Hello, my name is Ksenia, I have been living in Greece for several years now and teaching Greek via Skype at a website company.
You can read my teacher profile.
In my teaching practice, I have encountered many times the fact that students have difficulty learning the Greek alphabet. Perhaps a similar problem, when Greek letters do not want to be remembered and are persistently confused with Latin (English), is familiar to you. The experience of overcoming this obstacle provided the material for this article. I hope that my tips will help you in learning the Greek alphabet.
So how do you remember the Greek alphabet?
First of all, know that you are not alone, and under no circumstances should you be upset, much less despair! Difficulties with memorizing the alphabet are a temporary phenomenon, the letters will soon stop being confused, you just need to practice a little. Some of us are learning new material faster, some slower. Show a little patience and diligence, and after a while reading Greek will not be difficult for you!
While working on the Greek alphabet, use all kinds of video and audio materials, for example, this one:
;
Or these, with examples of words:
a) ΦΩΝΗΤΙΚO ΑΛΦΑΒΗΤO ME ΠΑΡΑΔΕΙΓΜΑΤΑ
;
;
Now, for clarity, let's divide the letters into the following groups:
The first group are letters that do not cause difficulties. Most of these letters are:
Second group- b Letters that are often confused with letters of the Latin alphabet:
To overcome this confusion, it is necessary to spend some time reading Greek.
Third group- strange, unusual letters for us:
|
Russian name |
Sound in Russian transcription |
|
These squiggles either merge with other letters or get confused with each other, you need training to memorize!
Attention! Please pay Special attention into letters that convey sounds that do not exist in the Russian language!
Let's look at the alphabet in full again:
As you can see, many of the letters and sounds of the Greek alphabet are familiar to you; all you have to do is practice a little.
If the Greek alphabet still does not lend itself to memorization with your serious logical approach, try to remember your childhood. Positive attitude And good mood- recipe for success!
Tip #1: Work on the songs
Here are some nursery rhymes about the Greek alphabet:
a) ΕΝΑ ΓΡΑΜΜΑ ΜΙΑ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ | Το Τραγούδι της Αλφαβήτου
b) “Το τραγούδι της Αλφαβήτας” with subtitles
c) ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΑΛΦΑΒΗΤΟ
d) Μια τρελή τρελή Αλφαβήτα
The songs must not only be listened to, but sung or even learned by heart!
If children's songs are not particularly interesting to you, here is a lyrical and philosophical song about the alphabet (video with subtitles):
Lyrics:
Άλφα, βήτα, γάμα, δέλτα
σκόνη γίνεται κι η πέτρα - becomes dust and stone
έψιλον, ζήτα, ήττα, θήτα
μοιάζει η νίκη με την ήττα - victory is like defeat
Βι, γα, δε, ζι, θι
κα, λα, μι, νι, ξι
πι, ρο, σίγμα, ταυ
φι, χι, ψι
Γιώτα, κάπα, λάμδα, μι
πόσο αξίζει μια στιγμή - how valuable is one moment
νι, ξι, όμικρον, πι, ρο
φεύγω μα σε καρτερώ - I’m leaving, but I’m waiting for you
Σίγμα, ταυ, ύψιλον, φι
μοναξιά στην κορυφή - loneliness at the top
με το χι, το ψι, το ωμέγα
μια παλικαριά `ναι ή φεύγα - courage or flight
Tip #2:
For better memorization, print out the Greek alphabet in pictures and attach the sheets in a visible place in your apartment. At the very beginning of studying, you can assign transcription to letters, but keep in mind that not all sounds of the Greek alphabet can be expressed in Russian letters. So, to convey the sounds δ and θ you will need to use a transcription of the interdental sounds of the English language.
Tip #3:
Try to “revive” the letters. Think about what the most difficult letters of the Greek alphabet look like for you, and draw a comic picture for each letter. Ideas can be taken from a series of Greek cartoons about the letters of the alphabet: even if at this stage of learning you do not understand all the text of the cartoon, you will definitely remember the flying and singing letter!
(picture from cartoon)
Cartoon about the letter Z (Zita)
Cartoon about the letters ξ and ψ (Xi and Psi)
Tip #4:
Use programs to learn the alphabet.
A good resource for learning the alphabet.
Tip #5:
And finally, you can use the textbook assignments:
a) write each letter several times;
b) write down the letters of the Greek alphabet under dictation in order and randomly.
The alphabet and pronunciation rules have been learned, it’s time to move on to reading. We will write about how to practice reading in the next article.
