Maria: Hello everybody! Welcome back to GreekPod101.com. I'm Maria. |
Iro: Geia sas! EíImaie i Iróo. |
In this lesson, we will review the five most useful classroom phrases for learning Greek. |
Iro: There's no better way to learn Greek than to use Greek. |
Maria: So whether you're attending a class, you're studying with some friends, or you're even studying at GreekPod101.com, these phrases will be a wealth of helpfulness to you. |
Marketing |
But before we get to the phrases… Insert cookie cutter marketing piece here. |
Maria: Now here they are, as promised. The top five phrases for you as you begin to learn Greek are… |
Five Phrases with English |
"Μπορείς να το επαναλάβεις" ("Please repeat that.") |
"Πως λέμε…στα Ελληνικά" ("How do you say… in Greek") |
"Μπορώ να ρωτήσω…" ("May I ask…") |
"Δεν καταλαβαίνω." ("I don't understand.") |
"Μπορείτε να το επαναλάβετε πιο αργά" ("Can you repeat that a bit more slowly?") |
Did you recognize any phrases? Let's hear these phrases one more time slowly. |
"Μπορείς να το επαναλάβεις" (slow) |
"Πως λέμε…στα Ελληνικά" (slow) |
"Μπορώ να ρωτήσω…" (slow) |
"Δεν καταλαβαίνω." (slow) |
"Μπορείτε να το επαναλάβετε πιο αργά" (slow) |
Maria: Let's take a closer look at these phrases. |
Vocab and usage |
Maria: First we have. |
Iro: "Μπορείς να το επαναλάβεις" |
Maria: And this is so useful because you can use it anytime…outside the classroom, too. |
Iro: Yes, any time you can't understand something someone has said and you would like to hear it again. "Μπορείς να το επαναλάβεις" |
Maria: The first word, "Mporeís," means "Can you." The next word, "Na," means "to" or "that." "To" means "it," and the last word, "Epanaláveis," means "repeat." |
Iro: Yes, so a literal translation would be something along the lines of "Can you to it repeat?" |
Maria: OK, next phrase. |
Iro: "Πώς λέμε…στα Ελληνικά" |
Maria: Now this is a great phrase. You get to rediscover the world again through Greek eyes. |
Iro: Yes, you will learn very quickly if you point at things and ask lots of questions. |
Maria: Right, so you can either use the "point" method…just point and say "Πώς λέμε…στα Ελληνικά." Or, if your counterpart knows some English, you can try it like this…"Πώς λέμε 'apple' στα Ελληνικά." |
Iro: Yes, either way works. |
Maria: And my advice is to write it down when you get the answer. Then you can review it later and you won't forget. |
Iro: This phrase will really help you learn more Greek faster. "Πώς λέμε…στα Ελληνικά." Here we have "Pós," which means "how," in Greek. This is followed by "Léme," which is the verb for "you say." After that, you insert the word or point at what you want to know, and last, you say "in Greek," which in Greek is "Sta Elliniká." |
Maria: Piece of cake! Learn this phrase and you'll never have a boring walk in Greece! |
Maria: Next phrase, |
"Μπορώ να ρωτήσω…" |
Maria: Now, not only is this a great phrase to learn so that you can ask the teacher a question, but it's also a great phrase to get you what you want! |
Iro: Oh yes, especially if you need to ask for favors! |
Maria: Okay, so take us through this one, please. |
Iro: "Μπορώ να ρωτήσω…" "Boró," in this case, means "May I," or "Can I." "Na rotíso" means "to ask." So literally, this means "May I to ask…" |
Maria: Okay, well that phrase might come in handy as well if you really need to ask politely where the toilet is. |
Iro: Yes, very useful! |
Maria: Okay, next phrase. "Δεν καταλαβαίνω." |
Maria: This phrase, too, can be used on all occasions. It's one of my personal favorites! |
Iro: Yes, sometimes Greek people assume you can understand everything if you know how to say "geia sas." |
Maria: Yes, everyone will forgive you for that blank look on your face immediately. |
Iro: So let's have a closer look. |
"Δεν καταλαβαίνω." "Den" here is a negative and translates as "not." "Understand" is "katalavaíno" in Greek, so this sentence literally means "I not understand." |
Maria: Seriously, this is probably the phrase I have used the most during my Greek studies! It's so useful and easy to say so you will never be confused again! |
