Hello again!

For this special day, having come to the end of our advent(-urous) Greek journey, let’s have a look at the Bible text (which is originally written in Greek!) that describes the birth of Christ. In this case, I’m using a modern Greek translation, but New Testament Greek is actually surprisingly understandable to the modern Greek speaker. It is nothing like the very alien ancient Greek of Plato or Aristotle, and much closer to the language of today. I will make a video in the future where I compare the different versions of Greek, from classic ancient to modern, so that you can see how the language changed over time.

But let’s not get distracted from this special day! Today is Christmas Eve, and I will spend the evening with my family in front of our ecologically sound, recycled-plastic tree, while you can have a look at Luke 2 in modern Greek and in English, with a glossary at the end.

Have a great Christmas time!

— Andy

Κατά Λουκάν Ευαγγέλιο (2:4-7)

Ανέβηκε και ο Ιωσήφ από τη Γαλιλαία, από την πόλη Ναζαρέτ,
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth,

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Welcome back to our series of daily expressions in Greek!

As we’re slowly coming to an end (tomorrow will be the last day, officially, although I may send one or two more because I can’t stop!), I wanted to leave the random expressions behind and contribute a bit more to your Christmassy feelings. So for today and tomorrow, we’ll be talking about Christmas topics.

By the way, did you know that Greeks traditionally used to display boats or models of boats as Christmas decorations? This was a testament to the importance of the sea for Greek history and culture, and the fact that a great part of the population was working either directly on the sea or in jobs that were connected to maritime trades.

Have a nice day!

— Andy

Μια Ένδοξη Παρεξήγηση (A Glorious Misunderstanding)

Η ετήσια τελετουργία είχε ξεκινήσει.
The annual ritual had begun.

Το ψηλό, αργό προσωπικό μου έφερε το Δέντρο του Έξω μέσα.
My tall, slow-blinking staff brought the Outside Tree inside.

Μια ακατανόητη, αλλά συναρπαστική, εξέλιξη.
A baffling, yet thrilling, development.

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Meaning & Explanation:
This is the quintessential Greek way of saying “to each his own,” “there’s no accounting for taste,” or “different strokes for different folks.” It’s a polite and slightly philosophical way to end a disagreement about subjective preferences (like food, art, music, or movies). The structure is “On the subject of [X], [Y],” where Y is a seemingly random, unrelated noun.

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Hello, welcome back!

Here we are, on our fourth and last advent Sunday. Christmas is near, and perhaps you’re stressed out of your wits with all the stuff that still needs doing and organising before the big day arrives — shopping, decorating, finding a tree, ferrying kids around to and from their friends, planning the Christmas meal, and whatever else your life throws at you. In this situation, one could be tempted to let it all be and just run away, become invisible for a week, until it’s all over. If you’ve entertained this thought, then today’s expression is made just for you.

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Today, we’re looking at a word that is impossible to translate with just one English word, but is key to understanding the Greek personality: μάγκας (mángas).

Is he a good guy? A bad guy? A hero? A trickster? Well, he’s a little bit of all of that.

To understand the μάγκας, it helps to think of a spectrum of character types in Greek culture.

On one end, you have the λεβέντης (levéntis), whom we talked about before. The λεβέντης is the ideal man of honor. He is brave, straightforward, generous, and proud. He solves problems head-on, with strength and honesty. No tricks, no shortcuts. He is the classic hero.

On the complete opposite end, you have the αλήτης (alítis). The αλήτης is a scoundrel, a vagrant. He lives on the fringes of society and uses tricks and deceit to get what he wants, often without any moral code.

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Meaning & Explanation:
This sharp slang term has two distinct meanings, both cleverly derived from the idea of “shopping.”

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Meaning & Explanation:
This is the wonderfully absurd Greek equivalent of the English idiom “it’s raining cats and dogs.” It’s a humorous, exaggerated way to describe a very heavy downpour.

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Meaning & Explanation:
This is a visceral and extremely common Greek idiom for expressing that you have been pushed to your absolute limit of annoyance and frustration.

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Sundays are always a little special at this time of year — on the advent wreath, you get to light another candle, clearly seeing the progress of the season towards its highlight on Christmas Eve. With our family, we’re baking cookies, although it seems a little silly to be baking while running the air-cond…

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Literal Translation: Vagabond, tramp, bum.

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Meaning & Explanation:
Alítis is a word with a fascinating duality, where tone and context are everything. Its primary, literal meaning is negative, referring to a vagrant, a troublemaker, or someone from the streets with no respectable place in society.

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Pronunciation: Ké-fi

Meaning & Explanation:
Kéfi is the untranslatable Greek concept of high spirits, joy, and a passion for life. It’s a state of profound emotional exuberance, a feeling of elation that makes you want to sing, dance, and celebrate. It is more active and spirited than simple “happiness.” You can be happy sitting quietly, but when you have kéfi, there is an energy that needs to be expressed.

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Literal Translation: (Untranslatable noun)

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Literal Translation: “To explode”

Meaning & Explanation:

Here is one of the most dynamic and expressive verbs in the Greek language: σκάω (skáo). While its literal meaning is “to burst” or “to explode,” its real power lies in its many colloquial and figurative uses. Understanding how and when to use `σκάω` will make your Greek sound much more natural and fluent.

1. The Literal Meaning: To Burst or Explode

This is the dictionary definition of the verb. It is used to describe something that breaks open suddenly due to internal pressure. This could be a tire, a balloon, a pipe, or anything else that bursts open in an explosive way. It describes a physical, often audible, event.

Άκουσα έναν δυνατό θόρυβο και συνειδητοποίησα ότι μόλις είχε σκάσει το λάστιχο του ποδηλάτου μου. (I heard a loud noise and realized that my bicycle tire had just burst.)

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Meaning & Explanation:
This is a wonderfully vivid and emphatic way of saying “Be extremely careful!” or “Keep your eyes peeled!” The logic is that two eyes are simply not enough for the level of vigilance required.

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Today is the second Sunday of the advent period (if I counted right), the four weeks before Christmas. According to German custom, we would today light the second candle on the advent wreath, and then an additional candle every Sunday until Christmas.

Fittingly, our little lesson for today is about taking …

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Literal Translation: “Love of honor.”

Meaning & Explanation:
If λεβέντης is the ideal man, φιλότιμο is the essential virtue that powers him. It is perhaps the single most important and revered concept in the Greek cultural psyche, and it is famously untranslatable.

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Pronunciation: Levéntis

Literal Translation: (Untranslatable) A brave, strong, upstanding, gallant man.

Meaning & Explanation:
This is a word that carries immense cultural weight and is a huge compliment. A λεβέντης is the ideal Greek man. He is not just brave (γενναίος), but also honorable, generous, straightforward, and carries himself with a certain pride and physical grace.

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Literal Translation: “I ate a door.”

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Meaning & Explanation:
This is a classic piece of Greek slang that means you were rejected, denied entry, or shut down. The image is wonderfully direct: you tried to go somewhere or get something, but you were met with a closed door so abruptly it was like you walked right into it. While it’s most famously used for being turned away by a bouncer at a club, its use is much broader. You can “eat a door” when you’re rejected romantically, when your proposal is turned down at work, or even when you find a restaurant is fully booked. It’s a blunt, informal, and slightly humorous way to talk about the sting of rejection.

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