meno]
... in Moscow - στη Μόσχα - [sti mosha]
... in Kyiv - στό Κίεβο - [one hundred Kiev]
... in Nicosia - στη Λευκωσία - [sty levkosia]

When you move to another country as a child, learning a foreign language is easy, and, until recently, someone else's speech quickly becomes native. But, if you are already 18 years old and you do not have special abilities for languages ​​(which was exactly the case in my case), then learning a foreign language can be a difficult task, especially if you need to learn Greek ...

Today I want to tell you how I learned Greek, perhaps my experience will be useful to someone and will help in difficult times (yes, I even threw notebooks, in full confidence that Greek is practically Chinese, and I will never master it).

How it all began.

Moving to Greece was not a spontaneous decision: I knew in advance that, one way or another, I would transfer to this wonderful country. Therefore, I decided to start preparing for the move by learning the Greek language. And then a problem arose: I don’t know how it is now, but 7 years ago there were simply no tutors or Greek language courses in Belarus. I had to start learning the language on my own. Among the resources available to me were a few online language lessons and a few Greek textbooks. I wrote about the best books for learning Greek. Is it any wonder that by the time of the move, I had mastered only the alphabet and a few elementary grammatical structures.

"Yasu malaka".

My integration into the language environment began with the building of the Athens airport, where I heard and learned my first two words in Greek. "Native speakers" said these words so often that it was a sin not to remember. Can you guess what popular Greek words are we talking about? Of course, “yasu” is a Greek greeting/farewell and “malaka” is a (uh, how to translate it that way, so as not to be expressed) curse. The word "malaka" in Greece has a certain magical, almost sacred meaning.) The Greeks managed to give the word, originally meaning a curse, a completely ordinary meaning and use it together with friends or at work, to describe emotions or characterize things and events. And no one is offended by anyone. But I would not advise immigrants to use it, at least in the first couple.

From the ship to the ball.

Naturally, with knowledge of the alphabet and as many as 2 whole words in Greek, my path could only lie in group A (for beginners) of the Philosophical Schola of the University of Athens.

How exactly to learn the language: on their own or in courses, everyone chooses based on their preferences and capabilities, but I just needed a () diploma in knowledge of the Greek language, so my choice was predetermined.

In the courses, we were often repeated a phrase, the meaning and correctness of which I understood only some time later: "If you know the grammar of the Greek language, everything else will follow." At the time, I strongly disagreed with this statement. Years of studying English have affected: they taught, taught grammar at school, but what's the point? I started speaking and communicating fluently in English only when I got into the language environment, and there was no one around who could understand Russian. Here you want, do not want - you will speak. At school, I, like other guys from the class, could not clearly connect even a few phrases in English, despite the long hours spent “memorizing” the rules of grammar. Therefore, I did not believe teachers in Greece, and I studied grammar solely because of the grammar test included in the upcoming exam.

As time has shown, the teachers were right. When you are in a language environment (and not outside it, as is the case with school English), knowing the grammatical subtleties helps a lot. Within a year, I spoke Greek better than some foreigners who have lived in Greece for decades. And all because, even having a small vocabulary, but a good grammatical base, I clearly understood the “formula”: how, what and why to say.

Thorny path.

If we talk about the process of learning Greek, it was very difficult. Exam time was rapidly approaching, and knowledge and skills were accumulating very slowly.

Five days a week I attended courses, spent hours in the evenings doing huge homework, learning words. The clock was ticking, deadlines were running out, and at some point bad thoughts crept into my head: I will never learn “IT”, I don’t understand anything, and in general, I’m probably a fool, not a very capable student. If you are not “pressed” by time and there is no specific fixed period, day “X”, by which you need to know everything, everything, then learning the Greek language will be much easier and more enjoyable. If there is no time, then you will have to gather all your strength into a fist and “cram” further.

At some point, when my vocabulary expanded significantly, and in grammar I was already oriented like a fish in water, all the pieces of the puzzle came together. Everything somehow unexpectedly quickly went easily, very easily. I began to understand colloquial speech, speak Greek myself, read - all this began to be given without much effort, as something taken for granted. From this I made an important conclusion: the main thing when you are just starting to learn Greek is to overcome yourself and, despite the fact that much is still not working out, that you do not understand something, just continue. And at some point, when the "skeleton of the language" is formed in your head, all subsequent knowledge will come by itself, without much effort on your part.

What helped me.

Undoubtedly, being in a language environment, learning a language is much easier. But, even in Greece, many foreigners manage to stretch this process for decades. I want to give some recommendations that helped me and my friends learn Greek faster.

No Russian channels! Especially at the beginning of the study of the Greek language, Russian television should be under the strictest ban. I have one friend who has lived in Greece for 15 years and can hardly connect 2-3 words in Greek. And if not for her love for programs and films in Russian, everything could have turned out differently.

Watch Greek series and foreign films with Greek subtitles. For me, this item was one of the most difficult, since I don’t like TV shows at all, and even more so Greek ones. But, Greek TV shows are the key to understanding colloquial speech, so I had to watch. If TV shows help develop listening comprehension skills, then films with Greek captions will enrich your vocabulary and help you make fewer spelling mistakes when writing.