Υ.Γ. How did you memorize the Greek alphabet and how long did it take you? Tell us in the comments about your personal experience and write your opinion about the article!
Instructions
Write the first four letters Greek alphabet. The capital “alpha” looks like a regular A, the lowercase one can look like an “a” or a horizontal loop - α. Big “beta” “B”, a – the usual “b” or with a tail falling below the line – β. The capital "" looks like a Russian "G", but the lowercase one looks like a vertical loop (γ). "Delta" represents equilateral triangle– Δ or Russian handwritten “D” at the beginning of the line, and in its continuation it looks more like “b” with a tail from the right side of the circle - δ.
Remember the spelling of the following four letters - "epsilon", "zeta", "eta" and "theta". The first one in capital printed and handwritten form is indistinguishable from the familiar “E”, and in lowercase form it is a mirror image of “z” - ε. The big "zeta" is the well-known "Z". Another spelling is ζ. In manuscripts it may look like a written Latin f - a vertical loop above the line line and its mirror image below it. “This” “H” or like a lowercase n with a tail down – η. "Theta" has no analogues in any Latin alphabet, nor in Cyrillic: it is “O” with a dash inside – Θ, θ. On the letter, its lowercase style looks like a Latin v, in which the right tail is raised up and rounded first to the left, and then. There is another spelling option - similar to the written Russian “v”, but in a mirror image.
Specify the type of the following four letters - “iota”, “kappa”, “lambda”, “mu”. The spelling of the first is no different from the Latin I, only the lowercase letter does not have a dot at the top. “Kappa” is the spitting image of “K”, but in the letter inside the word it looks like the Russian “i”. “Lambda” - the capital one is written as a triangle without a base - Λ, and the lowercase one has an additional tail at the top and a playfully curved right leg - λ. A very similar thing can be said about “mu”: at the beginning of the line it looks like “M”, and in the middle of the word it looks like μ. It can also be written as a long vertical line that falls below the line to which the “l” is stuck.
Try writing "nu", "xi", "omicron" and "pi". “Nude” is displayed as Ν or as ν. It is important that when writing in lowercase, the corner at the bottom is clearly defined letters. “Xi” are three horizontal lines that are either not connected by anything or have a vertical line, Ξ, in the center. The lowercase letter is much more elegant, it is written like “zeta”, but with tails at the bottom and at the top - ξ. “Omicron” only has an unfamiliar name, but looks like “o” in any spelling. The "Pi" in the title variant is a "P" with a wider top bar than the variant. The lowercase is written either the same as - π, or like a small “omega” (ω), but with a dashing loop at the top.
Break down "rho", "sigma", "tau" and "upsilon". “Ro” is a printed “P” large and small, and the option looks like a vertical dash with a circle - P and ρ. "Sigma" in capital form is most easily described as a printed letter "M" that has been knocked over - Σ. The lowercase has two writing options: a circle with a tail pointing to the right (σ) or a disproportionate s, the lower part of which hangs from the line - ς. “Tau” is capitalized like a printed “T”, and a regular one is like a hook with a horizontal head or a Russian written “ch”. “Upsilon” is the Latin “Y” in capital form: or v on a stem – Υ. The lowercase υ should be smooth, without an angle at the bottom - this is a sign of a vowel.
Pay attention to the last four letters. "Phi" is written as "f" in both uppercase and lowercase versions. True, the latter may have the form “c”, which has a loop and a tail below the line - φ. “Chi” is our “x”, both large and small, only in the letter the dash going down from left to right has a smooth bend - χ. “Psi” resembles the letter “I”, which has grown wings - Ψ, ψ. In the manuscript it is depicted similarly to the Russian “u”. The capital “omega” is different between printed and handwritten. In the first case, this is an open loop with – Ω. Use your hand to write a circle in the middle of the line and a line underneath it, which may or may not be connected by a vertical line. The lowercase letter is written as a double “u” - ω.
Video on the topic
Sources:
- Greek alphabet. Writing technology
- 4 letter greek letter
First graders become familiar with writing letters in writing lessons. First, children learn to write samples of various elements, then the letters themselves and their combinations in syllables. Capital letters contain more elements than lowercase letters, so writing them can be challenging for little ones. Hence, it is important to correctly explain and show the writing of capital letters.
Instructions
Read to the children a riddle or, in which several contain a sound corresponding to the letter being studied. The guys should name him. Invite them to draw a picture of a given object in their notebooks. letter. For example, in “In the big book, Katya looked at people of color. On one of them she saw a carousel”, the sound “k” and the letter K are found, students can depict.
