Short relax word12/22/2023 One of the many words that can tell you something about the Greek culture, ‘peratzatha’ refers to the idle but extremely relaxing activity of people-watching. For example, let’s say you’ve taken a seat at one of the many wonderful places to eat in Athens and the waiter approaches you: he might say ‘parakalo’, as a way of asking you what you would like after you’ve had your delicious meal and pay the bill, he will obviously say ‘efharisto’, to which you may also reply with a ‘parakalo’ So, there you go! Three little words and you’re already speaking Greek. However, as we already established, the Greek language often attaches multiple meanings to just one word we really like using, and so ‘parakalo’ can also mean ‘ please’, or be used as a way of saying ‘ how can I help you’. In case you were wondering, the natural reply to ‘efharisto’ is ‘parakalo’ - the Greek word for ‘ you’re welcome’. Even if you can’t speak Greek for the world, mastering this one little word will make the local people you talk to during your Greek holiday infinitely happy and pleased. Besides, the word they use to describe their hospitality is the same one Greeks used in antiquity: 'filoxenia', literally meaning the state of being a friend to strangers.įor all the forms of filoxenia you will receive during your stay in Greece, you'll probably want to say 'efharisto' to a few of people. Quite simply, this is Greek for ‘thank you’. Okay, perhaps your hotel owner or stranger you ask direction from on the street will not think of you as exactly sacred today, but definitely they'll be really really friendly to you and treat you as a 'guest' of their country. But did you know that this hospitality traces all the way back to ancient Greece? That's right, the Greeks' ancestors used to think Zeus sent strangers their way, and that they had a moral obligation to offer everything they can to foreigners, who were considered sacred persons. We're sure you've heard about how remarkably hospitable people Greeks are. For the time being we don’t advise you to use this word yourself lest you get the context wrong but, still, it can come in very handy knowing what ‘malaka’ means, especially if you're around youths. However, ‘malaka’ is equally often used as ‘ dude’ or ‘mate’, while sometimes it is simply uttered a general exclamation of surprise or amazement at what you just heard. Speaking of basic Greek, ‘malaka’ is technically the Greek equivalent for the J word, or the A word - you get the point - which is why most tourists, hearing Greeks use this word literally ., think they're perpetually quarrelling. Both words are pretty easy to pronounce, so if you want to impress your Athens tour guide or the Greek restaurant owner you just met, casually throwing a ‘kalimera’ or ‘kalispera’ in the conversation will probably get you a warm pat on the back (or, in the latter case, even a drink or small dish on the house). Technically, you’re supposed to use it until 12:00, after which it’s preferable to say ‘ kalispera’ - i.e. ‘Kalimera’ is another super basic/useful/beautiful word, literally translating into ‘ good day’. If someone raises a glass to you saying ‘yia mas’, return the toast simply by repeating it yourself. So if you’re planning on exploring the world-famous Athens nightlife, this is a phrase you’ll most likely hear a lot. Unlike ‘yia sou’, ‘yia mas’ isn’t a greeting, but the standard toast we Greeks make before sipping down that glass of alcohol in our hand. The slightly more polite version is ‘yia sas’, which you probably want to use with strangers, older people, etc.Īs you can probably guess, ‘yia mas’ is also a wish for good health, but this time our own. you greet people by literally wishing them good health (isn't that the sweetest?). What your Greek phrasebook probably won’t tell you though, is that ‘yia’ is a shortening for ‘iyia’ , which means ‘health’ in Greek - i.e. Possibly the most essential Greek phrase, and one of the most common Greek greetings, ‘yia sou’ is an informal way of saying ‘hello’.
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