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Culture

Our Everyday Greek: Survival Guide for Greece Travelers: Vegan Food

August 11, 2018
Dimitra Pontoporou

Vegans have a huge variety of fresh, local food to select in Greece.
Below are basic words for vegan food and common phrases you may use, when you want to buy some by the piece or by the kilo.

IMPORTANTVOCABULARY
Greek word Pronunciation Meaning
Θέλω THElo I want, I would like
Ηντομάτα EE doMAta the tomato
Οιντομάτες EE doMAtes the tomatoes
Ηπατάτα EE paTAta the potato
Οιπατάτες EE paTAtes the potatoes
Ηπιπεριά EE piperyiA the pepper
Οιπιπεριές EE piperyiES the peppers
Ημελιτζάνα EE meliTZAna the eggplant
Οιμελιτζάνες EE meliTZanes the eggplants
Ηελιά EE eliA the olive
Οιελιές EE eliES the olives
Τοαγγούρι TO aGOOri the cucumber
Τααγγούρια TA aGOOria the cucumbers
Τοσπανάκι TO spaNAki the spinach
Τοκρεμμύδι TO kreMEEdi the onion
Τακρεμμύδια TA kreMEEdia the onions
Τοσκόρδο TO SKOrdo the garlic
Τασκόρδα TA SKOrda the garlics
Τοκολοκύθι TO koloKEEthi the zucchini
Τακολοκύθια TA koloKEEthia the zucchinis
Τακολοκυθάκια TA kolokiTHAkia the small zucchinis
Ομαϊντανός O maintaNOS the parsley
Τορύζι TO REEzi the rice
Οιφακές EE faKES the lentils
Ταφασόλια TA faSOlia the beans
Ταρεβύθια TA reVEEthia the chick peas
Ταμακαρόνια TA makaROnia the spaghetti
Τοαυγό TO avYO the egg
Τααυγά TA avYA the eggs
Τοτυρί TO tiREE the cheese
Ένα Ena one (masculine, neuter)
Μία MEEa one (feminine)
Δύο DEEo two
Ένακιλό EnakiLO one kilo
Μισόκιλό miSOkiLO half a kilo

GREEKYOUALREADYKNOW
Ντομάτες = tomatoes, πατάτες = potatoes, πιπεριές = peppers, σπανάκι = spinach, ρύζι = rice, μακαρόνια = macaroni, κιλό = kilo.

BUYING VEGAN FOOD
Θέλωφακές.
THElofaKES.
I want (would like) some lentils.

Θέλωτυρίφέτα.
THElotiREEFEta.
I want (would like) some feta cheese.

Θέλωαυγά.
THeloavYA.
I want eggs.

DEFINE THE QUANTITY
Θέλωένααγγούρι.
THEloEnaaGOOri.
I want (would like) one cucumber.

Θέλωδύοαγγούρια.
THEloDEEoaGOOria.
I want (would like) two cucumbers.

Θέλωένακιλόντομάτες.
THEloEnakiLOdoMAtes.
Ι want (would like) a kilo of tomatoes.

Θέλωδύοπιπεριές.
THEloDEEopiperyES.
I want (would like) two peppers.

Θέλωδύοκρεμμύδια.
THEloDEEokreMEEdia.
I want (would like) two onions.

Θέλωδύομελιτζάνες.
THEloDEEomeliTZAnes.
I want (would like) two eggplant.

Θέλωένακιλόπατάτες.
THEloEnakiLOpaTAtes.
I want (would like) a kilo of potatoes.

Θέλωμισόκιλόκολοκύθια.
THElomiSOkiLOkoloKEEthia.
I want (would like) half a kilo of zucchini.

BASIC GRAMMAR
In Greek many vegetable names are considered of feminine grammatical gender. They take the article η, and end in -α in the Singular number. InthePluralnumbertheytakethearticle οι,andendin -ες: η ντομάτα / οι ντομάτες, η πιπεριά / οι πιπεριές, η ελιά / οι ελιές, η πατάτα / οι πατάτες, η μελιτζάνα / οι μελιτζάνες. The neuter grammatical gender nouns take the article το, and end in -ι or -ο in the Singular number. In the Plural number they take the article τα, and end in -α: το αγγούρι / τα αγγούρια, τοκρεμμύδι / τα κρεμμύδια, τοσκόρδο / τασκόρδα.

EXERCISE
Translate the phrases below in English.
Θέλω δύο ντομάτες.
Θέλω κολοκυθάκια.
Θέλω μελιτζάνες.
Θέλω πιπεριές.
Θέλω πατάτες.
Θέλω σπανάκι.
Θέλω μαϊντανό.
Θέλω ρύζι.
Θέλω φασόλια.
Θέλω φακές.
Θέλω ρεβύθια.

PRONUNCIATIONKEY
i (ill), ee (beer), e (ever), o (organ), oo (boot), y (yes), h (helium), th (theory), d (the). The capitalized syllables are accented.

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