Iro: The next phrase is also very handy because Greek people tend to speak very quickly at times. "Μπορείτε να το επαναλάβετε πιο αργά." |
Maria: So this useful little number means "Can you repeat that a bit more slowly." Now, when you're in a group of Greeks, you will be very thankful to us for teaching you this phrase! |
Iro: Yeah, we speed like rockets when we talk to each other. |
Maria: So, Iro, get us through this one please! |
Iro: Sure. First, we have "Mporeíte," which can be both the polite way of asking or asking in plural, means "Can you." "Na," as we mentioned earlier, is "to" or "that." "To" is "the," and "Epanalávete" means "repeat." So far so good! Just like the first phrase, but we have added "a little slower," which is "Pio argá." "Pio" means "more" and "Argá" is "slow." So literally, we have "Can you to it repeat more slow?" |
Maria: Yeah, crazy literal translations! It's really fun when Greek people slow down Greek for you too. Iro, can you demonstrate? |
Iro: (says a sentence very slowly) |
Maria: It kind of feels like you're a little kid again, but actually it really helps to have the slower pace. |
Post banter |
Maria: The great thing about these phrases is that you can use them right away. |
Iro: Yes, they're so practical! |
Maria: Hope they helped everyone. Whether you're in a Greek class, on the streets of Greece, or in your local Greek community, try them out. |
Closing |
Maria: Thanks for listening! |
Iro: Geia sas! |
Maria: Bye! |
Comments
HideWhich phrase do you use often?
Hi Maral,
επαναλάβεις is a verb form that uses the aorist tense stem indicating a momentary or one-off action whereas επαναλαμβάνεις is a verb form that uses the present tense stem indicating continuousness. For more information on verb stems, check out this lesson:
https://www.greekpod101.com/lesson/mustknow-greek-sentence-structures-17-talking-about-the-past/
As for your other question, it has been answered in one of your similar comments. Please keep in mind that I'm the only one who reviews and answers all language-related comments on GreekPod101 so you can just ask a question once rather than multiple times over different comments. I'll see it for sure and get back to you shortly😄.
All the best,
Stefania
Team GreekPod101.com
Why do we write μπορω ( με ο μικρον ) και οχι μπωρω ?? (ομεγα )
...this is exactly what I want to learn and practice more. ω η ο / αι η ε / η η ει /
where can I find the relevant pages ?
επαναλάβεις Η ΕΠΑΝΑΛΑΜΒΑΝΕΙΣ ?
ποια ειναι η διαφορα ????
Hi Elias,
A structure of two verbs one after the other as you indicate should use the indicative mood + the subjunctive mood for each verb respectively. For example:
μπορώ + να πηγαίνω (στο πάρκο)
I'm not sure if you are familiar with verb moods yet as this is not something for absolute beginners. Basically, να + verb is an indicator that the verb is in the subjunctive mood.
You'll learn more about it as you progress through all the series of the main levels (Absolute Beginner, Beginner etc.)
Regards,
Stefania
Team GreekPod101.com
Hello,
If you want to say a sentence that two verbs come after each other directly, how can you say it grammatically correct? for example: μπορω πηγαίνω στο παρκο. I can go to the park. Is this correct?
Hello Aimee M,
Thank you for contacting us.
This is an introductory series, so there won't be any vocabulary list available to add to your flashcards. You can however download the lesson notes (PDF file) and study the sentences with that.
In the introductory series, only the "Culture Class: Holidays in Greece" and "Basic Bootcamp" series offer vocabulary that can be added to flashcards. From the Absolute Beginner level and on you will find vocabulary in every series.
Let me know if you have any other questions. I'll be glad to assist.
Kind regards,
Stefania
Team GreekPod101.com
Is there vocabulary for this lesson available to put into flash cards? I want to make sure to practice these phrases so I can start using them.