General News
Meropi Kyriacou Honored as TNH Educator of the Year
NEW YORK – Meropi Kyriacou, the new Principal of The Cathedral School in Manhattan, was honored as The National Herald’s Educator of the Year.
February is the month of St. Valentine. Therefore, February’s classes will be on Greek words that mean love and are used in English. English words that begin with philo-, like Philadelphia, philanthropist, philology, philhellene etc., come from Greek.
Φιλώ (phiLO) is an ancient Greek verb, which means I love. Nevertheless, in modern Greek we don’t use the verb φιλώ (philo) in its original meaning, I love. In modern Greek φιλώ means I kiss. The fact that the ancient Greek verb of love has been chosen to describe the action of kissing is of particular importance, because it underlines the feeling of love, when we kiss somebody. In everyday speaking we use the φιλάω type of the verb φιλώ.
Three important words derive from the verb φιλώ. Το φιλί (TO fiLEE) =the kiss ο φίλος (O FEElos) =the friend (male) and η φίλη (EE FEEli) =the friend (female).
THE VERB
This is how the verb φιλάω, I kiss, is conjugated.
Greek verb Pronunciation Meaning
Εγώ φιλά-ω eYO fiLAo I kiss
Εσύ φιλ-άς eSEE fiLAS you kiss (sing.)
Η Μαρία φιλά-ει EE maREEa fiLAi Maria kisses
Εμείς φιλ-άμε eMEES fiLAme we kiss
Εσείς φιλ-άτε eSEES fiLAte you kiss (plur.)
Τα παιδιά φιλ-άνε TA pediA fiLAne the kids kiss
COMMON PHRASES
Εγώ σε φιλάω. eYO SE fiLAO. I kiss you.
Φιλάω το φίλο μου. fiLAo TO FEElo moo. I kiss my friend.
Ο φίλος μου μού δίνει ένα φιλί. O FEElos moo moo DEEni Ena fiLEE. My friend gives me a kiss.
Ο Γιάννης με φιλάει. O yiAnis ME fiLAi. John kisses me.
Η Μαρία φιλάει τον Πέτρο. EE maREEa fiLAi TON PEtro. Maria kisses Peter.
Ο Πέτρος φιλάει τη Μαρία. O PEtros fiLAi TEE maREEa. Peter kisses Maria.
Ο Πέτρος μου δίνει ένα φιλί. O PEtros moo DEEni Ena fiLEE. Petros gives me a kiss.
Ο μπαμπάς φιλάει τη μαμά. O mpaMPAS fiLAi TEE maMA. Dad kisses mom.
Ο μπαμπάς φιλάει την αδελφή μου. O mpaMPAS fiLAi TEEn adelFEE moo. Dad kisses my sister.
Η μαμά φιλάει τον αδελφό μου. EE maMA fiLAi TON adeLFO moo. Mom kisses my brother.
Τα παιδιά φιλάνε τη γιαγιά. TA pediA fiLAne TEE yiayiA. The kids kiss grandma.
Εμείς φιλάμε τον παππού. eMEES fiLAme TON paPOO. We kiss grandpa.
Εσείς φιλάτε τη μαμά το βράδυ; eSEES fiLAte TΕΕ maMA TO VRAdi? Do you (plural) kiss mom goodnight?
Σε φιλάει ο μπαμπάς σου το βράδυ; SE fiLAi O mpaMPAs soo TO VRAdi? Does your dad kiss you goodnight?
VOCABULARY
Greek word Pronunciation Meaning
Το φιλί TO fiLEE the kiss
Δίνω DEEno I give
Ένα φιλί Ena fiLEE a kiss
Μου δίνει MOO DEEni he/she/it gives me
Ο φίλος O FEElos the friend (male)
Η φίλη EE FEEli the friend (female)
Εμείς eMEES we
Με ME me
Μου MOO my, me
Εσείς eSEES you (plural)
Σε SE you
Σου SOO your
Την αδελφή μου TEEN adeLFEE moo my sister (accusative)
Τον αδελφό μου TON adeLFO moo my brother (accusative)
Τη γιαγιά TEE yiayiA the grandma (accusative)
Τον παππού TON paPOO the grandpa (accusative)
Τη μαμά TEE maMA the mom (accusative)
Τον μπαμπά TON mpaMPA the dad (accusative)
Τα παιδιά TA pediA the kids
Note that the person which is being kissed is put in accusative case and takes the article το(ν) (male) or τη(ν) (female).
EXERCISE
Try to translate in English.
Η φίλη μου μού δίνει ένα φιλί.
Η Ελένη με φιλάει.
Η Ελένη φιλάει τον Πέτρο.
Η μαμά φιλάει τον μπαμπά.
Η γιαγιά με φιλάει.
Ο Πέτρος μου δίνει ένα φιλί.
PRONUNCIATION KEY
i (idiom), ee (needle), e (energy), o (organism), oo (boot), y (yes), h (helium), th (theory), d (the). The capitalized syllables are accented.
NEW YORK – Meropi Kyriacou, the new Principal of The Cathedral School in Manhattan, was honored as The National Herald’s Educator of the Year.
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