During my time here in Greece, I’m taking a beginning modern Greek class, MGKL 101. I had very little knowledge of modern Greek before arriving in Athens, so I was excited, but nervous, as learning new languages doesn’t come easily to me.

Our Greek professor, Marinetta Papahimona, encourages us to go out and practice our Greek: “While many people you will meet in Athens want to practice their English, you should stress that you want to practice your Greek.”

Just a few blocks from CYA, a farmer’s market, or λαϊκή, takes place on Archimidous street every Friday. Since CYA students do not have classes on Fridays, it’s an excellent time to get fresh fruit and vegetables for the week. I went to the market with the aim to practice my Greek and made a short video about some helpful Greek phrases that I use a lot at the market. Enjoy!

Below are the phrases mentioned in the video:

Πόσο κάνει αυτό;
[poso kani afto]
How much does this cost?

Ένα κιλό πιπεριές, παρακαλώ!
[ena kilo piperies, parakalo]
One kilo of peppers, please!

Θα ήθελα ένα κιλό πορτοκάλια, και δύο ρόδια, παρακαλώ!
[tha ithela ena kilo portokalia, keh thyo pothia parakalo]
Could I have one kilo of oranges, and two pomegranates, please!

Πολύ νόστιμες!
[poli nostimes]
So delicious!

Ευχαριστώ!
[efcharisto]
Thank you!