Why Do Greeks Say “μου” After Your Name?

If you’ve ever heard a Greek say “Ιωάννα μου” or “Γιάννη μου,” you may have wondered what it means. Since μου literally translates as “my,” it’s easy to think they’re saying “my Ioanna” or “my Yannis.” But that’s not really the case. What does “μου” mean? In Greek, μου is often used to express warmth,…

Greek Have SIX Ways to Spell the Sound “i”

If you’re learning Greek, you’ve probably noticed something surprising: the “i” sound can be written in six different ways! These are: At first, this can seem overwhelming. How are you supposed to know which spelling is correct? The good news is that you don’t need to memorize every word. Greek spelling follows patterns, and recognizing…

Why Odysseas becomes Odyssea in Greek, video thumbnail

Why Does “Odysseas” Become “Odyssea” in Greek?

If you’re learning Greek, you may have noticed that people’s names don’t always stay the same. For example: Although we’re talking about the same person, the ending of the name changes depending on its role in the sentence. This happens because Greek is an inflected language, meaning that nouns and names change form according to…