Greek: A lesson or two
20th May 2009
By Jenny “Jaya” Antolin
The Numbers Game
           We’re about to go on shopping trip, and before doing so it’s worth pausing to take a look at how numbers are expressed in Greek. Numbers, of course, are fundamental to any language, and knowing them might also help you get a better price when buying goods from the markets that you’ll find throughout Cyprus.
         The list opposite may look a bit daunting, but, once you’ve mastered the numbers one to nine you’re off to a very good start. Like most other languages, as the count moves beyond twenty, these numbers reoccur in conjunction with higher figures. For example, the term ‘forty five’, ‘σαÏ?αντα πεντε‘ (sa-ran-ta pen-te), is simply combination of ‘σαÏ?αντα‘(forty) and ‘πεντε‘ (five).
         Similarly, you can also combine two hundred with sixty and nine to come up with “269â€?. So, after a quick study of the table and the hints below, you’ll soon be able to boast that you know at least a thousand Greek words!
 Helpful hints
u  As we’ve discovered elsewhere, nothing in Greek is completely straightforward, and the numbers game is no exception. First of all, as discussed earlier, there are three basic version of the number ‘one’ (ενας, μια and ενα), depending on the gender of the related noun.
u  Secondly, there are two version of the Greek words for ‘three’ and ‘four’. The ones shown opposite,’Ï„Ï?ια‘ (tree-a) and ‘τεσσεÏ?α‘ (tess-era), are only used with neutral nouns. The word ‘Ï„Ï?εις‘ (treece) and ‘τεσσεÏ?εις‘ (tess-erees) are used in conjunction with male or female nouns.
u  Where the numbers one, three and four, are combined with higher figures( such as twenty-three) the same rational applies. For example, ‘εικοσι Ï„Ï?ια(ee-kosee tree-a) would be used when talking about twenty-three cups of tea, as ‘tea’ is neutral. For twenty-three ‘female’ beers ,’εικοσι Ï„Ï?εις‘ (ee-kosee treece) would apply, likewise the twenty-three ‘male’ coffees you’d need afterwards!
u  Fortunately, the Cypriot word for ‘cent’ (σεντ) not only sounds the same as the English equivalent, but also follows the same pattern of adding an ’s’ (Ï‚) when used in the plural form. In this case it’s a neutral noun and all the standard numbers given opposite can be applied. To finish on a lighter note, listen out for the saying ‘ενα, δυο, Ï„Ï?ια, παμε!’ (en-a, thee-o, tree-a, pam-eh) which, roughly translated means ‘one .two, three, go!’
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u  u  u  u  NUMBERS
Zero                                                                 Μηδεν                                    mee-then
one (m)                                                           ενας                                        en-as
one (f)                                                             μια                                          mee-a
one (n)                                                            ενα                                          en-a
two                                                                 δυο                                         thee-o
three (n)                                                          τÏ?ια                                         tree-a
four (n)                                                           τεσσεÏ?α                                  tess-era
five                                                                  πεντε                                      pen-te
six                                                                   εξι                                           ex-ee
seven                                                               εφτα                                        ef-ta
eight                                                                οκτω                                       ok-to
nine                                                                 εννια                                       enn-yah
Ten                                                                 Δεκα                                      Thek-a
eleven                                                              εντεκα                                    en-teka
twelve                                                             δωδεκα                                   tho-theka
thirteen (n)                                                       δεκατÏ?ια                                 theka-tree-a
fourteen (n)                                                      δεκατεσσεÏ?α                          theka-tess-era
fifteen                                                              δεκαπεντε                               theka-pen-te
sixteen                                                             δεκαεξι                                   theka-ex-ee
seventeen                                                        δεκαεφτε                                theka-efta
eighteen                                                           δεκαοχτω                               theka-okh-to
nineteen                                                           δεκαεννια                               theka-enn-yah
Twenty                                                           Εικοσι                                    Ee-kosee
thirty                                                                τÏ?ιαντα                                   tree-an-ta
forty                                                                σαÏ?αντα                                  sa-ran-ta
fifty                                                                  πενηντα                                  pe-neen-ta
sixty                                                                εξηντα                                    ex-een-ta
seventy                                                           εβδομηντα                              evdho-meen-ta
eighty                                                              ογδοντα                                  og-thon-ta
ninety                                                              ενενηντα                                 eneh-neen-ta
One hundred                                                    Εκατο                                      Eka-to
two hundred                                                    διακοσια                                 thee-a-kos-yah
three hundred                                                  τÏ?ιακοσια                               tree-a-kos-yah
four hundred                                                    τετÏ?ακοσια                             tetra-kos-yah
five hundred                                                    πεντακοσια                             paenta-kos-yah
six hundred                                                      εξακοσια                                 exa-kos-yah
seven hundred                                                 εφτακοσια                              efta-kos-yah
eight hundred                                                   οχτακοσια                               okhta-kos-yah
nine hundred                                                    εννιακοσια                              enyah-kos-yah
One thousand                                                   Χιλια                                       Kheel-ee-yah