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Greek is the official language of Greece, which is also called the Hellenic Republic, and is also one of the official languages of the Republic of Cyprus. There are big Greek and Cypriot communities in the US, the UK, Australia, Germany, Canada, Chile, South Africa and Russia, but also in neighbouring countries, such as Albania, Bulgaria and Turkey.

It's estimated that around 30% of the English vocabulary consists, directly and indirectly, of words of Classical Greek origin. Most of them are technical and scientific terms.

Words of Greek origin are often used at the beginning of a word, such as:

aero from 听 峒�萎蟻 [aeer], air

auto from 听伪峤愊勏屜� [aftos], self

cata from 听魏伪蟿维 [kata], down

hyper from 听峤懴�苇蟻 [yper], over

hypo from 听峤懴�蠈 [ypo], under

mono from 听渭蠈谓慰蟼 [monos], one alone

psych from 听蠄蠀蠂萎 [psychee], the mind

tele from 听蟿峥單晃� [teeleh], distance

photo from 听蠁峥断�, 蠁蠅蟿蠈蟼 [phos, photos], light

meter from 听渭苇蟿蟻慰谓 [metron], measure

And also at the end of a word, such as:

logy from 听位苇纬蔚喂谓 [leyein], to speak

phone from 听蠁蠅谓萎 [phonee], sound

chrome from 听蠂蟻峥段嘉� [chroma], colour

Breaking down a word of Greek origin often helps decipher the meaning. You may recognise:

biography from 听尾委慰蟼 [veeos], life, and 听纬蟻伪蠁萎 [graphee], writing

astronomy from 听峒勏兿勏佄课� [astron], star, and 听谓蠈渭慰蟼 [nomos], arranging

polytechnic from 听蟺慰位蠉蟼 [polees], many and 听蟿苇蠂谓畏 [techne], skill

Many of these words and their pronunciation have evolved in Modern Greek. In this guide, all words are pronounced following the Modern Greek pronunciation standards.

So, now you know where they come from, you can give yourself some 听魏峥ξ次肯� [kythos], glory, the next time you talk about these things!

It鈥檚 fairly easy to learn to read Greek as most letters and sounds already exist in English.

The Greek language has three genders: masculine, feminine and neuter, so the word the is written in three ways: 听慰 [o] for masculine, 听畏 [ee] for feminine, 听蟿慰 [to] for neuter. Moreover, the word the is also used before place names, for example 听蟿慰 螞慰谓未委谓慰 [to Lonthino], literally the London, or a person鈥檚 name, for example 听畏 螠伪蟻委伪 [ee Maria], the Mary.

Here are some of the most challenging Greek tongue twisters:
听螠喂伪 蟺维蟺喂伪 渭伪 蟺慰喂伪 蟺维蟺喂伪, 渭喂伪 蟺维蟺喂伪 渭蔚 蟺伪蟺喂维
[Meea papeea ma poeea papeea, meea papeea me papeea]
A duck, but which duck, a duck with ducklings

The longest word in the Greek language consists of no less than 78 syllables and 171 letters and it鈥檚 every actor鈥檚 nightmare:

蚂慰蟺伪未慰卢蟿蔚渭伪蠂慰卢蟽蔚位伪蠂慰卢纬伪位蔚慰卢魏蚁伪谓喂慰卢位蔚喂蠄伪谓慰卢未蚁喂渭卢蠀蟺慰卢
蟿蚁喂渭渭伪蟿慰卢蟽喂位蠁喂慰卢魏伪蚁伪尾慰卢渭蔚位喂蟿慰卢魏伪蟿伪魏蔚蠂蠀卢渭蔚谓慰卢魏喂蠂位卢蔚蟺喂卢
魏慰蟽蟽蠀蠁慰卢蠁伪蟿蟿慰卢蟺蔚蚁喂蟽蟿蔚蚁卢伪位蔚魏蟿蚁蠀慰谓卢慰蟺蟿慰卢魏蔚蠁伪位位喂慰卢魏喂纬魏位慰卢
蟺蔚位蔚喂慰卢位伪纬峥澄柯兾瓜佄蔽刮柯参毕单仿勏佄蔽澄蔽轿柯赌蟿蔚蚁蠉纬蝇谓

摆尝辞辫补迟丑辞卢迟别尘补肠丑辞卢蝉别濒补肠丑辞卢驳补濒别辞卢办谤补苍颈辞卢濒别颈辫蝉补苍辞卢诲谤颈尘卢丑测辫辞卢
迟谤颈尘尘补迟辞卢蝉颈濒辫丑颈辞-办补谤补惫辞-尘别濒颈迟辞卢-办补迟补办别肠丑测卢尘别苍辞卢办颈肠丑濒卢-别辫颈卢
办辞蝉蝉测辫丑辞卢辫丑补迟迟辞卢辫别谤颈蝉迟别谤卢补濒别办迟谤测辞苍卢辞辫迟别卢办别辫丑补濒濒颈辞卢办颈驳办濒辞
卢辫别濒别颈辞卢濒补驳辞颈辞卢蝉颈谤补颈辞卢产补辫丑别卢迟谤补驳补苍辞卢辫迟别谤测驳辞苍闭

