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Culture

Our Everyday Greek: This November we Speak Greek Strolling Around Central Park

November 4, 2017
Dimitra Pontoporou

Fall foliage. Maria (M) and Petros (Π) talk about going to the park.

DIALOGUE

Greek phrase            Pronunciation          Meaning

Μ: ΕίναιΝοέμβριος.EEne noEmvrios. It is November.

Είναιφθινόπωρο.      EEne fthiNoporo.     It is fall.

Π: Πάμε βόλτα στο δάσος;  PAme VOlta STO DAsos?              Shall we go for a walk in the forest?

Μ: Πάμε βόλτα στο πάρκο.  PAme VOlta STO PArko.    Let’s go for a walk in the park.

Π: Σε ποιο πάρκο;    SEpiOPArko?           Which park?

Π: Στο Central Park.            STO Central Park.    Central Park.

Μ: Ωραία, τοφθινόπωρο      oREa, TO fthiNOporo          Great, in the fall

ταφύλλατωνδένδρων           TA FEEla TON DEndron    the tree leaves

δενείναιπιαπράσινα.            DEN EEne piA PRAsina.   aren’t green any more.

Π: Έχουνπολλάχρώματα.   Ehoon poLA HROmata.      They have many colors.

Είναικόκκινα, EEne KOkina,          They are red,

κίτρινα, πορτοκαλί.   KEEtrina, portokaLEE.        yellow, orange.

Μ: Και μετά τα φύλλα πέφτουν.      KE meTA TA FEEla PEftoon.        And then the leaves fall.

Π: Τοχώμαγεμίζει     TO HOma yeMEEzi The ground is full of

κίτρινακαικαφέφύλλα.          KEEtrina KE kaFE FEEla.  yellow and brown leaves.

Μ: Το δάσος έχει μανιτάρια;TODAsosEhimaniTAria?    Does the forest have mushrooms?

Π: Έχει, άσπρα, κόκκινα,     Ehi, Aspra, KOkina,             It has, white, red,

κίτρινα, καφέ. KEEtrina, kaFE.       yellow, brown.

Μ: Ωραία, πάμε στο δάσος! OREa, PAme STO DAsos! Great, let’s go to the forest.

BASIC VOCABULARY

Greek word    Pronunciation          Meaning

ΟΝοέμβριος  O noEmvrios November

Τοφθινόπωρο           TO fthiNOporo          fall

Ηβόλτα           EE VOlta        walk, stroll

Τοδάσος        TO DAsos      forest

Τοπάρκο        TO PArko       park

Τοφύλλο         TO FEElo       leave

Ταφύλλα         TA FEEla       leaves

Τοδένδρο       TO DEndro    tree

Ταδένδρα       TA DEndra    trees

Τωνδένδρων TON DEndron          of the trees

Τομανιτάρι     TO maniTAri  mushroom

Ταμανιτάρια   TA maniTAria            mushrooms

Τοχώμα          to HOma        soil, earth, dirt

Είναι   EEne  is

Πάμε   PAme let’s go, we go

Έχει    Ehi      has

Έχουν            Ehoon            they have

Πέφτουν         PEftoon                     they fall

Μετά   meTA  then

Γεμίζει            yeMEEzi        is full

Τοχρώμα        TO HROma   color

Ταχρώματα    TA HROmata            colors

Κόκκινο, -α    KOkino, a      red

Πράσινο, -α   PRAsino, a    green

Κίτρινο, -α      KEEtrino, a    yellow

Άσπρο, -α      Aspro, a         white

Καφέ   kaFE   brown

Πορτοκαλί      portokalEE    orange

Πια      piA      any more

Ποιο, σεποιο             piO, SE piO   which, at which

Ωραία oREa  nice, great

GREEK WORDS IN ENGLISH

The word χρώμα is to be found in the English word chromotherapy, a compound word, from chroma and therapy (χρώμα+ θεραπεία) which describes a therapeutic method, which uses the impact of colors in human psychology. The words therapy, therapeutic are also Greek, ηθεραπεία (ΕΕ theraPEEa), o θεραπευτικός (Ο therapeftiKOS).

The word δένδροis found in the English word dendrochronology, a compound one from dendro + chronology, and means the methods we use to find out the age of a tree, a trunk, a pieceof wood. The word chronology is also Greek and means the date, ηχρονολογία (hronoloYEEa).

EXERCISE

Try to match the Greek phrases with their translation in English.

1.Τι χρώμα έχουν τα φύλλα;            1. The leaves are green.

  1. Ταφύλλαείναιπράσινα. 2. The mushrooms are white.
  2. Ταφύλλαείναικίτρινα. 3. What is the color of the mushrooms?
  3. Τα φύλλα είναι πορτοκαλί. 4. Themushroomsarered.
  4. Τι χρώμα έχουν τα μανιτάρια; 5.The leaves are orange.
  5. Τα μανιτάρια είναι κόκκινα. 6. Themushroomsarebrown.
  6. Τα μανιτάρια είναι άσπρα. 7. The leaves are yellow.
  7. Ταμανιτάριαείναικαφέ. 8. What is the color of the leaves?

PRONUNCIATION KEY

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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