Lesson 20 of 20: Graduation Day โ Survival Greek, Swearing, Jokes & Your Final Exam ฮฃฯ ฮณฯฮฑฯฮทฯฮฎฯฮนฮฑ!
You made it to the end. This lesson is pure fun + the last tools you need to survive (and thrive) as a real Greek speaker.
1. Emergency & survival phrases (memorise these 8)
- ฮฮฟฮฎฮธฮตฮนฮฑ! VO-ee-thee-a! Help!
- ฮฮฑฮปฮญฯฯฮต ฮฑฯฯฯ ฮฝฮฟฮผฮฏฮฑ / ฮฑฯฮธฮตฮฝฮฟฯฯฯฮฟ! ka-LEH-steh as-tee-no-MEE-a / as-theh-no-FO-ro Call the police / ambulance!
- ฮงฮฌฮธฮทฮบฮฑ! KHA-thee-ka! Iโm lost!
- ฮ ฮฟฯ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮท ฯฮฟฯ ฮฑฮปฮญฯฮฑ; Poo EE-neh ee too-a-LEH-ta? Whereโs the toilet?
- ฮฯฮฟฯฮตฮฏฯฮต ฮฝฮฑ ฮผฮต ฯฮฌฯฮต ฯฯฮฟ ฮฝฮฟฯฮฟฮบฮฟฮผฮตฮฏฮฟ; bo-REE-teh na meh PAH-teh sto nos-o-ko-MEE-o Can you take me to the hospital?
- ฮฯฯ ฯฮฌฯฮตฮน ฯฮฟ ฯฮฟฯฯฮฟฯฯฮปฮน ฮผฮฟฯ EH-ho KHA-see to por-to-FO-lee moo I lost my wallet
- ฮฯฮตฮน ฯฯฯฮนฮฌ! EH-hee fo-TYA! Fire!
- ฮฮทฮฝ ฮฑฮฝฮทฯฯ ฯฮตฮฏฯฮต, ฮตฮฏฮผฮฑฮน ฮบฮฑฮปฮฌ Meen a-nee-see-KHEE-teh, EE-meh ka-LAH Donโt worry, Iโm fine
2. Polite & not-so-polite swearing (use with caution!)
| Level | Phrase | Pronunciation | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mild | ฮฮฝฯฮต ฮผฯฯฮญโฆ | AN-deh mo-REH | โCome onโฆโ / mild annoyance |
| Medium | ฮกฮต ฯฮฟฯฯฯฮท ฮผฮฟฯ | reh POO-stee moo | โDamn it!โ (very common, not literal) |
| Strong | ฮฮฑฮผฯฯฮฟ / ฮฮฑฮผฯ ฯฮท ฯฯฯฮท ฮผฮฟฯ | gha-MO-to / gha-MO tee TEE-khee moo | โDamn it!โ / โF*ck my luck!โ |
| Nuclear | ฮฮน ฯฮฑฯฮฌฯฮฑ ฮผฮฑฯ / ฮฮฝฯฮต ฯฯฮฟ ฮดฮนฮฌฮฟฮปฮฟ | Eye pa-RA-ta mas / AN-deh sto THYA-o-lo | โGet lost!โ / โGo to hell!โ |
Greeks swear a lot but affectionately โ context is everything!