Liddell & Scott鈥檚 lexicon translates this as:
name of a dish compounded of all kinds of dainties, fish, flesh, fowl, and sauces

It鈥檚 said to be the longest word ever to appear in literature

The ingenious mind behind its creation is Aristophanes, the ancient Greek playwright, who invented this word for his comedy听 峒樜何何晃废兾刮段肯呄兾蔽�, [Ekklesiasousae], Assemblywomen (circa 392 BC)

Mother-in-laws, Western Europeans and Pontic Greeks are usually on the receiving end of many Greek jokes. Here鈥檚 a fairly innocent one:

听 韦伪 魏慰蠀谓慰蠉蟺喂伪 螣 螝蠅蟽蟿委魏伪蟼 魏伪喂 慰 螕喂蠅蟻委魏伪蟼 蟺维谓蔚 蔚魏未蟻慰渭萎 蟽蟿慰 尾慰蠀谓蠈. 螒蠁慰蠉 尾蟻萎魏伪谓蔚 渭苇蟻慰蟼 未委蟺位伪 蟽蔚 渭喂伪 位委渭谓畏 魏伪蟿伪蟽魏畏谓蠋谓慰蠀谓. 危蟿萎谓慰蠀谓 蟿畏 蟽魏畏谓萎 蟿慰蠀蟼 伪谓维尾慰蠀谓 蠁蠅蟿喂维 魏伪喂 魏维胃慰谓蟿伪喂 谓伪 蠁维谓蔚. 螒蠁慰蠉 蟿蔚位蔚喂蠋蟽慰蠀谓 尉伪蟺位蠋谓慰蠀谓 谓伪 魏慰喂渭畏胃慰蠉谓 蠈渭蠅蟼 蟿慰蠀蟼 魏维谓慰蠀谓 蔚蟺喂未蟻慰渭萎 蟿伪 魏慰蠀谓慰蠉蟺喂伪 魏伪喂 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟿蟽伪魏委味慰蠀谓 慰蟺蠈蟿蔚 伪蟺慰蠁伪蟽委味慰蠀谓 谓伪 蠁蠉纬慰蠀谓 魏伪喂 谓伪 蟺维谓蔚 伪位位慰蠉. 螠伪味蔚蠉慰蠀谓 蟿畏 蟽魏畏谓萎 蟿伪 蟺蟻维纬渭伪蟿伪 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟽尾萎谓慰蠀谓 蟿畏 蠁蠅蟿喂维 蟺蔚蟻谓慰蠉谓 蟿慰 伪蠀蟿慰魏委谓畏蟿慰 魏伪喂 伪谓蔚尾伪委谓慰蠀谓 蟺喂慰 蠄畏位维 蟽蟿慰 尾慰蠀谓蠈. 螢伪谓伪蟽蟿萎谓慰蠀谓 蟿畏 蟽魏畏谓萎 伪谓维尾慰蠀谓 蠁蠅蟿喂维 魏伪喂 尉伪蟺位蠋谓慰蠀谓 谓伪 魏慰喂渭畏胃慰蠉谓. 螣 螕喂蠅蟻委魏伪蟼 蠈渭蠅蟼 魏维胃蔚蟿伪喂 尉伪蟺位蠅渭苇谓慰蟼 魏伪喂 魏慰喂蟿维味蔚喂 苇尉蠅 蠈蟺慰蠀 魏维蟺慰喂伪 蟽蟿喂纬渭萎 尾位苇蟺蔚喂 蟺蠀纬慰位伪渭蟺委未蔚蟼 谓伪 蟺蔚蟿慰蠉谓 渭蟺蟻慰蟽蟿维 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏 蟽魏畏谓萎. 桅蟻喂魏维蟻蔚喂 蟺蔚蟿维纬蔚蟿伪喂 蟺维谓蠅 魏伪喂 伪蟻蠂委味蔚喂 谓伪 蠁蠅谓维味蔚喂 蟽蟿慰 螝蠅蟽蟿委魏伪 蟽萎魏蠅 螝蠅蟽蟿委魏伪 尉蠉蟺谓伪 蟽萎魏蠅 谓伪 蠁蠉纬慰蠀渭蔚 蟿伪 魏慰蠀谓慰蠉蟺喂伪 蟺萎蟻伪谓 蠁伪魏慰蠉蟼 魏伪喂 渭伪蟼 蠄维蠂谓慰蠀谓蔚.

