QCAA Modern Greek (SEE) flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Greek stress and meaning

Every polysyllabic Greek word carries one written accent marking the stressed syllable. Moving the stress can change meaning, as with πότε (when?) and ποτέ (never), so accent marks must be read and written.

Formal vs informal address

Singular εσύ and its verb forms address friends, peers and children. Plural εσείς, with σας and third-person politeness, addresses strangers, officials and elders. A speaker's choice signals the social relationship.

Discourse markers in speech

Words such as λοιπόν, όμως, δηλαδή and τελικά organise spoken argument. Λοιπόν introduces a conclusion, όμως marks contrast, δηλαδή restates, and τελικά reports the final outcome.

Double negation in Greek

Greek reinforces negation with multiple negative words while keeping the meaning negative. Δεν είπα τίποτα σε κανέναν means 'I said nothing to anyone', not a positive statement.

Aorist versus imperfect listening

The aorist reports a single completed past event (έγραψα), while the imperfect describes ongoing, repeated or background past action (έγραφα). Comprehension questions often test this distinction.

να plus subjunctive meaning

A verb after να expresses intention, wish, request or purpose rather than a stated fact. Hearing να usually signals a plan or instruction, for example Θέλω να πάω or Πρέπει να φύγεις.

Greek decimal and thousands marks

Greek uses the comma for decimals and the full stop for thousands, the reverse of English. Thus 1.000,50 is one thousand and fifty cents, a frequent detail in listening tasks with prices.

Attitude cues in recordings

A speaker's attitude is signalled by intonation and evaluative words such as δυστυχώς, ευτυχώς, φυσικά and σίγουρα, not by the topic vocabulary, so listen for these when asked about feelings.

Final -ν retention rule

The final -ν of τον, την, δεν and similar words is kept before vowels and before μπ, ντ, γκ, τσ, τζ, ξ, ψ, and dropped before other consonants: την πόλη but τη γη.

Accent-dependent homographs

Accents distinguish written words otherwise identical: πού (where?) versus που (that/which), ή (or) versus η (the), and πώς (how?) versus πως (that). Misreading them changes sentence meaning.

Passive forms in notices

Forms in -μαι and -ομαι appear in public notices and advertisements: απαγορεύεται (is forbidden), πωλείται (is for sale), νοικιάζεται (is for rent). They express impersonal rules or offers.

Telegraphic advertisement style

Small ads and notices omit articles, auxiliary verbs and full sentences, listing nouns, prices and abbreviations instead. Readers reconstruct the message from context rather than expecting grammatical sentences.

Pronoun clitic reference

Clitics such as μου, σου, τον, την and το stand before the verb and refer back to a previously mentioned noun phrase. Tracking that referent is required to answer 'to whom' or 'what' questions.

Cause and contrast connectives

Written Greek marks logical links with επειδή and γιατί (because), ενώ (whereas), αν και (although), and επομένως or άρα (therefore). Identifying them locates the reasoning an inference question targets.

Inference across sentences

Answers to inference questions are rarely stated in one sentence. The reader must combine a cause with its result, or a condition with its consequence, across two or more linked sentences.

Genitive of possession

The genitive case marks possession and belongs: το βιβλίο του Γιάννη (John's book), η πόρτα του σπιτιού (the door of the house). The article in the genitive agrees with the possessor.

Formal letter frame

A formal Greek letter opens with Αξιότιμε κύριε or Αξιότιμη κυρία, states its purpose with Σας γράφω σχετικά με, and closes with Με εκτίμηση followed by the full name.

Informal email frame

An informal Greek email opens with Γεια σου plus a first name, uses εσύ verb forms and σου clitics throughout, and closes with Φιλιά or Τα λέμε σύντομα.

Consistent register in writing

A text must keep one register throughout. Mixing εσύ forms with σας forms, or greeting informally and closing with Με εκτίμηση, counts as a register error in assessment.

Polite request formulas

Formal requests use Θα ήθελα να..., Παρακαλώ να με ενημερώσετε..., and Ευχαριστώ εκ των προτέρων. These soften the request and mark distance between writer and reader.

Cohesion between paragraphs

Paragraphs are linked with Πρώτον, Επίσης, Επιπλέον, Ωστόσο, Από την άλλη πλευρά and Τέλος. These signpost sequence, addition, contrast and conclusion for the reader.

Future aspect choice

Θα with the aorist subjunctive (θα γράψω) presents a single completed future action, while θα with the present stem (θα γράφω) presents habitual or continuous future action.

Accent placement limit

A Greek accent may fall on the last, second-last or third-last syllable only. It never moves further back than the antepenultimate, which constrains the accentuation of longer words.

Imperatives in notices

Public notices and instructions use imperative forms: Κλείστε την πόρτα, Μην καπνίζετε, Παρακαλούμε μη μιλάτε. Negative imperatives use μην plus the subjunctive stem.

Greek noun genders

Greek nouns belong to three genders with the articles ο (masculine), η (feminine) and το (neuter). The article must agree in gender, number and case, not gender alone.

The four Greek cases

Nominative marks the subject, genitive possession and indirect objects, accusative direct objects and most prepositional phrases, and vocative direct address. Case is shown by article and ending.

Definite article paradigm

Singular: masc ο, του, τον; fem η, της, την; neut το, του, το. Plural: masc οι, των, τους; fem οι, των, τις; neut τα, των, τα.

Preposition case government

Most Greek prepositions govern the accusative: σε, με, για, από, προς, κατά. A few fixed expressions take the genitive, such as λόγω, χάρη σε and μετά από.

Present active endings

Present active endings are -ω, -εις, -ει, -ουμε, -ετε, -ουν(ε). Because the ending identifies the person, subject pronouns are usually omitted unless emphasised or contrasted.

Past active endings

The past active (aorist and imperfect) takes -α, -ες, -ε, -αμε, -ατε, -αν(ε). The stem distinguishes aorist from imperfect, while the ending marks person and number.

Verb aspect pairs

Many verbs have two stems: γράφω/γράψω, λέω/πω, βλέπω/δω. The second, aorist stem appears after να and θα for single completed actions.

Genitive personal pronouns

The genitive clitics μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους mark indirect objects. They precede the verb (Μου έδωσε) or follow an imperative (Πες μου).

Comparatives and superlatives

Comparatives add -τερος, -τερη, -τερο (γρήγορος → γρηγορότερος) or use πιο. Superlatives use ο/η/το πιο plus adjective. Irregulars include καλός → καλύτερος and άριστος.