Showcase the capitalization letter On the desk. Next, conduct a graphical analysis of it with your children. For example, the letter E consists of two semi-ovals, the capital letter L consists of two inclined lines with curves at the bottom, etc.
Write capital letter on the board and comment on your actions. For example, you are studying with students letter And, explain its writing using the following words: “I put the pen in the middle of the wide line, move up, round to the right and draw down an inclined line to the bottom line of the working line, round to the right, move to the right to the middle of the wide line, return down the written line, I draw an inclined line to the bottom line of the working line, rounding this element to the right.” When showing, all writing must be continuous!
Have students trace your capital letters with their fingers. letter in the air or according to a model in notebooks, construct it from threads or, write with a pen on tracing paper according to a model, etc.
Go to your notebooks. Students first circle the proposed examples in the copybooks, and then write a few letters on their own. Next, children can compare their work with the model. To do this, you need tracing paper with the letter drawn earlier on your notebooks.
Conduct a survey of students, the purpose of which is to pronounce cases of writing capital letters. Consider ways to connect capital letters to lowercase letters. For example, Sl is the lower connection, Co is the middle connection, St is the upper connection.
A column is an architecturally designed vertical support for the upper parts of a building. In ancient Greek architecture - most often round in cross section pillar supporting a capital. Ancient architecture is diverse, and it is not necessary to have an art history education to distinguish between the types of Greek columns.
Instructions
Columns occupied a key place in Ancient Greece. The Greeks developed three architectural orders, which differed primarily in the styles of columns: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Any order consists of the column itself (sometimes placed on a base), a stylobate on which the columns stand, and a capital, on which the architrave in turn rests ( load-bearing beam) with a decorative frieze and cornice.
Wow! Only twenty-four letters? Are some sounds not indicated? That's exactly what it is. There are sounds common to other languages that are not found in Greek. Such sounds are all post-alveolar affricates (as in the word “ w ov” (only softer), [Z] as in the word “ and uk”, as in the word “ h erta”, and as in English word “j ob”). So, what do the Greeks do when they want to say foreign words with these sounds? If the sound cannot be pronounced correctly, it is simply transformed into the corresponding alveolar sound: [s], [Z] [z], , . What about other common sounds like [b], [d], [g], etc.? It seems they are not in the alphabet either! Are they also not included in the list of sounds of the language? No! They exist in the form sounds language. There are simply no separate letters to represent them. When the Greeks want to write down sounds, they write them in combinations of two letters: [b] is written as the combination μπ (mi + pi), [d] as ντ (ni + tau), and [g] as γκ (gamma + kappa), or as γγ (double gamma). Why all these difficulties? Remember, as stated in the introduction to this article, the sounds [b], [d], and [g] existed in classical Greek. Later, perhaps some time after it was written New Testament in so-called Greek koine(single), these three sounds shifted in pronunciation and began to sound like “soft” sounds ([v], , and). A phonological void appeared. Words in which there was a combination of “mp” and “nt” began to be pronounced as and, respectively. Therefore, “explosive” sounds were reintroduced, but letter combinations began to be used to denote them. There is one more sound that is not in the alphabet: “and ng ma,” pronounced like the English word “ki ng" This sound is very rare in Greek, and when it appears (as in the words “άγχος”: anxiety; “έλεγχος”: check), it is indicated by the combination gamma + chi, where gamma is pronounced ingma. For your convenience, below is a table of pronunciation of letter combinations (2 letters) that make new sounds not included in the Greek alphabet:
| cluster | Pronunciation in Modern Greek |
| ΜΠ μπ | [ b], as in the word “ b yt”, at the beginning of words or in borrowed words; or: [mb], as in the word “to mb at.” |
| ΝΤ ντ | [ d], as in the word “ d at”, at the beginning of words or in borrowed words; or: [nd], as in “fo nd”. |
| ΓΚ γκ ΓΓ γγ | [ g], as in the word “ G orod”, at the beginning of words or in borrowed words; or: [g], as in the word “ri ng" Please note: formγγ never occurs at the beginning of words, so is always pronounced as [g], as in the word “ri ng”. |
| ΓΧ γχ ΓΞ γξ | Beforeχ (chi) letter(ri ng) . Beforeξ (xi) letterγ (gamma) is pronounced “ingma”:(ri ng) . Please note: combinationγξ is rare; it only appears in unusual words such asλυγξ (lynx). |
It is quite possible that the following pairs do not produce original sounds, but are perceived by native Greek speakers as “one”:
What about vowels? Are there any similarities with vowels in Russian, or with vowels in other languages? Vowels in Greek are not difficult. The vowels in Greek are similar to the vowels in Italian, Spanish ( Russian approx. translation) or Japanese: [a], [e], [i], [o], and [u]. Currently, the alphabet has three letters for the sound [I] (eta, iota and upsilon), which are pronounced the same, and two letters for the sound [o] (omicron and omega), which are also pronounced the same. For the sound [u], the combination of letters ου (omicron + upsilon) is used. So, pronouncing vowels is easy. Is there anything else special about vowel sounds? Not in pronunciation, but in spelling. There are three "diphthongs" that are no longer diphthongs, but have become digraphs. (A diphthong is a long sound consisting of two elements, each of which has a different quality, as in the words: “r aw nd”, or“b Ouch”; A digraph is two letters that are read together as one letter, e.g. English language th in a word " th ink”, or ph in the word “gra” ph ".) Below are Greek digraphs consisting of vowels.
