Product Description

Soon, "It's Greek to me" will have new meaning. This phrase book is an easy-to-use, easy-to-understand, color-coded guide to the Greek language. Greek letters and their English equivalent are represented, allowing you to communicate with confidence and travel with ease! The Berlitz phrase book is the unparalleled market leader in its category.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28636 in Books
• Published on: 1998-11
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Amazon.com
It's a petite book, small enough and light enough to sit easily in your hip or jacket pocket without being a burden, yet it covers all the bases, including Boro na se feeleeso? (May I kiss you?), Sas parakalo afeeste me eeseekhee! (Leave me alone, please!), and Yatee yelas? (Why are you laughing?). There's also an introduction to the Greek alphabet, a guide to the pronunciation of Greek letters, a page of basic and essential expressions, and a page to turn to during communication difficulties. And since every English word or phrase is translated into Greek letters as well as their English phonetic equivalents, if your Greek pronunciation isn't up to par, you can always point to the intended line and let the other party read the Greek that asks, "When does the train arrive?"

With chapters on accommodations and eating out, travel and sightseeing, leisure and making friends, shopping and health, there's a phrase for most situations you're likely to find yourself in, and there's an easy reference section on numbers, calendar terms, and greetings, holidays, time, and emergencies, plus an A-to-Z English-Greek dictionary and index, and a Greek-English glossary of common Greek road and airport signs, hotel and restaurant signs, and signs you might encounter in public buildings and tourist sights. There's even a map of Greece in the back. You could lug a five-pound comprehensive dictionary on all your outings, but what you gain in knowing how to say, "Ecru" and "Eclipse," you lose in comfort and convenience, and more often than not, that big dictionary stays in the hotel when you go out. It's far nicer to have a book that's easy to pack and a pleasure to use. --Stephanie Gold

About the Author
In January 2003, the renowned Berlitz Publishing became part of the Langenscheidt Group. The Langenscheidt Publishing Group, the premier group of map and travel companies, offers over 4,000 North American and international street maps, road maps, atlases, language-learning, bilingual dictionaries, and travel-related products covering countries, cities, and languages in every continent.

Customer Reviews

OK, but not great
I bought this book when I first came to Greece almost 10 years ago, which is when it published. I'm not Greek, and at that time I didn't understand a single word or even how to read the alphabet, so I couldn't write an informed review about whether it was helpful or not. When I used it in Greece, it seemed that people only understood me half of the time, and I couldn't figure out why. I ended up purchasing another phrase book sold in Athens, and that went much better.

Now that I know Greek, I can say for certain that this book is in need of an update...and badly. Many of the words are uncommon ways of expressing a word and not the way people really communicate with each other, i.e. 'Artopoleio' is an traditional word used for bakery. People will still understand what you mean if you say that, but they'll giggle a little because we all say 'fournos' in modern day Greece. Further, the phrasebook includes Greek for 'shopping mall.' Ten years ago, there was no shopping mall so that entry was useless, and even now there is only one (in Athens, of course). Aside from that, it's difficult to find the right phrase because of the way it's organized.

I understand it's difficult to choose a Greek phrasebook. There aren't that many on the market, Berlitz is a trusted name, and if you don't know Greek, there's no way to know whether it's good or bad. It'll still get you by, there are just others out there that are better.

Greek Phrase book
This is split up for types of conversations you need. Not easily looked up unless you study the book.

Very Practical
Lots of helpful phrases, expressions and information is this handy little book that fits right into your pocket. Even if you can't always get your tongue around the foreign word or expression, you can point it out to someone to communicate.