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Embici’s slow road to Greek

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embici
Triglot
Senior Member
CanadaRegistered users can see my Skype Name
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263 posts - 370 votes 
Speaks: English*, Spanish, French
Studies: Greek

 
 Message 17 of 108
10 January 2013 at 6:26pm | IP Logged 
For the first time I have attempted to write a bit of Greek. It was not easy! I didn't learn to spell very well from Michel Thomas or the passive wave of Assimil, that is for sure.

So here is my first attempt. I didn't even stray from the present tense. Corrections are very welcome.


Γεια σας ! Με λένε Νικόλ και έιμαι από τον Καναδά. Μενώ με την οικογένειά μου και δουλέυω σε ενα πανεπιστήμιο.

Μιλάω αγγλικά, ισπανικά και γαλλικά, και τώρα, λίγο ελληνικά. Ο συζυγός μου μιλάι αγγλικά και ελληνικά. Τα πεθερικά μου έιναι από την Ελλάδα αλλά μένουν στον Καναδά απο πολές χρόνες. Θέλουμε να ταξιδέψουμε μαζί στην Ελλάδα φέτος. Αυτό έιναι γιατί μαθάινω της ελληνικής γλώσσας.
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renaissancemedi
Bilingual Triglot
Senior Member
Greece
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941 posts - 1309 votes 
Speaks: Greek*, Ancient Greek*, EnglishC2
Studies: French, Russian, Turkish, Modern Hebrew

 
 Message 18 of 108
10 January 2013 at 7:03pm | IP Logged 
Congratulations! This is well written, with very few mistakes.

Γειά σας ! Με λένε Νικόλ και είμαι από τον Καναδά. Μένω με την οικογένειά μου και δουλεύω σε ένα πανεπιστήμιο.

Μιλάω αγγλικά, ισπανικά και γαλλικά, και τώρα, λίγο (you could say λίγα, but it's not a mistake) ελληνικά. Ο σύζυγός μου μιλάει αγγλικά και ελληνικά. Τα πεθερικά μου είναι από την Ελλάδα αλλά μένουν στον Καναδά από πολλά χρόνια (εδώ και πολλά χρόνια would be better). Θέλουμε να ταξιδέψουμε μαζί στην Ελλάδα φέτος. Αυτός είναι ο λόγος που (or για τον οποίο, but both are correct) μαθαίνω την ελληνική γλώσσα.


Generaly it was great! Just pay attention to the stress of each word. Some take one stress mark, some none and some two! Pay attention where you stress the diphthongues. Don't seperate them! Also notice how the endings change according to the use of each word. The last sentence probably needs more complex grammar than you know right now. Basically you translated an English expression into greek words, but it comes out wrong. We all do that, I still do it in English. So, don't be too sad about it!

I'm very impressed! You communicated perfectly, none of the meaning was lost.


Edited by renaissancemedi on 10 January 2013 at 7:05pm

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embici
Triglot
Senior Member
CanadaRegistered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 4611 days ago

263 posts - 370 votes 
Speaks: English*, Spanish, French
Studies: Greek

 
 Message 19 of 108
10 January 2013 at 8:48pm | IP Logged 
Thank you so much for the corrections renaissancemedi! So many of those mistakes I should have known, but I find I can't help but translate directly from English, at this stage. Hopefully with practice I'll start thinking in Greek.

This was the first time I typed anything out in Greek and it was not easy. I will have to remember the rules for stresses on diphthongs. It seems strange to me to put an accent on a consonant (eg in the word δουλεύω), but then, Y isn't really a consonant, is it? It just sounds like one here.

Thanks again, this really helps me know what I should focus on for the next bit: spelling and cases.

I recorded myself on Soundcloud reading the corrected text should anyone care to have a listen.
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renaissancemedi
Bilingual Triglot
Senior Member
Greece
Joined 4359 days ago

941 posts - 1309 votes 
Speaks: Greek*, Ancient Greek*, EnglishC2
Studies: French, Russian, Turkish, Modern Hebrew

 
 Message 20 of 108
11 January 2013 at 7:18am | IP Logged 
I heared your recording and it was excellent! You've got the pronunciation and the intonation and everything perfectly.




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Solfrid Cristin
Heptaglot
Winner TAC 2011 & 2012
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Norway
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 Message 21 of 108
11 January 2013 at 7:26am | IP Logged 
Wow. Well done!
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embici
Triglot
Senior Member
CanadaRegistered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 4611 days ago

263 posts - 370 votes 
Speaks: English*, Spanish, French
Studies: Greek

 
 Message 22 of 108
11 January 2013 at 4:18pm | IP Logged 
That means a lot to hear it from a native speaker. Thank you, @renaissancemedi!

I was reading somewhere that it's really important to get the pronunciation right at the beginning when studying a new language, otherwise errors fossilize.

I think the best course of action for me now is to spend more time learning the grammar and vocabulary needed to get me talking and writing more.

@solfrid cristin, I heard your fantastic Castilian accent on YouTube so I'm sure you are having no problems with Greek pronuncation. I think Castilian Spanish and Greek share so many sounds. E.g. they both have Δ and Θ and a Σ that sounds somewhere between the English [s] and [sh].




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Solfrid Cristin
Heptaglot
Winner TAC 2011 & 2012
Senior Member
Norway
Joined 5335 days ago

4143 posts - 8864 votes 
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Studies: Russian

 
 Message 23 of 108
11 January 2013 at 4:36pm | IP Logged 
Thank you!

I am counting on Greek and Spanish pronunciation being very similar, but there are of course some sounds
that I struggle with.

The γ and the χ look like they are going to give me trouble, but I will persevere :-)
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stelingo
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United Kingdom
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 Message 24 of 108
11 January 2013 at 4:40pm | IP Logged 
Μπράβο embici!


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