Description:
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
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