Key Phrases
Watch the video here
Transcript
χαίρετε· εἰ κομψῶς καὶ ἀστείως βουλόμεθα ἑλληνίζειν, δεῖ ἡμᾶς καὶ χάριν ἀποδιδόναι. πῶς τοῦτο; σκεψώμεθα.
Hi! If we want to speak Greek in a refined and polite manner, we also need to give thanks. How? Let’s see!
ὦ Ἄργε, ποῦ ἐστι τὰ ὑποδήματα ἐμοῦ;
[φέρει ὁ κύων ἓν ὑπόδημα]
καλῶς· χάριν σοι ἔχω.
Argos, where are my shoes?
[The dog brings one shoe.]
Good, thank you!
λέγομεν οὖν· χάριν σοὶ ἔχω ἢ χάριν σοὶ οἶδα. πρὸς δὲ πλείους ἀνθρώπους ἢ κύνας δεῖ ἡμᾶς λέγειν· χάριν ὑμῖν ἔχω.
So we say: “I have you thanks” or “I know you thanks”. But to more people or dogs we need to say: “I have you [plural] thanks.”
ποῦ δέ ἐστι τὸ ἄλλο ὑπόδημα;
[φέρει ὁ κύων τὸ ἄλλο ὑπόδημα]
παγκάλως, ὦ Ἄργε, παγκάλως· πολλὴν χάριν σοι ἔχω.
But where is the other shoe?
[The dog brings the other shoe.]
Very good, Argos, very good! Thank you very much!
ἐμφατικῶς οὖν λέγομεν· πολλὴν ἢ μεγάλην χάριν ἔχω. εἰσὶν δὲ καὶ ἄλλαι φράσεις, οἷον· ἐγὼ ὀφείλω χάριν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀποδίδωμι χάριν, ὁ δὲ κύων χάριν δέχεται παρὰ ἐμοῦ.
So, emphatically we say: Thank you very much! [“I have you many thanks” or “I have you big thanks!”] There are also other phrases like: “I owe you thanks.” and therfore “I give you thanks.” The dog, on the other hand, receives thanks from me.
οἱ δὲ παλαιοὶ καὶ τοῖς θεοῖς χάριν ἔδοσαν σωθέντες ἐκ μεγάλων κινδύνων· ἔθυσαν γὰρ ζῷα ἢ ἀνέθεσαν ἀγάλματα ἢ ἄλλα ἀναθήματα ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς· λέγεται οὖν ὅτι χάριν ἔχουσι τοῖς θεοῖς τῆς σωτηρίας ὥσπερ ἐγὼ τῷ κυνὶ χάριν ἔσχον τῶν ὑποδημάτων.
The ancients, however, also gave thanks to the gods after they had been saved from great dangers. They sacrificed animals or they erected statues or other votive offerings in the temples. One can therefore say: “They thank the gods for the rescue.” just as I thanked the dog… for the shoes.
τίνι δὲ ὑμεῖς χάριν ἔχετε καὶ τίνος; λέγετε ἡμῖν, εἰ βούλεσθε, ἐν τοῖς κάτω ὑπμνήμασιν. ἔρρωσθε οὖν καὶ… χάριν ἔχομεν ὑμῖν.
Whom do you give thanks and for what? Tell us, if you like, in the comments below. So, good bye and… thank you!