"Γεια σας!"
Translation:Hello!
38 Comments
Exactly or when you want to talk formally. If you want to greet one person and not be formal you should say "γεια σου".
Yes, it works perfectly informally and that's actually what is most used in everyday informal discussions.
I don't know why i can't click on the link, would you mind writing the link or copy pasting the content please?
Is the pronunciation: a) /ia sas/ b) /kia sas/ or c) /gia sas/? The pronunciation of the first word is puzzling me. I hear /ia/, but in the google translate I hear /kia/, and I think the letter 'y' in Greek should be pronounced /g/. So, can you tell me which version is correct?
I think it should be [ʝa sas].
The first sound is not found in English; it's most similar to the "y" in "yes, yeah" but perhaps a little "stronger" or more "buzzy". If you use the English "y-as-in-yes", it will be fine.
The letter γ (it's not a "y") in Greek is never a [ɡ] sound as in English "get, gas" on its own -- before a front vowel, it's a [ʝ] and before a back vowel it's a [ɣ], which is the voiced version of the "ch" in "Bach, loch" for some speakers of English.
Thanks a lot, Mizinamo! =)) (I still haven't installed a Greek keyboard, and cannot write their letters properly. But I can still copy-paste some, of course)
So, I gather it could be even /ʝia sas/, since the diphthong 'ει' is supposed to be /i/ by itself, right?
I've just watched some videos on YouTube, and they all pronounce it the way you suggested [ʝa sas]. So, I guess this is it, although there is still this mystery about why we don't pronounce it /ʝia sas/.
Perhaps, but I think the γι spelling simply marks the sound [ʝ] before a back vowel here and it's just [ʝa].
Unlike the original word υγεία, which is indeed [iʝia] with a definite [i] after the [ʝ].
Unstressed iotas often turn into mere palatalisations of the previous consonant -- have a look at http://www.foundalis.com/lan/grphdetl.htm#p_palatalization if you're interested in the phonological details. (The whole page is good for how to determine the pronunciation from the spelling.)
Unfortunately, you can't always tell whether they do! For example, άδεια famously has two pronunciations, one with two syllables and one with three: the two words are spelled the same and you can only tell from context whether it's the more formal (three-syllable) noun or the more colloquial (two-syllable) adjective.
Similarly with βιάζομαι, which can have three syllables or four; both are verbs, but with rather different meanings depending on whether the iota is just a palatalisation marker or a full vowel!
WOW! What a site! I guess, this is the site if you really want to get into it. Thanks a bunch for this prompt and extensive answer to my question! Greetings =))
Yes, there are lots of extremely friendly and helpful people on here and the community is very active. Happy learning!
Instead of installing a Greek keyboard you could us this website that allows you to type Greek letters: http://greek.typeit.org/
This is another great solution! Instead of constant changing between 2 keyboards and remembering the position of the new letters, using ; with a letter to get an accent sign above it, you have everything here written out for you. Great site! Thanks a lot, Philip. =))
I'm using a Samsung smartphone to study with DL. I installed a greek keyboard, and on the contrary of a physical keyboard on a PC, you have the layout to type. I suppose it's the same with Apple. Another advantage of a smartphone is it's easier to study in bed...
So its another possible solution. The drawback is the app is less complete than the web version.
I'm using a PC that converts into a tablet, so I get the best of both worlds - a virtual keyboard with the Greek characters and layout and all the features of the website.
i am new to greek. Why do they use words with the same meaning many times, and why does Greek have the same word with many meanings?
That would be η υγεία σας, with the definite article and with the full form of the noun.
How you can remember it sounds a bit like english but with diffrent meanings.
I used google translate and it was geia sas. I DON'T UNDERSTAND? WHY DOD GOOGLE LIE TO MEH?
I acutally accidently tapped post with my index finger XD i was moving my finher if you were wondering how it happened.
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I got it wrong because I didn't write "!" after "Hello". Kind of unfair
That's rather unlikely. Please get a screenshot if that happens again and share it with us.
I was marked 'almost correct' for 'hullo'. 'Hullo' is a correct British form of 'hello'.
Probably not since the 1950's! It was an upper or middle class pronunciation. You will hear it in old British movies or at places like Eton or such like, you're unlikely to hear it in everyday use. "Hello" itself is becoming rarer too in favour of "Hi", "Hello" being a more formal choice.
If you're not from half a century ago, it's seen as a typo. Sad, I know. I love using hullo.
