Lesson 6 of 20: Family, Describing People & Things, and the Accusative Case.
After today, youโll be able to:
- talk about your family
- describe people and things (tall, nice, expensive, Greekโฆ)
- correctly say โI see Mariaโ, โI love Greeceโ, โIโm eating the souvlakiโ (no more grammar mistakes!)
1. Family members (the ones youโll use every day)
| ฮฟ ฯฮฑฯฮญฯฮฑฯ | o pa-TEH-ras | father |
|---|---|---|
| ฮท ฮผฮทฯฮญฯฮฑ | ee mee-TEH-ra | mother |
| ฮฟ ฮฑฮดฮตฯฯฯฯ | o a-ther-FOS | brother |
| ฮท ฮฑฮดฮตฯฯฮฎ | ee a-ther-FEE | sister |
| ฮฟ ฮณฮนฮฟฯ | o yos | son |
| ฮท ฮบฯฯฮท | ee KO-ree | daughter |
| ฮฟ ฯฮฑฯฯฮฟฯฯ | o pa-POOS | grandfather |
| ฮท ฮณฮนฮฑฮณฮนฮฌ | ee ya-YAH | grandmother |
| ฮฟ ฯฯฮถฯ ฮณฮฟฯ | o SEE-zee-ghos | husband |
| ฮท ฯฯฮถฯ ฮณฮฟฯ | ee SEE-zee-ghos | wife |
| ฯฮฑ ฯฮฑฮนฮดฮนฮฌ | ta peh-THYA | children |
| ฮฟฮน ฮณฮฟฮฝฮตฮฏฯ | ee ghoh-NEES | parents |
Examples:
- ฮฯฯ ฮดฯฮฟ ฮฑฮดฮญฯฯฮนฮฑ. โ I have two siblings.
- ฮ ฮณฮนฮฑฮณฮนฮฌ ฮผฮฟฯ ฮผฮญฮฝฮตฮน ฯฯฮทฮฝ ฮฯฮฎฯฮท. โ My grandmother lives in Crete.
2. The most useful adjectives (they change ending by gender!)
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | English | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ฯฯฮฑฮฏฮฟฯ/ฯฯฮฑฮฏฮฑ/ฯฯฮฑฮฏฮฟ | o-REH-os | o-REH-a | o-REH-o | nice / beautiful |
| ฮผฮตฮณฮฌฮปฮฟฯ/ฮผฮตฮณฮฌฮปฮท/ฮผฮตฮณฮฌฮปฮฟ | meh-GA-los | meh-GA-lee | meh-GA-lo | big |
| ฮผฮนฮบฯฯฯ/ฮผฮนฮบฯฮฎ/ฮผฮนฮบฯฯ | mee-KROS | mee-KREE | mee-KRO | small |
| ฮบฮฑฮปฯฯ/ฮบฮฑฮปฮฎ/ฮบฮฑฮปฯ | ka-LOS | ka-LEE | ka-LO | good / nice |
| ฮบฮฑฮบฯฯ/ฮบฮฑฮบฮฎ/ฮบฮฑฮบฯ | ka-KOS | ka-KEE | ka-KO | bad |
| ฮฑฮบฯฮนฮฒฯฯ/ฮฑฮบฯฮนฮฒฮฎ/ฮฑฮบฯฮนฮฒฯ | a-kree-VOS | a-kree-VEE | a-kree-VO | expensive |
| ฯฯฮทฮฝฯฯ/ฯฯฮทฮฝฮฎ/ฯฯฮทฮฝฯ | ftee-NOS | ftee-NEE | ftee-NO | cheap |
| ฮฝฮญฮฟฯ/ฮฝฮญฮฑ/ฮฝฮญฮฟ | NEH-os | NEH-a | NEH-o | young / new |
| ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮนฮบฯฯ/ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮฏฮดฮฑ/ฮตฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮนฮบฯ | el-lee-nee-KOS | el-lee-NEE-tha | el-lee-nee-KO | Greek |
Rule for now:
- ฮฟ โฆ โ masculine โ ends in -ฮฟฯ
- ฮท โฆ โ feminine โ usually -ฮท or -ฮฑ
- ฯฮฟ โฆ โ neuter โ ends in -ฮฟ
3. The accusative case (the #1 grammar fix you need right now)
When something is the direct object (you do the verb TO it), the article changes:
| Nominative (subject) | Accusative (object) |
|---|---|
| ฮฟ ฮฌฮฝฯฯฮฑฯ โ | ฯฮฟฮฝ ฮฌฮฝฯฯฮฑ |
| ฮท ฮณฯ ฮฝฮฑฮฏฮบฮฑ โ | ฯฮท ฮณฯ ฮฝฮฑฮฏฮบฮฑ |
| ฯฮฟ ฯฮฑฮนฮดฮฏ โ | ฯฮฟ ฯฮฑฮนฮดฮฏ (same) |
| ฮฟฮน ฮฌฮฝฯฯฮตฯ โ | ฯฮฟฯ ฯ ฮฌฮฝฯฯฮตฯ |
Easy examples:
- ฮฮปฮญฯฯ ฯฮฟฮฝ ฮฮนฮฌฮฝฮฝฮท. โ I see Yiannis.
- ฮฮณฮฑฯฮฌฯ ฯฮทฮฝ ฮฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑ. โ I love Greece.
