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Unit 28 · Order and read the reply · Meet

Order and read the reply

Follow the exact lines of a short café exchange.

About this unit

A short exchange in a café. Read each line first, then play it to check.

  • ; ends a question.
  • ή means “or” and keeps its accent, though it is one syllable.
  • In ευχαριστώ, ευ is read ef before χ.
  1. Server

    Καφέ ή τσάι;

    Coffee or tea?

  2. You

    Καφέ, παρακαλώ.

    Coffee, please.

  3. Server

    Ορίστε.

    Here you are.

  4. You

    Ευχαριστώ!

    Thank you!

Words in this chat

Tap a card and listen. Try saying it too.

Καφέ ή τσάι;

Coffee or tea?Kafé i tsái?

Ορίστε.

Here you are.Oríste.

Ευχαριστώ!

Thank you!Efharistó!
Reading tips

The conjunction ή, meaning or, keeps its accent even though it has one syllable: it distinguishes this word from another spelling. Ευχαριστώ uses the ef value before voiceless χ. Practise the same lines you hear in the exchange.

Reading practice

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

Καφέ, παρακαλώ.

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

Ευχαριστώ!

Read and decide

What is requested?

Καφέ, παρακαλώ.

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Follow the exact lines of a short café exchange.

Next unit

Καφέ ή τσάι;

Coffee or tea?

Καφέ, παρακαλώ.

Coffee, please.

Ορίστε.

Here you are.

Ευχαριστώ!

Thank you!
Use a Greek keyboard

Use the Greek layout or the course tiles. On a common Greek keyboard the ; key is a dead key for tonos: press it, then the vowel. Final ς has its own key. Keep the accent in ordinary lowercase words; normalise Unicode rather than removing tonos.

All letters

Α α
i

a

Ε ε
i

e

Κ κIn κα
i

ka

Μ μIn μα
i

ma

Ο ο
i

o

Τ τIn τα
i

ta

Ν νIn να
i

na. Ν is n; small ν is not Latin v.

Ρ ρIn ρα
i

ra. Ρ/ρ is r, not Latin p.

Ι ι
i

i

Η η
i

i. Η is i, not Latin H. It shares its sound with ι.

Υ υ
i

i. Υ/υ is i in ordinary vowel use, not Latin y or German ü.

Σ σIn σα
i

sa. Use σ before the end of a word.

Σ ςIn σα
i

sa. Use ς only at the end; it is the same letter and sound.

Λ λIn λα
i

la

Π πIn πα
i

pa

Ζ ζIn ζα
i

za

Β βIn βα
i

va. Β is v, not b.

Δ δth as in “this”: a buzzIn δα
i

dha. Δ is the voiced th of English this.

Γ γgh: air rubs, with a buzzIn γα
i

gha. Γ is voiced back friction before a/o/u, not a g stop.

Θ θth as in “thin”: air rubsIn θα
i

tha. The th of English thin, not t+h.

Φ φIn φα
i

fa

Χ χkh, as in German “Bach”In χα
i

kha. Χ is back friction before a/o/u; before e/i it moves forward, like German ich.

Ψ ψIn ψα
i

psa. One letter writes the consonant sequence ps.

Ξ ξIn ξα
i

ksa. One letter writes ks.

Ω ω
i

o. Ω and ο have the same modern vowel sound.

ΟΥ ουIn ουρά
i

u. Two letters, one u vowel; a team tile in the builder.

ΑΙ αιIn παιδί
i

e. Same vowel as ε; learn the printed spelling.

ΕΙ ειIn κλειδί
i

i. Same i sound as ι, η and υ.

ΟΙ οιIn οικονομία
i

i. Same i sound; read the team together.

ΥΙ υιIn υιός
i

i. A rarer i spelling, for recognition.

ΜΠ μπIn μπανάνα
i

ba. Word-initial μπ is b; inside words many speakers keep an m before b.

ΝΤ ντIn ντομάτα
i

da. Word-initial ντ is d; medial pronunciation can include n.

ΓΚ γκIn γκολ
i

ga. Γκ supplies the g stop that γ alone does not.

ΓΓ γγIn φεγγάρι
i

nga / ga. Inside words γγ commonly has a nasal plus g; some speakers reduce the nasal.

ΤΣ τσIn τσάι
i

tsa

ΤΖ τζIn τζάμι
i

dza

ΑΥ αυIn αυγό
i

av / af. Av before vowels and voiced consonants; af before voiceless consonants.

ΕΥ ευIn ευρώ
i

ev / ef. Ev before vowels and voiced consonants; ef before voiceless consonants.

Ϊ ϊIn μαϊμού
i

separate i. The diaeresis tells you not to combine with the previous vowel.

Ϋ ϋIn αϋπνία
i

separate i. Υ still has its ordinary i sound, separated from the preceding vowel.