PIMGRK2 - LESSON 1

Question 1

Good morning to you.

Answer 1

Καλημέρα σας.

Question 2

S/he answers.

Answer 2

Απαντάει.

“απαντάει” is more informal and spoken, while “απαντά” (as seen in the attached conjugation table) is more formal and often used in written language. Both convey the same meaning and are interchangeable depending on the context.

Question 3

S/he asks

Answer 3

Ρωτάει
(progressive form)

In the attached conjugation table for the verb to ask, ‘He asks’ is written ‘ρωτά’, which is the standard form. When you describe an action in progress, then the spelling becomes ‘ρωτάει’.

Question 4

How long have you been here?
Since yesterday.

Answer 4

Πόσο καιρό είστε εδώ?
Από χτες.

Question 5

When did you arrive?
We arrived yesterday morning.

Answer 5

Πότε φτάσατε;
Φτάσαμε χθες το πρωί.

Question 6

We’re going to stay one week.

Answer 6

Θα μείνουμε μια εβδομάδα.

Question 7

And you, when did you arrive?
She says, I arrived this morning.

Answer 7

Και εσύ/εσεις, πότε έφτασες/φτάσατε;
Λέει, έφτασα σήμερα το πρωί.

Question 8

I am here since this morning.

Answer 8

Είμαι εδώ από σήμερα το πρωί.

Question 9

I’m going to stay a few weeks.

Answer 9

Θα μείνω μερικές εβδομάδες.

Question 10

Do you like Athens?
I like Athens very much.

Answer 10

Σου/Σας αρέσει η Αθήνα;
Μου αρέσει πολύ η Αθήνα.

Question 11

What did you do today?
She answers: I arrived this morning.
I bought a lot of things and then I ate lunch.

Answer 11

τι έκανες/κάνατε σήμερα;
Απαντάει: Έφτασα σήμερα το πρωί.
Αγόρασα πολλά πράγματα και μετά έφαγα μεσημεριανό.

Question 12

I bought an american newspaper.

Answer 12

Αγόρασα μια αμερικανική εφημερίδα.

Question 13

‘How does one say…’
(translate as is)

Answer 13

Πώς λέμε;

You will remember that in Pimsleur Grk 1 we had been introduced to ‘Πώς λέτε’ - How do you say. So, slight difference here: now we’re saying ‘How does one say.’ Checking the attached conjugation table, we find that ‘Πώς λέμε;’ literally means, ‘How do we say?’

Question 14

( translate as is )
She asks: ‘Did you eat at the hotel?’

Answer 14

Ρωτάει: «Έφαγες/Φάγατε στο ξενοδοχείο;»

Question 15

I like the hotel but I didn’t eat there.

Answer 15

Μου αρέσει το ξενοδοχείο, αλλά δεν έφαγα εκεί.

Question 16

I bought something to drink and I bought an american newspaper.

Answer 16

Αγόρασα κάτι να πιω και αγόρασα μια αμερικανική εφημερίδα

Question 17

Ask her what she did today.
(translate as is)
What did you do today?

Answer 17

Ρωτήστε τι έκανε σήμερα.
Τι έκανες/κάνατε σήμερα;

Question 18

Ask if she bought anything.
(translate as is)
Did you buy anything?
She says: ‘No, we didn’t buy anything.’

Answer 18

Ρωτήστε αν αγόρασε τίποτα.
Αγόρασες/Αγοράσατε τίποτα;
Λέει: «Όχι, δεν αγοράσαμε τίποτα».

Question 19

We arrived yesterday morning and we bought some wine.

Answer 19

Φτάσαμε χθες το πρωί και αγοράσαμε λίγο κρασί.

Question 20

We’re going to buy a lot of things tomorrow.

Answer 20

Θα αγοράσουμε πολλά πράγματα αύριο.

Question 21

Today we went to the restaurant.

Answer 21

Σήμερα πήγαμε στο εστιατόριο.

Question 22

We went to the restaurant with some American friends, but we didn’t speak English.

Answer 22

Πήγαμε στο εστιατόριο με μερικούς αμερικανούς φίλους, αλλά δεν μιλήσαμε αγγλικά.

