Top 10 Mistakes Greek Learners Make When Learning English
English borrows thousands of words from Greek, but Greek grammar is very different! Here are the most common direct translation errors we hear from our Greek students.
Top 10 Mistakes
1
❌ Typical learner sentence:
"Please open the light."
🤔 Why learners say this:
Greek 'Anoigo' (Open) is used for lights/TVs. English uses 'Turn on' or 'Switch on'.
🇬🇧 What it sounds like to a Brit:
Like you want to unscrew the lightbulb and open it!
✅ Natural English version:
"Please turn on the light."
2
❌ Typical learner sentence:
"I want that you go."
🤔 Why learners say this:
Direct translation of the Greek subjunctive 'Thelo na...'. English requires 'I want YOU TO...'.
🇬🇧 What it sounds like to a Brit:
Very old-fashioned and robotic.
✅ Natural English version:
"I want you to go."
3
❌ Typical learner sentence:
"I am working here from 2010."
🤔 Why learners say this:
Greek uses the Present tense for duration. English requires Present Perfect Continuous + Since.
🇬🇧 What it sounds like to a Brit:
Grammatically wrong. We need to connect the past to the present.
✅ Natural English version:
"I have been working here since 2010."
🎯 Practice: Which Word?
The room is dark. You say:
A) Open the light
B) Turn on the light
4
❌ Typical learner sentence:
"I went to supermarket for to buy milk."
🤔 Why learners say this:
Greek 'Gia na' (for to). In English, we express purpose with 'TO' + Verb, or 'FOR' + Noun. Never 'For To'.
🇬🇧 What it sounds like to a Brit:
Like an old folk song. "I'm going for to see my true love."
✅ Natural English version:
"I went to the supermarket to buy milk."
5
❌ Typical learner sentence:
"I make a bath."
🤔 Why learners say this:
Greek 'Kano banio' uses 'make'. English uses 'have' or 'take'.
🇬🇧 What it sounds like to a Brit:
Like you are building the bathtub yourself.
✅ Natural English version:
"I take a bath." / "I have a shower."
6
❌ Typical learner sentence:
"We have a very good weather."
🤔 Why learners say this:
Greek 'Kairos' (weather) often takes an article. In English, Weather is uncountable. No 'A'.
🇬🇧 What it sounds like to a Brit:
Like there is one specific weather cloud just for you.
✅ Natural English version:
"We have very good weather."
🎯 Practice: Fix the Sentence
"Please close the TV."
7
❌ Typical learner sentence:
"I am listening music."
🤔 Why learners say this:
Greek 'Akouo mousiki' takes a direct object. English 'Listen' ALWAYS needs 'TO'.
🇬🇧 What it sounds like to a Brit:
Incomplete. Listen to what?
✅ Natural English version:
"I am listening TO music."
8
❌ Typical learner sentence:
"I know him from little."
🤔 Why learners say this:
Direct translation of 'Apo mikros'. English says 'Since I was young/little'.
🇬🇧 What it sounds like to a Brit:
Very foreign phrasing.
✅ Natural English version:
"I have known him since I was young."
9
❌ Typical learner sentence:
"It likes me." (Meaning I like it)
🤔 Why learners say this:
Greek 'Mou aresei' works like 'It pleases me'. English 'Like' is active: I like It.
🇬🇧 What it sounds like to a Brit:
You are saying the object has feelings and it likes you!
✅ Natural English version:
"I like it."
10
❌ Typical learner sentence:
"I lost the bus."
🤔 Why learners say this:
Common error. 'Hano' means lose/miss. But 'Lose' is for keys. 'Miss' is for transport.
🇬🇧 What it sounds like to a Brit:
Like you owned the bus and can't find it.
✅ Natural English version:
"I missed the bus."
🎯 Practice: Fix the Sentence
"I go to the gym for to make gymnastics."
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