- ฮคฯฯฯ ฯฮฟ ฯฮฟฯ ฮฒฮปฮฌฮบฮน. โ Iโm eating the souvlaki.
4. Describing people โ put it all together
- ฮ ฮฑฮดฮตฯฯฯฯ ฮผฮฟฯ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฯฮทฮปฯฯ ฮบฮฑฮน ฯฯฮฑฮฏฮฟฯ. My brother is tall and handsome.
- ฮ ฮฑฮดฮตฯฯฮฎ ฮผฮฟฯ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮผฮนฮบฯฮฎ ฮฑฮปฮปฮฌ ฯฮฟฮปฯ ฮญฮพฯ ฯฮฝฮท. My sister is small but very smart.
- ฮ ฮฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮผฮนฮฑ ฯฯฮฑฮฏฮฑ ฮบฮฑฮน ฮถฮตฯฯฮฎ ฯฯฯฮฑ. Greece is a beautiful and warm country.
5. Mini dialogue โ talking about family & friends
A: ฮฯฮตฮนฯ ฮฑฮดฮญฯฯฮนฮฑ; B: ฮฮฑฮน, ฮญฯฯ ฮญฮฝฮฑฮฝ ฮฑฮดฮตฯฯฯ ฮบฮฑฮน ฮผฮฏฮฑ ฮฑฮดฮตฯฯฮฎ. ฮ ฮฑฮดฮตฯฯฯฯ ฮผฮฟฯ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮณฮนฮฑฯฯฯฯ ฮบฮฑฮน ฮผฮญฮฝฮตฮน ฮฮตฯฯฮฑฮปฮฟฮฝฮฏฮบฮท. A: ฮฮฑฮน ฮท ฮฑฮดฮตฯฯฮฎ ฯฮฟฯ ; B: ฮฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮผฮนฮบฯฯฯฮตฯฮท, ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮฑฮบฯฮผฮฑ ฯฮฟฮนฯฮฎฯฯฮนฮฑ. ฮฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฯฮฟฮปฯ ฯฮผฮฟฯฯฮท ฮบฮฑฮน ฮญฮพฯ ฯฮฝฮท! A: ฮฉฯฮฑฮฏฮฑ ฮฟฮนฮบฮฟฮณฮญฮฝฮตฮนฮฑ! ฮฮณฯ ฮญฯฯ ฮผฯฮฝฮฟ ฮญฮฝฮฑฮฝ ฮผฮนฮบฯฯ ฮณฮนฮฟ, ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฯฯฮนฯฮฝ ฯฯฮฟฮฝฯฮฝ. B: ฮฯ, ฯฮฟฮปฯ ฮณฮปฯ ฮบฯ!
6. Vocabulary (15 words)
- ฯฮทฮปฯฯ psee-LOS tall
- ฮบฮฟฮฝฯฯฯ kon-DOS short (height)
- ฯฮผฮฟฯฯฮฟฯ OM-or-fos beautiful/handsome (m)
- ฯฮผฮฟฯฯฮท OM-or-fee beautiful (f)
- ฮญฮพฯ ฯฮฝฮฟฯ EK-see-pnos smart
- ฮบฮฑฮปฯฯ ka-LOS kind / good
- ฯฮนฮปฮนฮบฯฯ fee-lee-KOS friendly
- ฮผฮตฮณฮฌฮปฮฟ meh-GA-lo big (neuter)
- ฮผฮนฮบฯฯ mee-KRO small
- ฯฮฑฮปฮนฯ pa-LYO old (thing)
- ฮบฮฑฮนฮฝฮฟฯฯฮณฮนฮฟ ke-NOOR-yo new
- ฮถฮตฯฯฯฯ zes-TOS warm/hot
- ฮบฯฯฮฟฯ KREE-os cold
- ฮตฯฮบฮฟฮปฮฟฯ EF-ko-los easy
- ฮดฯฯฮบฮฟฮปฮฟฯ THEE-sko-los difficult
7. Homework (10โ12 minutes)
- Write or say 6 sentences describing your family/friends using adjectives. Example: ยซฮ ฮผฮทฯฮญฯฮฑ ฮผฮฟฯ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮบฮฟฮฝฯฮฎ ฮฑฮปฮปฮฌ ฯฮฟฮปฯ ฮดฯ ฮฝฮฑฯฮฎ.ยป
- Translate to correct Greek (watch the accusative!):
- I love my sister.
- We see the big beach.
- She has a small, cute dog.
- I want the Greek coffee (black).
- Record yourself introducing your family in 4โ5 sentences.
When youโre ready, say โLesson 7โ and weโll learn:
- Possessives (my, your, his/herโฆ)
- Shopping & prices
- The genitive case (of theโฆ, Mariaโs house, etc.)
ฮฮฏฯฮฑฮน ฮฑฯฮฏฯฯฮตฯ ฯฮฟฯ/ฮฑฯฮฏฯฯฮตฯ ฯฮท โ 30% ฯฮฟฯ ฮดฯฯฮผฮฟฯ ฮบฮฑฮน ฮผฮนฮปฮฌฯ ฮฎฮดฮท ฯฮฑฮฝ ฮฌฮฝฮธฯฯฯฮฟฯ!
Ready for Lesson 7?