Question 23

I’d like to buy an american newspaper and some milk.
I’d also like to buy something for my daughter.
How does he ask: ‘For the big one or for the small one?’

Answer 23

Θα ήθελα να αγοράσω μια αμερικανική εφημερίδα και λίγο γάλα.
Θα ήθελα να αγοράσω και κάτι για την κόρη μου.
Πώς ρωτάει: «Για τη μεγάλη ή για τη μικρή;»

**ΝΟΤΕ: **

In the last sentence, the implied daughters are in the accusative, and so you’d expect the article to be spelled την. But the words for big and for small, in Greek, start with a consonant, and so we get τη, not την.

A couple of consonants escape the rule, for instance, the letter K - indeed, in the second sentence, the word κόρη is preceded by την, not τη, as you’d expect.

A raft of double consonants also take την, but I’m not leaving that headache for my later studies.

Question 24

Try to say…
(translate the above as is, using both the informal and formal forms)

Answer 24

Προσπάθησε να πεις
Προσπαθήστε να πειτε…

Question 25

for my daughter, Katerina

Answer 25

για την κόρη μου, την Κατερίνα

Question 26

I bought something for the little one (daughter) yesterday.

Answer 26

Αγόρασα κάτι για τη μικρή χθες.

NOTE about the article τη / την

In Greek, the accusative singular feminine article “την” can lose the final “ν” when the following word begins with a consonant, except for the consonants κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ, and the combinations μπ, ντ, γκ, τσ, τζ.

Since “μικρή” starts with “μ,” which is not one of the exceptions, the “ν” is dropped, and “την” becomes “τη.” Therefore, “για την μικρή” becomes “για τη μικρή.”

Question 27

Does your older daughter speak Greek?

Answer 27

Η μεγάλη κόρη σας μιλάει ελληνικά;

Question 28

How does he ask: ‘and your husband?’
(translate the above as is)
He doesn’t speak Greek.

Answer 28

Πώς ρωτάει: «και ο άντρας σου/σας;»
Δεν μιλάει ελληνικά.

The difference between “ρωτά” and “ρωτάει” is primarily a matter of style and preference. Both forms can be used in the third person singular to mean “he/she/it asks.” The choice between them often depends on the regional or individual variation in language use. quote from ChatGPT, when asked about the two forms)

Question 29

Where did you go yesterday?
Yesterday I went to the restaurant To Michali with some american friends.
What did you do this morning? Did you go to the Acropolis?
Yes, we went to the Acropolis.

Answer 29

Που πήγες/πήγατε χθες;
Χθες πήγα στο εστιατόριο Το Μιχάλη με μερικούς αμερικανούς φίλους.
Τι εκανες/κάνατε σημερα το πρωι? Πήγες/Πήγατε στην Ακρόπολη;
Ναι, πήγαμε στην Ακρόπολη.

Question 30

We went to the Acropolis with our daughter.

Answer 30

Πήγαμε στην Ακρόπολη με την κόρη μας.

Question 31

Our daughter speaks Greek very well.

Answer 31

Η κόρη μας μιλάει ελληνικά πολύ καλά.

Question 32

Where did you eat?
We ate at the restaurant.

Answer 32

Πού φάγατε;
Φάγαμε στο εστιατόριο.

## Footnote

NOTE:

How to say,
'We ate at a restaurant'
Φάγαμε σε ένα εστιατόριο.

Question 33

How long are you going to stay in Athens?
A few weeks.
We are going to stay with our older daughter, Katerina.
She speaks Greek very well.
And the small one, does she speak Greek?
A little.

Answer 33

Πόσο καιρό θα μείνετε στην Αθήνα;
Μερικές εβδομάδες.
Θα μείνουμε με τη μεγάλη κόρη μας, την Κατερίνα.
Μιλάει πολύ καλά ελληνικά.
Και η μικρή, μιλάει ελληνικά;
Λίγο.

Question 34

It’s 5’clock. I want to buy an american newspaper for my husband. And some milk.

Answer 34

Είναι πέντε. Θέλω να αγοράσω μια αμερικανική εφημερίδα για τον άντρα μου. Και λίγο γάλα.

Question 35

Goodbye!

Answer 35

Αντιο σας!