I always thought the word was efharisto not efgaristo. Is it a silent g ? It's 45 years since I learned basic greek and 20 years since I was last in Greece, so I have probably forgotten a lot. Please is parrakallo.

Hi Judith ...thanks for the " parrakallo " will write it on a note and pop in my purse....About "hefgaristo"....She just kept saying it and I kept repeating it...and wrote it down as I heard it...I think the h is soft and short...when I said efgaristo she said no... this was in Tolo near Argos in the southern Peloponnese region ...maybe there are little variations ...but maybe I didnt quite catch it properly...

Hi parrakallo also means you'r welcome
Margaret

hi Tweetie pie - try looking at http://www.byki.com. It's a fantastic site where you can download basic phrases and words in almost any language - and its free. We learnt quite a bit of Spanish & Greek from there last year. What's great is that you actually see the written word & then a man speaks it for you to repeat - brilliant

thanks Margret....will try that one Helen...for some reason I seem to have a mental block when it comes to learning spoken language...if its written down I can recognise the words but just cant remember the words to use to speak it when I need it...my mind goes blank...it was nice being able to have a little reminder in my purse ...just so I could say thank you...and used it at every oppertunity...should have been able to remember but a few days after coming home it was gone and needed to look at my bit of paper ...even in school I used to come within the first 5 in written French exam....but couldnt cope verbally.....the Greek people do appreciate it even if you are reading it of a bit of paper

I agree with Helen T about byki. com. Extremely useful and you can even slow down the speech or repeat each word. Oh, and don't forget to switch on your speakers!

Kali mera ... good day
Kali spera .. good evening

oria mera... loverly day

signomi moo Katali ena taxi ya stin Kadamina [ya ston tingaki] [ ya sto acti] parakalo... excuse me me call one taxi for to kardamina [for to Tingaki] [for to the beach] please or as you would say please call me a taxi to go to the??????

[stin ston and sto all mean the same depending on wether the definant article is femail/male/nutral]

yasus
wizard

Wizard what does yasus mean ?

yasus has several meanings.. its both a greeting and a good bye to freinds and family [close friends and close family and to children Yasoo will often be used] so to expand

Kali mera good day [to strangers and aquaintances]

Kali mera sas a very formal good day [to say the bank manager the consulate etc]

Kali spera good evening

kali spers sas [formal]

yasus / yasoo both hallo and good buy to frinds/family

kali nighter good night

Kali nighter sas [formal]

An dio good bye [to aquaintances]

An dio sas [formal]

a true greek toast is stini yasus to which all reply yamas [note yamas is the reply to a toast not the toast itself]

yasus
wizard

Are there any websites that will translate english-greek and greek-english using the english alphabet opposed to the greek alphabet? It looks a bit daunting to be honest.For instance wizard has supplied us with a few words,one of them kali spera looks easy but written in the greek way i imagine is very difficult.

the way i have spelt them is different to translation. i have tried to spell them phonetically to make them easy to pronounce

wizard

sorry wizard i wasn't too sure of the meaning of phonetic,time to get back to school

riversider - have a look at the byki site that I suggested earlier. It really is good, and makes learning a few basic words & phrases in any language easy.

Wizard

I was interested in your posts and will try and remember these for this years sojourn to Rhodes. Particularly of note was the explanation of the correct use of the word "Yammas" (I have been as guilty as everyone else!!)

Was I hearing incorrectly or is "good night" prononounced "Kali Nicter"?

Also how do you stop yourself saying "kalamari" instead of "Kali mera"? (yes I am guilty of this!!! )

Facetiously, my work colleague wondered if you mentioned the Bank Manager and the Consulate as these are the people you spend most time grovelling to?

Stini Yasus

tutor52

all around greece the pronunciation dose differ slightly, I have been learning everyday Greek over the last 5 yrs or so, i did try some of the cd learning jobs to start with but i found most people i met do not speak that way, there are a lot of contractions from standard Greek [as there is in everyday English]

example " and you" should be ke sesis but you will also here ke sei, es seisi or just esis,

so far i have been thought to be Cretan and last year after complaining about prices in a bar the owner asked what part of Athens i was from... all good for a laugh

Greek is probably the hardest of European languages for Germanic [west European] speakers to master and I'm still a long way off.

and no i don't mix my good night and squid as i don't particularly like squid

and the bank manager is just an example i cant afford a Greek bank manager

yasus
wizard

i will take a look at that site Helen,thanks.

A good phrase when you've tried a little greek and the person you're talking to thinks you speak the language -

Then katalaveno - I don't understand
or
Then meelow polei kala elinikas - I don't speak greek very well

Two phrases i've often used over the years!

Marcus

I don't think anyone would think I could speak Greek - but two useful phrases are now locked in the memory :)

Dave

I picked up a very good CD Rom from PC World. It's interactive, so you can keep clicking on the icons and practising the words until you sound like the tutors.
Euro Talk Interactive is the disk and it cost about a tenner. Also bought the Turkish.

A couple of hours with them and you'll sound like a native - of Bradford!