[Ta kounoupya. O Kostikas kae o Yeeorikas pane ekthrome sto vouno. Aphou vreekane meeros thipla se meea limnee kataskeenonoun. Steenoun tee skeenee tous anavoun photeea kae kathontae na phane. Aphou teleeosoun xaplonoun na koeemeethoun omos tous kanoun epeethromee ta kounoupeea kae tous tsakizoun opote apophasizoun na phygoun kae na pane allou. Mazevoun tee skeenee ta pragmata tous sveenoun tee photeea pernoun to aftokineeto kae anevainoun peeo pseela sto vouno. Xanasteenoun tee skeenee anavoun photeea kae xaplonoun na koeemeethoun. O Yeeorikas omos kathetaee xaplomenos kae koeetazee ecso opou kapoea stigmee vlepee pygolabithes na petoun mprostah apo tee skeenee. Phreekaree petagetay pano kae arkhizee na phonazee sto Kostika seeko Kostika xypna seeko na phygoume ta kounoupeea peeran phakous kae mas psakhnoune.]

Mosquitos. Kostikas and Giorgikas are making a trip up the mountain. After they've found a space by the lake, they settle down. They put up their tent, make a fire, sit down and eat. Afterwards they lie down to sleep, but are attacked by an invasion of mosquitos. So they decide to go somewhere else. They collect their tent and things, put ot the fire, take their car and drive higher up the mountain. Again they put up their tent, make a fire and lie down to sleep. Giorgikas sits up and looks down, where he suddenly spots fireflies hovering around the tent. Panicking he jumps up and shouts to Kostikas: "Get up, Kostikas, the mosquitos are back with lamps and are looking for us!"

Greek is one of the oldest Indo European languages and forms an independent branch of the Indo European language family

Like Latin, Greek has influenced other languages around the world, so learning Greek might help you recognise and understand a number of words in other European and non European languages

However, while the Greek language has contributed to the English vocabulary in the past, with the introduction of new technologies and the globalisation of the media industry, there has been an influx, in recent decades, of English or Hellenised English words into the Greek vocabulary

For example, the Greek verb
听蠁蟻喂魏维蟻蠅 [frikaro] comes from the English to freak out, the verb
听蟺伪蟻魏维蟻蠅 [parkaro] from the English to park and the word
听纬魏位伪渭慰蠀蟻喂维 [glamouria] from the English word glamour

When visiting Greece you will frequently hear the word
听渭伪位维魏伪蟼 [malakas] or
听渭伪位维魏伪 [malaka] used freely amongst friends, especially amongst males. It鈥檚 slang for pal, stupid or incapable, but beware, it can be quite offensive to use malaka with someone you don鈥檛 know very well

If you鈥檙e driving in Greece and see another driver extend all their fingers with the palm of the hand pointing towards another driver in a forward motion, this isn鈥檛 them saying hi! A
听渭慰蠉蟿味伪 [mouja] 鈥� it鈥檚 a traditional, insulting gesture used by the Greeks and is usually followed by a verbal insult such as
听谓伪, 渭伪位维魏伪 [na, malaka], take that, malaka, or
听蟽蟿蟻伪尾维未喂 [stravadi], which roughly translates to watch where you鈥檙e going. The angry person might also use both hands to strengthen the gesture, smacking the palm of one hand against the back of the other, in the direction of the intended recipient... well, you get the gist!

Most ancient Greek personalities, such as philosophers and politicians, have left no writings of their own and thus any knowledge about their teachings or opinions comes primarily from other sources such as ancient authors who quote them or refer to them in their own work

听E谓 慰委未伪 蠈蟿喂 慰蠀未苇谓 慰委未伪 [En eetha otee outhen eetha]
I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance
This is one of the most well-known quotes attributed to Socrates (469-399 BC), the ancient Greek philosopher and teacher of Plato and Xenophon

听 螣喂 蟽慰蠁慰委 维谓未蟻蔚蟼 渭喂位慰蠉谓 蔚蟺蔚喂未萎 苇蠂慰蠀谓 谓伪 蟺慰蠀谓 魏维蟿喂. 螣喂 伪谓蠈畏蟿慰喂 蔚蟺蔚喂未萎 魏维蟿喂 蟺蟻苇蟺蔚喂 谓伪 蟺慰蠀谓 [Ee sophee anthres meeloun epeethee ekhoun na poun katee. Ee anoitee epeethee katee prepeee na poun]
Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something
Plato (428/427 BC 鈥� 348/347 BC) Greek philosopher and mathematician

In 1900 in Crete, the archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans unearthed a large number of clay tablets inscribed with the syllabic scripts Linear A and Linear B that were used by the Minoans and Myceneans during the 2nd millennium BC, primarily in religious inscriptions and administrative records. Linear A predates Linear B and is probably the oldest surviving record of an ancient Greek dialect

Greek is one of those languages that differentiates between a formal and informal you: 听蔚蟽蠉 [esy] for people you can be on first-name terms with, such as close friends and children, and 听蔚蟽蔚委蟼 [eseis] in all other cases

People of all ages often address another person with 听魏蠉蟻喂蔚 [kyrie], Mr or 听魏蠀蟻委伪 [kyria], Mrs followed by their first name. This is a polite way to address people who are older than you are or can simply be used out of respect

Cheek kissing, one on each cheek, is almost obligatory when greeting friends but it鈥檚 quite uncommon between male friends. Try an informal handshake or a pat on the shoulder instead