A set of letters in the Greek system. languages located in accepted procedure(see table below). Letters G. a. used in publications in Russian. language as symbols of mat. and physical notation. In the original, the letters G. a. It is customary to enclose in a red circle... ... Publishing dictionary-reference book
Greek alphabet- The Greeks first used consonantal writing. In 403 BC. e. Under Archon Euclid, the classical Greek alphabet was introduced in Athens. It consisted of 24 letters: 17 consonants and 7 vowels. For the first time, letters were introduced to represent vowels; α, ε, η… Dictionary linguistic terms T.V. Foal
This article is about the Greek letter. For information on the Cyrillic number sign, see the article by Koppa (Cyrillic alphabet) Greek alphabet Α α alpha Β β beta ... Wikipedia
Self-name: Ελληνικά Countries: Greece ... Wikipedia
Language Self-name: Ελληνικά Countries: Greece, Cyprus; communities in the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, Albania, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Italy... Wikipedia
It is the latest phenomenon in the history of writing. This name designates a series of written signs arranged in a certain constant order and conveying approximately completely and accurately all the individual sound elements from which a given language is composed... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
This term has other meanings, see Alphabet (meanings). Wiktionary has an article “alphabet” Alphabet ... Wikipedia
Alphabet- [Greek ἀλφάβητος, from the name of the first two letters of the Greek alphabet alpha and beta (Modern Greek vita)] a system of written signs that convey the sound appearance of words in a language through symbols depicting individual sound elements. Invention… … Linguistic encyclopedic dictionary
It is the latest phenomenon in the history of writing (see Letter). This name denotes a series of written signs arranged in a certain constant order and conveying approximately completely and accurately all the individual sound elements, of which... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
ALPHABET- a set of letters or similar signs used in writing, where each letter represents one or more phonemes. Alphabets were not the oldest basis of writing, having been developed from hieroglyphs or written images used... ... Symbols, signs, emblems. Encyclopedia
Books
- Introduction to Ancient Greek. Textbook for academic bachelor's degree, Titov O.A.. V textbook reviewed Short story the development of the Greek language from ancient times to the present day, the Greek alphabet, reading rules, types and features of stress are given.…
- Introduction to Ancient Greek, 2nd ed., rev. and additional Textbook for academic bachelor's degree, Oleg Anatolyevich Titov. The textbook examines a brief history of the development of the Greek language from ancient times to the present day, gives the Greek alphabet, reading rules, types and features of stress placement.…
Ελληνικό αλφάβητο [eliniko alphabeto] — Greek alphabet used in Greek and in the rather small Greek language group. Despite this, it is one of the most ancient (presumably 9th century) and studied. The word “Alphabet”, which we borrowed from the Greeks, consists of the names of the first two letters: "alpha" And "vita"(by analogy our “ABC” was named: "az" And "beeches") Both the modern and ancient Greek alphabet consists of 24 letters: vowels and consonants.
Greek alphabet history
The letters of the Greek alphabet were partially borrowed from the Phoenician script of the consonantal type of writing words (using only consonant sounds). Due to the peculiarity of the Greek language, some symbols denoting consonants began to be used to record vowel sounds. Thus, the Greek alphabet can be considered the first in the history of writing, which consisted of vowels and consonants. Phoenician letters changed not only their styles, but also their names. Initially, all the symbols of the Phoenician writing system had names denoting a word and denoting the initial letter of that word. In Greek transcription, the words slightly changed their sound, and the semantic load was lost. New symbols have also been added to represent missing vowel sounds.
