# alternative for τα λέμε



## Dminor

Τα λέμε is slang for "see ya", I know that. But I'm looking for an alternative. Any suggestions?


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## modus.irrealis

I can think of:

γεια or γεια σου/σας
αντίο
στο καλό

But these suggestions might be behind the times and not reflect what's commonly said in Greece today.


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## skatoulitsa

τα λέμε is I guess the most common in written messages.
Personally I wouldn't use modus's suggestions in writing, but I would if I was talking to someone.

Another one I often use in email messages is φιλιά/φιλάκια = kisses/little kisses.
These are informal though, as is "τα λέμε"


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## larshgf

I guess that τα λέμε must be an ideomatic expression. 
The use of τα before λέμε is a "mystery" to me? Explanation?


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## Αγγελος

"τα λέμε" literally means "we chat". It is one of many idiomatic verbal expressions involving an object pronoun that does not necessarily refer to anything specific. "την πάτησα" for instance means "I failed"; "τα μπέρδεψα" means "I got confused"; etc.
It can be used in all tenses. "Τα λέγαμε συχνά όταν έμενε στη γειτονιά μας" means "We often chatted when he lived in our our neighborhood." "Τα είπαμε χτες / Θα τα πούμε και αύριο" means "We talked yesterday / We will also talk tomorrow."
But it can be used colloquially as a way of saying good-bye, the implication being "we 'll talk again soon."


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## larshgf

Thank you Άγγελε!


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## Andrious

Another quite close alternative for ending a conversation is "Μιλάμε."


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## Helleno File

Very helpful discussion everyone.    I didn't realise τα λέμε had a more literal meaning.  

Verbs with a third person definite object pronoun (which turn out not to have a definite reference !) seem very useful colloquial expressions.  Trouble is remembering whether it's την, το or τα!* I'd be sure English has many equivalent traps for learners! 

*I assume  to use a slightly old fashioned English expression, there's no rhyme or reason why it should be any particular one.


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## ioanell

Αγγελος said:


> But it can be used colloquially as a way of saying good-bye, the implication being "we 'll talk again soon."



Elaborating a little further on Αγγελος’ very good post, since we ignore the very origin of these verbal expressions, we could not surely say that the object pronoun refers to something specific, but I think we could adequately suppose that the object *τα* of “*τα λέμε”* refers to “*τα νέα μας”, *that is “τα λέμε τα νέα μας ξανά σύντομα”. “*την* πάτησα” that is I failed, obviously having to do with the other colloquial expression “την πάτησα την πεπονόφλουδα (ή την μπανανόφλουδα) = I stepped on the melon (or the banana peel) and slipped over, meaning I was trapped, I was cheated, I was harmed, due to naivety or carelessness, “*τα* μπέρδεψα” (ενν. τα πράγματα ή τα λόγια μου = I mixed things or my words up), that is I got confused.


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## Perseas

Andrious said:


> Another quite close alternative for ending a conversation is "Μιλάμε."


Yes, "μιλάμε", "τα λέμε", "θα τα πούμε" are quite close in use.


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