Learn basic Greek vocabulary for occupations
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| πωλητής (politís) |
| μηχανικός (mihanikós) |
| προγραμματιστής (programatistís) |
| What do these words mean? Stick around. |
| In this quick lesson, you’ll learn Greek vocabulary for occupations. |
| Before we start, did you know that in Greece, some people can be called by their job titles instead of their first names? Can you guess why? |
| Keep watching for the answer at the end. |
| υπάλληλος (ipálilos) |
| "employee" |
| [SLOW] υπάλληλος (ipálilos) |
| υπάλληλος (ipálilos) |
| υπάλληλος comes from the ancient phrase ὑπ’ ἀλλήλους, meaning “under others," and hinting at a low-ranking employee. |
| It’s usually paired with a noun to show the job type, such as office worker. |
| Renia and Steve discuss their work environment. |
| Renia: Στους υπαλλήλους αρέσει η δουλειά τους. (Stus ipalílus arési i duliá tus.) |
| Steve: Αυτό είναι υπέροχο που το ακούω! (Aftó íne ipéroho pu to akúo!) |
| πωλητής (politís) |
| "salesperson" |
| [SLOW] πωλητής (politís) |
| πωλητής (politís) |
| πωλητής comes from the verb πουλάω, “to sell,” and simply means “seller,” covering anything from small items to real estate. |
| Tom talks to Panagiotis about a recent visit to a car dealership. |
| Tom: Ο πωλητής μου έδειξε πολλά αυτοκίνητα. (O politís mu édixe polá aftokínita.) |
| Panagiotis: Σου άρεσε κανένα από τα αυτοκίνητα που σου έδειξε; (Su árese kanéna apó ta aftokínita pu su édixe?) |
| μηχανικός (mihanikós) |
| "engineer" |
| [SLOW] μηχανικός (mihanikós) |
| μηχανικός (mihanikós) |
| Μηχανικός comes from μηχανική, "machine," and refers to anyone who works with machines—like a mechanic. |
| Lina discusses a friend's career with Susan. |
| Lina: Η φίλη μου είναι πολύ έξυπνη. Είναι καλή μηχανικός. (I fíli mu íne polí éxipni. Íne kali mihanikós.) |
| Susan: Η μηχανική είναι δύσκολη. Πρέπει να είναι ταλαντούχα. (I mihanikí íne dískoli. Prépi na íne talandúha.) |
| προγραμματιστής (programatistís) |
| "programmer" |
| [SLOW] προγραμματιστής (programatistís) |
| προγραμματιστής (programatistís) |
| προγραμματιστής (programatistís) comes from πρόγραμμα (prógramma) which is actually a native Greek word from Ancient Greek, meaning "a written public notice" or "schedule." |
| Steve tells Zoe about a recent issue at work. |
| Steve: Είχαμε ένα πρόβλημα με την ιστοσελίδα μας, αλλά ο προγραμματιστής το διόρθωσε. (Íhame éna próvlima me tin istoselída mas, alá o programatistís to diórthose.) |
| Zoe: Χαίρομαι που τώρα είναι όλα καλά. (Ηérome pu tóra íne óla kalá.) |
| αγρότης (agrótis) |
| "farmer" |
| [SLOW] αγρότης (agrótis) |
| αγρότης (agrótis) |
| The word αγρότης (agrótis) starts with ‘α-γρο’, just like the English ‘agriculture’! |
| Tom tells Akis about a visit to a farm. |
| Tom: Πήγα σε μια φάρμα χθες. Ο αγρότης είχε πολλές αγελάδες. (Píga se mia fárma hthes. O agrótis íhe polés ayeládes.) |
| Akis: Ακούγεται σαν μια μεγάλη φάρμα. (Akúyete san mia megáli fárma.) |
| γραμματέας (gramatéas) |
| "secretary" |
| [SLOW] γραμματέας (gramatéas) |
| γραμματέας (gramatéas) |
| The term γραμματέας is derived from γράμμα, which means "letter" or, in this context, "anything written." Therefore, a γραμματέας is, in essence, someone who manages paperwork. |
| Eleni tells Stratos about her workplace. |
| Eleni: Η γραμματέας μας είναι πάντα απασχολημένη. (I gramatéas mas íne pánda apasholiméni.) |
| Stratos: Είναι σημαντικό να έχεις μια καλή γραμματέα. (Íne simandikó na éhis mia kalí gramatéa.) |
| τραπεζίτης (trapezítis) |
| "banker" |
| [SLOW] τραπεζίτης (trapezítis) |
| τραπεζίτης (trapezítis) |
| Τραπεζίτης comes from the word τράπεζα, which means bank. |
| Panagiotis discusses financial matters with Renia. |
| Panagiotis: Ρώτησα έναν τραπεζίτη για ένα δάνειο. (Rótisa énan trapezíti ya éna dánio.) |
| Renia: Τι είπε ο τραπεζίτης; (Ti ípe o trapezítis?) |
| Let's review. |
| You'll see the words in English and your job is to say the words in Greek. |
| Ready? |
| Do you remember how to say "employee"? |
| υπάλληλος (ipálilos) |
| υπάλληλος (ipálilos) |
| And how to say "salesperson"? |
| πωλητής (politís) |
| πωλητής (politís) |
| How about "engineer"? |
| μηχανικός (mihanikós) |
| μηχανικός (mihanikós) |
| Do you remember how to say "programmer"? |
| προγραμματιστής (programatistís) |
| προγραμματιστής (programatistís) |
| And how to say "farmer"? |
| αγρότης (agrótis) |
| αγρότης (agrótis) |
| Let's try "secretary"! |
| γραμματέας (gramatéas) |
| γραμματέας (gramatéas) |
| And finally, do you remember how to say "banker"? |
| τραπεζίτης (trapezítis) |
| τραπεζίτης (trapezítis) |
| Did you know that in Greece, some people can be called by their job titles instead of their first names? Can you guess why? |
| In Greece, some people are addressed as δάσκαλος (dáskalos), meaning "teacher," or μάστορας (mástoras), meaning "master craftsman," instead of their name. This shows respect for their skills and is more common in small communities. |
| Thanks for watching! Don't forget to practice these new words and phrases, and see you next time! |
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