Greek Vocabulary And Grammar Exercise With A Rebetiko Song.

It cannot always be sunny, also in Greece there are “rainy days”! And of course, there is a Greek song that goes along with a wet day!
Listen to the beautiful rebetiko song, composed by Vassilis Tsitsanis “Raindrops are falling” «Πέφτουν της βροχής οι στάλες».
A rainy day is excellent to study Greek as well, so here we go!

Listen to the song, while you read the lyrics below, in Greek and English.
You will learn daily vocabulary as well as important Greek grammar.

Lyrics, music: Vassilis Tsitsanis
Singer: Sotiria Bellou

Στίχοι/ Lyrics (English translation below)

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

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.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

If you are at a lower level in the Greek Language, then the eBook
“71 Everyday Verbs in the present, future, and past tense” could help you out.

 

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, all made by the Omilo-team.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

The Answer Key of the grammar excercise 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