Modern Greek alphabet with transcription
(Modern Greek)
| Letter | Greek name | Russian name | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Α α | άλφα | alpha | [a] |
| Β β | βήτα | beta (vita) | [β] |
| Γ γ | γάμμα γάμα | gamma | [ɣ], [ʝ] |
| Δ δ | δέλτα | delta | [ð] |
| Ε ε | έψιλον | epsilon | [e] |
| Ζ ζ | ζήτα | zeta (zita) | [z] |
| Η η | ήτα | this (ita) | [i] |
| Θ θ | θήτα | theta (phyta) | [θ] |
| Ι ι | ιώτα γιώτα | iota | [i], [j] |
| Κ κ | κάππα κάπα | kappa | [k], [c] |
| Λ λ | λάμδα λάμβδα | lambda (lamda) | [l] |
| Μ μ | μι μυ | mu (mi) | [m] |
| Ν ν | νι νυ | nude (neither) | [n] |
| Ξ ξ | ξι | xi | |
| Ο ο | όμικρον | omicron | [o] |
| Π π | πι | pi | [p] |
| Ρ ρ | ρω | ro | [r] |
| Σ σ ς | σίγμα | sigma | [s] |
| Τ τ | ταυ | tau (tav) | [t] |
| Υ υ | ύψιλον | upsilon | [i] |
| Φ φ | φι | fi | [ɸ] |
| Χ χ | χι | hee | [x], [ç] |
| Ψ ψ | ψι | psi | |
| Ω ω | ωμέγα | omega | [o] |
Ancient Greek alphabet with transcription
(ancient Greek)
| Letter | Dr. -Greek name | Russian name | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Α α | ἄλφα | alpha | [a] |
| Β β | βῆτα | beta (vita) | [b] |
| Γ γ | γάμμα | gamma | [g]/[n] |
| Δ δ | δέλτα | delta | [d] |
| Ε ε | εἶ | epsilon | [e] |
| Ζ ζ | ζῆτα | zeta (zita) | , Later |
| Η η | ἦτα | this (ita) | [ɛː] |
| Θ θ | θῆτα | theta (phyta) | |
| Ι ι | ἰῶτα | iota | [i] |
| Κ κ | κάππα | kappa | [k] |
| Λ λ | λάμδα | lambda (lamda) | [l] |
| Μ μ | μῦ | mu (mi) | [m] |
| Ν ν | νῦ | nude (neither) | [n] |
| Ξ ξ | ξεῖ | xi | |
| Ο ο | οὖ | omicron | [o] |
| Π π | πεῖ | pi | [p] |
| Ρ ρ | ῥῶ | ro | [r], |
| Σ σ ς | σῖγμα | sigma | [s] |
| Τ τ | ταῦ | tau (tav) | [t] |
| Υ υ | ὖ | upsilon | [y], (formerly [u], ) |
| Φ φ | φεῖ | fi | |
| Χ χ | χεῖ | hee | |
| Ψ ψ | ψεῖ | psi | |
| Ω ω | ὦ | omega | [ɔː] |
Numbers of the Greek alphabet
The symbols of the Greek alphabet were also used in the system of writing numbers. The letters in order denoted numbers from 1 to 9, then numbers from 10 to 90, multiples of 10, and then numbers from 100 to 900, multiples of 100. Due to the fact that there were not enough alphabetic characters to write numbers, the number system was supplemented with symbols:
- ϛ (stigma)
- ϟ (coppa)
- ϡ (sampi)
| Letter | Meaning | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Α α | 1 | alpha |
| Β β | 2 | beta (vita) |
| Γ γ | 3 | gamma |
| Δ δ | 4 | delta |
| Ε ε | 5 | epsilon |
| Ϛ ϛ | 6 | stigma |
| Ζ ζ | 7 | zeta (zita) |
| Η η | 8 | this (ita) |
| Θ θ | 9 | theta (phyta) |
| Ι ι | 10 | iota |
| Κ κ | 20 | kappa |
| Λ λ | 30 | lambda (lamda) |
| Μ μ | 40 | mu (mi) |
| Ν ν | 50 | nude (neither) |
| Ξ ξ | 60 | xi |
| Ο ο | 70 | omicron |
| Π π | 80 | pi |
| Ϙ ϙ or Ϟ ϟ | 90 | coppa |
| Ρ ρ | 100 | ro |
| Σ σ ς | 200 | sigma |
| Τ τ | 300 | tau (tav) |
| Υ υ | 400 | upsilon |
| Φ φ | 500 | fi |
| Χ χ | 600 | hee |
| Ψ ψ | 700 | psi |
| Ω ω | 800 | omega |
| Ϡ ϡ | 900 | sampi |
