# Να χαρείς τα μάτια σου



## alfie1888

Έχω ακούσει αυτή τη φράση πολλές φορές. Τι σημαίνει; Πότε το χρησιμοποιώ και υπάρχει μια αντίστοιχη στ' αγγλικά;


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## velisarius

You can use it to ask a big favour of someone  "Ελα κάνε μου τη χάρη, να χαρείς τα μάτια σου."
....Οr to say a big thank you " Μου το έφερες τελικά .....μπράβο παιδί μου, να χαρείς τα μάτια σου."

It literally expresses a wish that you should enjoy very good eyesight (I suppose because the gift of sight is the one we most cherish and most regret if we lose it.) It is most often used by older people towards youngsters, as blessings usually are. 

I would say it could be translated as "Bless you my dear" or as an emphatic "Please ....I'd be really grateful".
I can't think of anything more colourful at the moment.


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## Acestor

Hi. "May God bless you" might be a good equivalent (if we think of the people who would actually use expressions of the sort).


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## Perseas

velisarius said:


> It literally expresses a wish that you should enjoy very good eyesight (I suppose because the gift of sight is the one we most cherish and most regret if we lose it.)


Very good analysis!


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## alfie1888

Acestor said:


> Hi. "May God bless you" might be a good equivalent (if we think of the people who would actually use expressions of the sort).


What kind of people might that be, then? Old people or crazy religious people? :/


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## ireney

It has no religious connotations at all. It's stronger than but similar to "would you/there's a dearie" (can't think of any other old English people expressions right now   )


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## velisarius

ireney said:


> It has no religious connotations at all. It's stronger than but similar to "would you/there's a dearie" (can't think of any other old English people expressions right now   )



"Bless you" (thank you) in British English also doesn't have any religious overtones, and is also the sort of thing an older person might still say. "May God bless you" (Acestor's choice) is possible, but is more overtly "religious" than the usual kind of thing you might say in English.


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## ireney

I don't disagree velisarius, I was replying to alfie's post (the one above mine).


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## velisarius

O.K. Irene, I was just expanding on your post in the light of Acestor's suggestion


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## Flaminius

Maybe, just maybe, is it not related to the Biblical expression "a good eye"?  Having a good eye means in e.g., Luke 11:34 being generous.


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## Acestor

Hi. I apologise for bringing religion into this discussion. As Irene has already noted, there are no religious connotations in the expression itself. What I meant by my comment is that you are more likely to hear the expression coming from older people. These older people in Greece are usually religious or more prone to use expressions of a religious or biblical origin. Therefore, in a translation, say, of a Greek novel, using "May God bless you" might be more effective in giving the expression the necessary veneer. I hope this is a little clearer now.


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## ireney

Hey Flam! Long time no see!
Well, we have quite a few expressions of the same kind (να χαρείς X -may you enjoy X) for it to have a (at least clear) relation to biblical sayings: "may you enjoy your youth", "may you enjoy your beauty" etc


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## Flaminius

Acestor said:


> bringing religion into this discussion


I am merely hinting this expression may be influenced by a Hebrew expression "a good eye".  Apparently Bible is virtually the only source for Hebraism in Greek but it does not follow that all instances of Hebraism are marks of religiosity.  I defer to native speakers like you and *ireney* as to how religious it sounds.



ireney said:


> Hey Flam! Long time no see!


Irene mou, indeed long time....!



> "may you enjoy your youth", "may you enjoy your beauty" etc


Can you use them to mean "Would you please do me a favour", just like να χαρείς τα μάτια σου?  If so, I am still interested in finding other expressions in Greek that treat the eye as a cherished gift.


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## shawnee

My favourite curse highlights the importance of eyesight, by its ommission so to speak; στραυομάρα και πολλή ζωή - may you live a long life in blindness!


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## Perseas

Flaminius said:


> "may you enjoy your youth", "may you enjoy your beauty" etc
> 
> 
> 
> Can you use them to mean "Would you please do me a favour", just like να χαρείς τα μάτια σου?
Click to expand...

They (_να χαρείς τα μάτια σου _as well) don't mean  "Would you please do me a favour", but they accompany the latter to express wish.
E.g. _Κάνε μου αυτή τη χάρη σε παρακαλώ, να χαρείς τα μάτια σου/τα νιάτα σου/την ομορφιά σου._

[Κάνε μου αυτή τη χάρη σε παρακαλώ_ ~ _Would you please do me a favour]


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## Perseas

Flaminius said:


> I am still interested in finding other expressions in Greek that treat the eye as a cherished gift.


Here are some:

1._ Aγαπώ / φυλάω / προσέχω κάτι σαν τα μάτια μου_: lit._ I love/mind something as I love/mind my own eyes (_perhaps:_ it is the apple of my eye)
_2. _Mάτια μου!_: lit. _my eyes_; fig. _my dearest, my darling_ (expresses familiarity) 
3._ Παίρνω τα μάτια μου (και φεύγω_): lit. _to take my eyes_; fig._ to heave in despair_
 4._ Βγάζω το_ _μάτι κάποιου_: lit. _to put/pluck out somebody's eye_; fig. _to do somebody great harm_
_5. Βγάζω τα μάτια σε κάτι_: lit._ to put/pluck out the eye of something_; fig. _to destroy something 
6. Bγάζω τα μάτια μου_: _to bring about one's own ruin _and vulg. _to have sex_
7. _Kαλύτερα να σου βγει το_ _μάτι παρά το όνομα_: it is beter to lose your eye (to have your eye plucked out) than to lose (ruin) your good name


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## Tassos

1b. A variation of this is to say _something + "και τα μάτια σου"_ as in _"Το παιδί και τα μάτια σου"_ like that, without a verb. The meaning is the same as 1.
6b. _Έβαλε τα χέρια του κι έβγαλε τα μάτια του_ (in many variations) - Lit. He plucked out his eyes with his own hands. Fig. He did something catastrophic for his own good, "He shot himself in the leg".
8. _Μάτια που δεν βλέπονται γρήγορα ξεχνιούνται_ - Saying. It means when you don't see someone for a long time, you eventually forget about him/her.
9. _Το ινάτι βγάζι μάτι_ - Saying. Lit. A grudge will pluck an eye out. It means that when you hold a grudge against someone this will not end up well.


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## Flaminius

Wow, wow!  The lists are more than I expected.  Thank you so much.


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