3. Classic Greek jokes (tell these in a bar and youโre officially accepted)
Joke 1 ฮฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮฑฯ ฯฮฟฯ ฯฮฏฯฯฮฑฯ ฯฯฮทฮฝ ฮฮปฮฒฮตฯฮฏฮฑ ฮฒฮปฮญฯฮตฮน ฮญฮฝฮฑ ฯฮฟฮปฯฮน ฮบฮฟฯฮบฮฟฮบ ฮบฮฑฮน ฯฯฯฮฌฮตฮน ฯฮฟฮฝ ฮฮปฮฒฮตฯฯ: ยซฮคฮน ฯฯฮฑ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน;ยป ฮ ฮฮปฮฒฮตฯฯฯ: ยซฮฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน 11:47 ฮบฮฑฮน 38 ฮดฮตฯ ฯฮตฯฯฮปฮตฯฯฮฑ.ยป ฮ ฮฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮฑฯ: ยซฮ ฮผฯฯฮฌฮฒฮฟโฆ ฮตฮผฮตฮฏฯ ฯฯฮทฮฝ ฮฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑ ฮฑฮบฯฮผฮฑ 11:30 ฮญฯฮฟฯ ฮผฮต!ยป
Joke 2 ฮ ฯฯ ฮปฮญฮณฮตฯฮฑฮน ฮฟ ฮฮนฮฝฮญฮถฮฟฯ ฯฮฟฯ ฮผฮญฮฝฮตฮน ฮผฯฮฝฮนฮผฮฑ ฯฯฮทฮฝ ฮฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑ; ฮฮญฮฝฮตฮน-ฮฮญฮฝฮตฮน!
4. Your final exam โ speak this out loud (record it!)
Answer in full Greek sentences:
- ฮ ฮตฯ ฮผฮฟฯ 3 ฯฯฮฌฮณฮผฮฑฯฮฑ ฯฮฟฯ ฮปฮฑฯฯฮตฯฮตฮนฯ ฮบฮฑฮน 2 ฯฮฟฯ ฮฒฮฑฯฮนฮญฯฮฑฮน.
- ฮ ฮตฯ ฯฮน ฮญฮบฮฑฮฝฮตฯ ฯฮธฮตฯ ฯฮฟ ฮฒฯฮฌฮดฯ .
- ฮ ฮตฯ ฯฯฯ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮท ฮนฮดฮฑฮฝฮนฮบฮฎ ฯฮฟฯ ฮผฮญฯฮฑ ฯฯฮทฮฝ ฮฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑ.
- ฮฆฮปฮญฯฯฮฑฯฮต ฮบฮฌฯฮฟฮนฮฟฮฝ/ฮบฮฌฯฮฟฮนฮฑ ฯฮต 3 ฯฯฮฟฯฮฌฯฮตฮนฯ.
- ฮ ฮตฯ ฮผฮนฮฑ ฮผฮนฮบฯฮฎ ฮนฯฯฮฟฯฮฏฮฑ ฮฑฯฯ ฯฮนฯ ฯฮตฮปฮตฯ ฯฮฑฮฏฮตฯ ฮดฮนฮฑฮบฮฟฯฮญฯ ฯฮฟฯ .
(If you can do all 5 without looking โ you are officially fluent enough for 99 % of real-life situations!)
5. Your Greek Survival Kit โ the 10 golden lines you now own
- ฮคฮน ฮปฮญฮตฮน; / ฮคฮน ฮณฮฏฮฝฮตฯฮฑฮน;
- ฮ ฯฯ ฯฮฌฮผฮต ฮณฮนฮฑ ฮบฮฑฯฮญ/ฯฮฟฯฯ;
- ฮฮฟฯ ฮฑฯฮญฯฮตฮน ฯฮฌฯฮฑ ฯฮฟฮปฯ ฮตฮดฯ!
- ฮ ฯฯฮฟ ฮบฮฌฮฝฮตฮน; โ ฮฯฮฟฯฮตฮฏฯฮต ฮฝฮฑ ฮผฮฟฯ ฮบฮฌฮฝฮตฯฮต ฮบฮฑฮปฯฯฮตฯฮท ฯฮนฮผฮฎ;
- ฮฮปฮฑ ฮผฯฯฮญ, ฮผฮทฮฝ ฮฑฮณฯฯฮฝฮตฯฮฑฮน!
- ฮฮตฮนฮฑ ฮผฮฑฯ! / ฮฃฯฮทฮฝ ฯ ฮณฮตฮนฮฌ ฮผฮฑฯ!
