A Rebetiko Song and a Grammar exercise

It’s not always sunny… even in Greece, we have our rainy days!

And of course, no Greek moment is complete without music to match the mood.

For a day like this, listen to the beautiful rebetiko song «Πέφτουν της βροχής οι στάλες»
(“Raindrops are falling”),
composed by Vassilis Tsitsanis and sung by Sotiria Bellou.

A rainy day is actually the perfect excuse to slow down… and study some Greek!

So let’s make the most of it.

Listen to the song while reading the lyrics below, both in Greek and in English.
You’ll pick up useful everyday vocabulary, and discover some important grammar along the way.

Lyrics & music: Vassilis Tsitsanis
Singer: Sotiria Bellou

Greek Lyrics of the Rebetiko Song – Στίχοι

Πέφτουν της βροχής οι στάλες
και εγώ κάθομαι στις σκάλες
Θα ‘θελα να μπω, σαν πρώτα
μα κρατάς κλειστή την πόρτα

Τι την θέλεις και την κλείνεις;
να μπω μέσα δε μ’ αφήνεις
είναι συννεφιά και μπόρα
και τι θ’ απογίνω τώρα

Απορώ τι σου χω φταίξει
άνοιξε, άνοιξε θα βρέξει
πέφτουν της βροχής οι στάλες
και `γω κάθομαι στις σκάλες

 

English translation of Greek lyrics:
“Rain drops are falling”

Raindrops are falling
And I’m sitting (outside), on the stairs
I would like to get in, as I used to,
But you keep the door closed

Why you want it to close it?
Why you don’t let me in?
It’s cloudy and it rains
What will happen to me?

I wonder where did I go wrong?
Open! open! It will rain
The rain drops are falling
And I’m sitting (outside) on the stairs

 

Greek grammar

Ready to also learn some Greek grammar?

In the table, you find the verbs you hear in the song.

Complete the table by writing the same verbs in different tenses.

(Answer Key at the bottom of this page)

Ενεστώτας Simple present	Μέλλοντας απλός/Υποτακτική απλή Simple future/simple subjunctive	Αόριστος Simple past	Παρακείμενος Present perfect
πέφτουν
κάθομαι
	να μπω
κρατάς
αφήνεις
			έχω φταίξει
	θα βρέξει

Was it difficult? In order to know most of the tenses well, you have to be at an intermediate level in Greek.

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If you are at a lower level in the Greek Language, then the eBook
« Active Greek Verbs of A and B category » could help you out.

 

 

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The Answer Key of the grammar exercise above

Ενεστώτας	Μέλλοντας απλός/Υποτακτική απλή	Αόριστος	Παρακείμενος
πέφτουν (they fall)	θα/να πέσουν	έπεσαν	έχουν πέσει
κάθομαι (I sit)	θα καθίσω-θα κάτσω	κάθισαν-έκατσαν	έχουν καθίσει-έχουν κάτσει
μπαίνω (I get/come in)	να μπω	μπήκα	έχω μπει
κρατάς (you keep)	θα/να κρατήσεις	κράτησα	έχεις κρατήσει
αφήνεις (you let)	θα/να αφήσεις	άφησα	έχω αφήσει
φταίω (I am guilty/wrong)	θα/ να φταίξω	έφταιξα	έχω φταίξει
βρέχει (it rains)	θα βρέξει	έβρεξε	έχει βρέξει

 

PS.
Apart from grammar, maybe you are you interested to learn more about Greek music, including;
information about the music genre,
composers, singers,
Greek songs with English translations,
and extra Greek exercises to improve your Greek?

Then take a look at the following eBooks;