Greek songs. To be honest, I do not agree that by listening to songs, you will quickly begin to understand spoken language. I will explain why: in order to hit the notes (and indeed the melody requires it), the singer is forced to draw words somewhere, and somewhere to “eat” their parts. For a song, this is acceptable, for life - no. So it turns out that serials or radio are much more effective. This is just my point of view, many claim that they learned the Greek language thanks to the songs.

Read. Read as much as you can, try to find the kind of literature you like: Greek myths, children's stories, fiction, fashion magazines, even just road signs. The more you read, the faster your vocabulary will grow.

Ask. Feel free to ask what the word you don't know means. Ask friends to point out your mistakes in speech. The fact is that when a foreigner, at the very least, has learned the Greek language and begins to speak with errors, they correct him, but exactly for the first half hour. Then the Greeks begin to understand your speech even with mistakes, get used to understanding you in this way, and stop pointing out mistakes. What happens next: making the same mistake 3-4 times, a foreigner begins to think that since they don’t correct him, it means that he speaks correctly, and the word with a mistake “crashes” into memory as the correct option. It is very difficult to relearn later.

Try to stop talking to English language. I know from my own experience that sometimes it is very difficult to do this. Especially when you want to quickly convey your idea to the interlocutor, and the vocabulary in Greek is still not enough. It turns out that it is much easier and faster to say a phrase in English than to “strain” the brain and fish out a word in Greek from the bins of memory. As a result: the study of Greek will be delayed for an indefinite period.

No, I will never learn this language! – I thought, hearing for the first time a fast, full of energy and expression Greek speech. And she refuted herself after 6 months, speaking Greek the way others speak after 2-3 years of intensive study. Did I have a special technique? As it seemed to me then, I did not follow any methodology at all, but today, 20 years later, I still admit that if you put together the scattered pieces of the puzzle, you can make up a methodology from them, the copyright of which belongs to Life. So, note to Greek learners:

➡ Principle one: Learn to speak first, then write. Of course, we are not talking about not writing at all, but about the alphabet and spelling of the language being studied. I wrote down Greek words by ear in Russian letters in a notebook that was with me everywhere and always, and in the evening I read my own dictionary. Later, she began to write down whole expressions, mostly questions and answer options. The first principle flows smoothly into

➡ AT tori:pay attention to those words and try to remember them that YOU need. This is what programmers and webmasters do, who, like air, need professional vocabulary for work. Do you believe that you can not know the name of a fork and spoon, but be able to read a history book? Believe. This is a rare but real story of a girl I know who moved to Greece and entered the Lyceum. You can learn the spoon and fork in the school cafeteria, but the "Renaissance" and the "Greek liberation movement" are unlikely.

➡ Third principle: exclusion of the "extra link". Usually the study of vocabulary is a chain of three links: a word in - a translation into Russian - an image. When we read the word "νερό" (water), our imagination draws either a glass of water, or water flowing from a tap, or a river or other body of water - this is the image. It is enough to read the translation once, then, this is an extra link, i.e. the word in Russian must be excluded from the chain. As a result, we get "νερό" = an image (a glass of water, for example). Thus, we avoid the main brake for the rapid acquisition of vocabulary - involuntary translation into Russian. This is how foreign languages ​​are taught to children who are not yet able to read in their native language - a word and a picture. And the results are impressive.

➡ Fourth: sl listen, listen, listen. Pronunciation, melody, intonation, stress... Listen and repeat as close to the original as possible. In Greek, all unstressed vowels are pronounced exactly like stressed vowels. When I hear our countrymen say "And fharisto p a whether" instead of " E fharisto p aboutli” (thank you very much), I understand that they could not hear it anywhere. It was read, and read “in the Russian way”, where the unstressed O is pronounced like A. You can listen not only to educational audio materials, but also songs, Greek radio, and even better - live speech.

➡ Principle five: I'm Greek! To enter the role is to do half the battle. What we colloquially call manner, in our case, manner of speaking, is not only making sounds. Gestures, facial expressions, the same melody of speech ... What are they, the Greeks? Lively, emotional, maybe even unrestrained, by our standards. And all this is reflected in speech. It is impossible, if I may say so, to mumble, swallow sounds, lower the tone at the end of a word or sentence and chew on the endings. Speech is richer, more energetic, sounds are clear, speech organs are in greater tension. And, of course, indescribable gestures! Check it out here - it's a treasure trove of information!

➡ Sixth principle: Talk, talk, talk. Mistakes, wrong, stumbling, helping yourself with gestures. You will be understood and appreciated for your work, rest assured. Do not wait until you are sure that you know everything and speak correctly. The Greeks are a small nation and any attempt by foreigners to communicate in Greek is perceived by them very warmly. Ask to correct your mistakes so that you don't remember wrong forms. If you have Greek friends, try to exclude the intermediary language, English, for example.

I wish you all success! Please share your experience of learning Greek in the comments.

Irina Poturidi

P.S. Are you interested not only in life in Greece, would you also like to understand and speak Greek? Perfect solution! After all, you can learn a lot about the mentality and life of the country, but without understanding its language, you will never understand its inhabitants. Our site site is not only articles and stories about different countries, but also specific assistance in learning the language using the fastest and easiest method. There are no accidents in life. Perhaps you are not with us by accident.

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