Language/Modern-greek-1453/Vocabulary/Greetings-and-introductions

Modern Greek (1453-) Vocabulary → Basic Vocabulary → Greetings and introductions

In the previous lesson, we learned about the Greek alphabet and its pronunciation. Now that you have a good understanding of the Greek letters, we can move on to learning some basic vocabulary and phrases to greet and introduce yourself in Modern Greek. This lesson will help you start conversations and make a good impression when meeting new people.

Basic Greetings and Phrases

Greetings and Introductions

Let's begin by learning how to greet others and introduce yourself in Modern Greek.

• Γειά σας (Yah sas) - Hello (formal) / Goodbye (formal)
• Γειά σου (Yah soo) - Hello (informal) / Goodbye (informal)
• Καλημέρα (Kaleemera) - Good morning
• Καλησπέρα (Kalispera) - Good afternoon / Good evening
• Καληνύχτα (Kalinichta) - Good night
• Πώς σας λένε; (Pos sas lene?) - What is your name? (formal)
• Πώς σε λένε; (Pos se lene?) - What is your name? (informal)
• Με λένε... (Me lene...) - My name is...
• Χαίρω πολύ (Chero poli) - Nice to meet you
• Τι κάνετε; (Ti kanete?) - How are you? (formal)
• Τι κάνεις; (Ti kanis?) - How are you? (informal)
• Ευχαριστώ (Efharisto) - Thank you
• Παρακαλώ (Parakalo) - Please / You're welcome

Common Everyday Phrases

Here are some common phrases that you can use in everyday conversations:

• Συγνώμη (Sig-nomi) - Excuse me / I'm sorry
• Πού είναι η τουαλέτα; (Poo eenai ee tualeta?) - Where is the restroom?
• Πόσο κάνει; (Poso kani?) - How much does it cost?
• Έχετε μια συσκευασία δώρου; (Ehete meea siskevasia doro?) - Do you have a gift package?
• Μπορείτε να μιλήσετε αργά, παρακαλώ; (Boreete na meeleesete ar-ga, parakalo?) - Can you speak slowly, please?
• Μπορείτε να με βοηθήσετε; (Boreete na me voeetheesete?) - Can you help me?
• Πού μπορώ να βρω ένα εστιατόριο; (Poo bor-o na vro ena estiatorio?) - Where can I find a restaurant?
• Πού είναι το μουσείο; (Poo eenai to mousio?) - Where is the museum?
• Θα ήθελα ένα καφέ, παρακαλώ (Tha e-thela ena kafe, parakalo) - I would like a coffee, please
• Τι μου προτείνετε; (Tee moo proteenete?) - What do you recommend?

Remember to practice these greetings and phrases with your classmates or native Greek speakers to improve your pronunciation and fluency.

Nouns and Articles

Now that you know how to greet and introduce yourself, let's move on to learning about nouns and articles in Modern Greek.

Definite and Indefinite Articles

In Greek, as in many other languages, nouns are usually accompanied by articles. There are definite and indefinite articles in Greek, which correspond to "the" and "a/an" in English.

• Ο (o) - The (masculine)
• Η (ee) - The (feminine)
• Το (to) - The (neuter)
• Ένας (enas) - A/An (masculine)
• Μία (mee-a) - A/An (feminine)
• Ένα (ena) - A/An (neuter)

For example:

• Ο άντρας (O antras) - The man
• Η γυναίκα (Ee yinaika) - The woman
• Το παιδί (To pedi) - The child
• Ένας φίλος (Enas filos) - A friend (masculine)
• Μία φίλη (Mee-a feelee) - A friend (feminine)
• Ένα βιβλίο (Ena vevelee-o) - A book (neuter)

Noun Gender and Plurals

In Greek, nouns are either masculine, feminine, or neuter. The gender of a noun is important because it affects the form of the article and other parts of the sentence.

To form the plural of nouns in Greek, you usually add -οι (-ee) to masculine nouns, -ες (-es) to feminine nouns, and -α (-a) to neuter nouns.

For example:

• Ο άντρας (O antras) - The man / Οι άντρες (ee an-dres) - The men
• Η γυναίκα (Ee yinaika) - The woman / Οι γυναίκες (ee yinaikes) - The women
• Το παιδί (To pedi) - The child / Τα παιδιά (ta pe-thee-a) - The children

It's important to note that there are some irregular nouns that don't follow these patterns. As you continue your Greek language journey, you will learn more about these exceptions.