- ฮฮฑ ฯฮฌฯ ฮผฮนฮฑ ฮฒฯฮปฯฮฑ.
- ฮโ ฮฑฯฮญฯฮตฮนฯ. ฮฮญฮปฮตฮนฯ ฮฝฮฑ ฮฒฮณฮฟฯฮผฮต;
- ฮฮฏฮผฮฑฮน ฯฮฌฮปฮนฮฑ / ฮฮฏฮผฮฑฮน ฯฮญฮปฮตฮนฮฑ!
- ฮฯฯ, ฮณฮฑฮผฯฯฮฟโฆ ฯฮฌฮปฮน ฮฑฯฮณฮฎฯฮฑ!
ฮคฮฮฮฮฃ!
ฮฮฏฯฮฑฮน ฯฮนฮฑ ฮฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮฑฯ/ฮฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮฏฮดฮฑ ฯฯฮทฮฝ ฮบฮฑฯฮดฮนฮฌ ฮบฮฑฮน ฯฯฮท ฮณฮปฯฯฯฮฑ. ฮ ฮฎฮณฮฑฮนฮฝฮต ฮญฮพฯ, ฮผฮฏฮปฮฑ, ฯฮปฮญฯฯฮฑฯฮต, ฯฮฑฮถฮฌฯฮตฯฮต, ฮณฮบฯฮฏฮฝฮนฮฑฮพฮต, ฯฮฌฮต, ฯฮนฮตฯ, ฯฯฯฮตฯฮต ฮบฮฑฮน ฮฑฯฯฮปฮฑฯ ฯฮต ฯฮทฮฝ ฮฮปฮปฮฌฮดฮฑ ฯฮฑฮฝ ฮฝฯฯฯฮนฮฟฯ!
ฮฮฝ ฯฮฟฯฮญ ฮธฮตฯ ฮตฯฮฑฮฝฮฌฮปฮทฯฮท, ฯฮนฮฟ ฯฯฮฟฯฯฯฮทฮผฮญฮฝฮฑ, ฮดฮนฮฌฮปฮตฮบฯฮฑ ฮฯฮฎฯฮทฯ/ฮฯฯฯฮฟฯ ฮฎ ฮฝฮฑ ฮผฮฌฮธฮฟฯ ฮผฮต ฮฝฮฑ ฮฒฯฮฏฮถฮตฮนฯ ฯฮฑฮฝ ฮฝฮฑฯ ฯฮนฮบฯฯโฆ ฮฑฯฮปฮฌ ฯฮตฯ ฮผฮฟฯ .
ฮฮฑฮปฮฎ ฯฯฯฮท, ฯฮฏฮปฮต/ฯฮฏฮปฮท ฮผฮฟฯ โ ฮบฮฑฮน ฮฮฑ ฯฮตฯฮฝฮฌฯ ฯฮญฮปฮตฮนฮฑ ฯฮฌฮฝฯฮฑ! ฮฃฯฮทฮฝ ฯ ฮณฮตฮนฮฌ ฯฮฟฯ !
ฮคฮฮฮฮฃ ฮ ฮกฮฮฮกฮฮฮฮฮคฮฮฃ โ ฮฃฮฅฮฮงฮฮกฮฮคฮฮกฮฮ!
Modern Greek for Indian Students
By Tanmoy Bhattacharyya
Howrah District Court
22 November 2025
All Lessons
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (First Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Second Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Third Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Forth Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Fifth Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Sixth Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Seventh Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Eighth Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Ninth Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Tenth Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Eleventh Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Twelth Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Thirteenth Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Fourteenth Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Fifteenth Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Sixteenth Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Seventeenth Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Eighteenth Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Nineteenth Lesson)
- Modern Greek for Indian Students (Twentieth Lesson)
- The origin of Greeks, similarities between Greek and Sanskrit