# άκουσέ το εδώ



## larshgf

Hello,

I wonder how you would tranlate "_άκουσέ το εδώ_?"


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## Helleno File

larshgf said:


> Hello,
> 
> I wonder how you would tranlate "_άκουσέ το εδώ_?"


Looks to me like "Listen to it here". That's the second person imperative of άκουω with the additional final stress before the weak pronoun.  Unless the context suggests something different. And of course as always I bow to our Greek friends here. Το εδώ can be an adverb used as a noun but not in this case because of the stress.


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## Perseas

I agree, but Ι’m trying to find out in what context would someone say «άκουσέ το εδώ». It’s not a common phrase.


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## larshgf

Perseas said:


> I agree, but Ι’m trying to find out in what context would someone say «άκουσέ το εδώ». It’s not a common phrase.


It was a "header" of a text about traffic in Greece.


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## Αγγελος

larshgf said:


> It was a "header" of a text about traffic in Greece.


That's odd -- unless it was followed by a hyperlink to a sound file.


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## larshgf

Αγγελος said:


> That's odd -- unless it was followed by a hyperlink to a sound file.


You are right Αγγελε. Sorry! I hope it´s allowed to behave like a fool in this forum


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## Jordan89

Wouldn't it be similar to: "άκου λέει" as in:

-"Δεν θέλω να πάω στο χωριό, δεν έχω φίλους εκεί" 
- *Άκου λέει* δεν έχει φίλους! Και ο Μανώλης τι είναι; εχθρός; 

I wonder if it could be used that way


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## Αγγελος

Jordan89 said:


> Wouldn't it be similar to: "άκου λέει" as in:
> 
> -"Δεν θέλω να πάω στο χωριό, δεν έχω φίλους εκεί"
> - *Άκου λέει* δεν έχει φίλους! Και ο Μανώλης τι είναι; εχθρός;
> 
> I wonder if it could be used that way



«Άκου λέει!» can certainly be used to express disbelief at something said. «Άκου να δεις!» can also be used to express surprise, as can «Άκου πράματα!», though it can also be used (with a different intonation) to call someone's attention to what is about to follow.  But «άκουσέ *το*», with a pronoun as a direct object, can only mean "hear it", "listen to it". And the original asker admitted that in his case it had the obvious literal meaning and referred to  a hyperlink to a sound file, which one could click to hear whatever sound (probably a piece of music) the text was talking about.​


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## Jordan89

Αγγελος said:


> «Άκου λέει!» can certainly be used to express disbelief at something said. «Άκου να δεις!» can also be used to express surprise, as can «Άκου πράματα!», though it can also be used (with a different intonation) to call someone's attention to what is about to follow.  But «άκουσέ *το*», with a pronoun as a direct object, can only mean "hear it", "listen to it". And the original asker admitted that in his case it had the obvious literal meaning and referred to  a hyperlink to a sound file, which one could click to hear whatever sound (probably a piece of music) the text was talking about.​


Thank you!!


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## Helleno File

Αγγελος said:


> «Άκου λέει!» can certainly be used to express disbelief at something said. «Άκου να δεις!» can also be used to express surprise, as can «Άκου πράματα!», though it can also be used (with a different intonation) to call someone's attention to what is about to follow...​


This has taken an interesting turn.  I know "άκου φάση" - > (Eng) "hear what happened" but didn't realise there were a bunch of similar phrases.  I _think_ I get άκου λέει but could you say a bit more about the use of  "άκου να δεις" [sounds very odd!] and "άκου πράματα".


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## Αγγελος

Άκου πράματα!  (with a very strong stress on both words and a slight pause in between) = hear, hear! (what unbelievable things are being reported)
With a more specific word: Άκου τρέλα! (=What madness! _or _What a folly!);   Άκου δικαιολογία! (=What a lame excuse!); etc.
Those ejaculations can be reactions to a surprising report, but of course they can also be an introduction to such a report, in which case άκου almost has its literal sense:  "listen to his crazy doings", "listen to his incredible excuse", etc.
[Άκου φάση! is slang, but does mean what you say. Φάση in the sense of 'turn of events' comes from sportscasters' descriptions of games.]

Άκου να δεις! (Also Άκου ν' ακούσεις!, again with a strong stress on both verbs and a deliberate enunciation -- I wish there were a way of appending sound files to comments) = That is _some _story! 
But Άκου να δεις, pronounced almost as one word, with the main stress on the ά and a secondary stress on the δεις, is an introduction to a complicated explanation and means "listen well, so as to understand what I'm saying." I am told the phrase _écoute voir _is used in the same sense in vernacular French.


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## Helleno File

Wonderful reply Αγγελε!!   That's opened up a lot of possibilities that show how much vocabulary, meaning and intonation are all bound up together to create vigorous and connected communication.

Άκου να δεις as an introductory phrase reminds me of an innocent seeming phrase in Scouse (Liverpool) dialect to which I am an outsider despite living in the area for over 40 years.  When my sister-in-law says "Worridis... " [= "What it is... "]  I know I am going to listen to an explanation that will last at least 5 minutes!

I was always puzzled by the origin of άκου φάση but now it makes sense from the sport point of view!  

Just one minor (and rare!) correction if I've understood you right.  "Hear hear" in English is not "what unbelievable things are being reported". It's a slightly old fashioned way of expressing strong agreement with something said, usually in a context of being in a group of people or a public meeting. It is well covered in the English Only Forum


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## Αγγελος

Helleno File said:


> [...] "Hear hear" in English is [...] a slightly old fashioned way of expressing strong agreement with something said, usually in a context of being in a group of people or a public meeting. It is well covered in the English Only Forum


Thank you! I had only heard it used in televised parliamentary discussions, and had completely misunderstood it, doubtless misled by the (equally old-fashioned) Greek expression άκουσον, άκουσον!


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