Numbers and Time

Numbers are essential for everyday communication. Let's learn how to count from 1 to 100 in Modern Greek and tell time.

Numbers 1-100

Here are the numbers from 1 to 10 in Modern Greek:

1. ένα (ena) 2. δύο (thee-o) 3. τρία (tree-a) 4. τέσσερα (tes-se-ra) 5. πέντε (pen-te) 6. έξι (ex-ee) 7. επτά (ep-ta) 8. οκτώ (ok-to) 9. εννέα (en-neh-a) 10. δέκα (the-ka)

To form numbers from 11 to 19, you add the numbers 1 to 9 to the word "δέκα" (the-ka):

11. έντεκα (en-the-ka) 12. δώδεκα (tho-the-ka) 13. δεκατρία (the-ka-tree-a) 14. δεκατέσσερα (the-ka-tes-se-ra) 15. δεκαπέντε (the-ka-pen-te) 16. δεκαέξι (the-ka-ex-ee) 17. δεκαεπτά (the-ka-ep-ta) 18. δεκαοκτώ (the-ka-ok-to) 19. δεκαεννέα (the-ka-en-neh-a)

To form the tens, you add the word "και" (ke) between the tens digit and the ones digit:

20. είκοσι (ee-ko-see) 30. τριάντα (tree-an-da) 40. σαράντα (sa-ran-da) 50. πενήντα (pen-ee-an-da) 60. εξήντα (ex-ee-an-da) 70. εβδομήντα (ev-do-meen-da) 80. ογδόντα (og-don-da) 90. ενενήντα (e-ne-neen-da) 100. εκατό (e-ka-to)

For example:

• 21. είκοσι ένα (ee-ko-see e-na)
• 42. σαράντα δύο (sa-ran-da thee-o)
• 65. εξήντα πέντε (ex-ee-an-da pen-te)
• 99. ενενήντα εννέα (e-ne-neen-da en-neh-a)
• 100. εκατό (e-ka-to)

Telling Time

To tell time in Greek, we use the 24-hour clock system. Here are some useful phrases for talking about time:

• Τι ώρα είναι; (Tee o-ra een-ai?) - What time is it?
• Είναι... ώρες (Ee-nai... o-res) - It is... o'clock
• Πρωί (Pro-ee) - Morning
• Μεσημέρι (Me-see-mee-ree) - Noon
• Απόγευμα (A-po-gee-ma) - Afternoon
• Βράδυ (Vra-thoo) - Evening
• Νύχτα (Neekh-ta) - Night

For example:

• 1:00 - Είναι μία ώρα (Ee-nai mee-a o-ra)
• 6:30 - Είναι έξι και μισή (Ee-nai ex-ee ke mee-see)
• 10:45 - Είναι δέκα και τετρακόσια πενήντα (Ee-nai the-ka ke te-tra-ko-si-a pen-ee-an-da)

It's important to note that Greek time expressions may vary depending on the region or individual preference. If you're not sure, it's always best to ask for clarification.

Practice counting and telling time with your classmates or native Greek speakers to improve your language skills.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you learned basic greetings and phrases to greet and introduce yourself in Modern Greek. You also learned about nouns and articles, as well as how to count from 1 to 100 and tell time. Practice these new vocabulary words and phrases with your classmates or native Greek speakers to improve your language skills.

In the next lesson, we will continue to expand our vocabulary and learn about food and dining in Modern Greek.

Table of Contents - Modern Greek (1453-) Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Greek Alphabet

• Greek Letters and Pronunciation
• Diphthongs and Special Combinations

  ---

Basic Greetings and Phrases

• Greetings and Introductions
• Common Everyday Phrases

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Noun Gender and Plurals

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods and Drinks
• Ordering in a Restaurant

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

  ---

Greek Traditions and Customs

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Greek Cuisine

  ---

Greek History and Geography

• Historical Overview
• Geographical Regions

Sources

• Modern-greek-1453 Vocabulary - Introductions and greetings in ...

Other Lessons

• Overview of physician specialties
• Introductions and greetings in Greek 2
• House
• Asking Directions
• Hotel
• Business and economics
• Education
• Medical terminology Greek
• Fruits
• Vegetables