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Get Acquainted With Greek

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Acute Accent - Diaeresis Mark - Question Mark

• The question mark in Greek is ";".

• Only vowels can carry the necessary acute accents (΄) and/or diaeresis marks (¨).

• Upper case vowels must carry all of the necessary acute accents, except when they are part of a capitalized word. The disjunctive "ή" (or) must always carry an acute accent.
  
  Example:

  • "ΣΗΜΕΡΑ" (SIMERA ~ today)

  • "ΕΙΤΕ ΑΥΤΟ Ή ΕΚΕΙΝΟ" (ITE AFTO I EKINO ~ either this or that)

• Upper case vowels must carry all of the necessary diaeresis marks on all cases.

• Any vowels carrying an acute accent, must be stressed when pronounced.

• Vowels in monosyllabic words do not carry an acute accent, except in exclamatory sentences for emphasis or when asking a question.
  
  Exclamatory sentence example using the word "μη" (mi ~ don't):

  • "Μή μου πεις!" (Mi mou pis! ~ You don't say!)

  • "Παρακαλώ μη μου πεις." (Parakalo mi mou pis. ~ Please don't tell me.)

  Asking a question example using the word "που" (pou ~ where):

  • "Πού είσαι;" (Pou ise; ~ Where are you?)

  • "Εκεί που είσαι είναι σκοτάδι." (Eki pou ise ine skotadi. ~ It's dark where you are.)

Alphabet

Vowels

α  ε   η  ι  ο  υ   ω

• Pronunciation of short vowels is brief.

• Pronunciaton of long vowels is extended.
  Ancient Greeks pronounced η as an extended ε (that is almost like εε) and ω as an extended ο (that is almost like οο). In Modern Greek pronunciation there is no such differentiation and both vowels are pronounced as short.

• Pronunciation of bi-modal vowels is sometimes brief and sometimes extended.
  Ancient Greeks, depending on the syllables, sometimes pronounced these vowels as short and sometimes as long. In Modern Greek pronunciation there is no such differentiation and these three vowels are pronounced as short.

Consonants

β  γ   δ  ζ  θ  κ   λ  μ  ν  ξ   π  ρ  σ (ς)   τ  φ  χ  ψ

• The terms palatal, labial and dental, refer to the vocal organ with which they are pronounced.

• The terms light (that is fine), medium and heavy (that is thick), refer to the amount of breath during their pronunciation.

• The letter γ is nasal when followed by the letters κ, γ, χ and ξ: i.e. άγκυρα {angkira ~ anchor}, άγγελος {angkelos ~ angel}, άγχος {anhos ~ angst), φάλαγξ {falanks ~ phalanx}.

• Double consonants are usually produced by the union of two other consonants.

  • ζ = σ+δ

  • ξ = κ+σ   or  γ+σ  or  χ+σ

  • ψ = π+σ   or  β+σ  or  φ+σ

Diphthongs

• All of the diphthongs are two-vowel combinations.

• Either none, or only the second vowel carries an acute accent.

• A two-vowel combination, where either the first vowel carries an acute accent, or the second vowel carries a diaeresis mark, is pronounced as two separate vowels.
  
  Examples:

  • "άυπνος" (aipnos ~ sleepless)

  • "μαϊντανός" (maintanos ~ parsley)

Letter Combinations

06-22-2004