Some Common Greek Idioms

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An idiom is a phrase whose meaning differs from the literal words that comprise it. In English, for instance, the idiom “break a leg” means “good luck!” We also use the term of phrases whose hyperliteral translation doesn’t quite work. The Italian phrase “mi piace,” for instance, hyperliterally translates into English as “to me it pleases.” However, in English we instead say “I like.”

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τῷ ὄντι

hyperliterally: “for the thing existing” better: “in truth”

ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν

hyperliterally: “as to say a word” better: “almost, practically, so to speak”

ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ αὐτὸν σοφὸν εἶναι

hyperliterally: “it seems to me that he is wise” better: “I think that he is wise”

δεῖ (or χρὴ) τὸν Σωκράτη ταῦτα εἰπεῖν

hyperliterally: “it is necessary for Socrates to say these things” better: “Socrates must say these things.”

τὸ ὄνομα τῷ ἀνέμῳ Βορέας ἐστί

hyperliterally: “the name to the wind is Boreas” better: “the wind’s name is Boreas”

ἦν δ᾽ ἐγώ / ἦ δ᾽ ὅς (introducing quotations)

hyperliterally: “and I was” / “and he was” better: “and I said” / “and he said”*

* English has a similar idiom: “and I was like” / “and he was like.”