# Life is short. Eat desserts first.



## wonderment

Hello there,

I just started to learn modern Greek, and thought I'd try translating the saying, "Life is short. Eat desserts first." Please forgive me--I hope I don't mangle your beautiful language too much:

ο βιος ειναι μικρος. να τρωτε τα επιδωρπια πρωτος.

Is this correct? It's a sweet variation on "Carpe diem," (Latin for "Seize the day") made famous by the Roman poet Horace. It has even echoed in American hiphop, in a song by Eminem: "You better lose yourself in the music, the moment/ You better never let it go." Are there similar expressions of this motif in Greek? Thanks.

Χαιρετε


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## anthodocheio

wonderment said:


> Hello there,
> 
> I just started to learn modern Greek, and thought I'd try translating the saying, "Life is short. Eat desserts first." Please forgive me--I hope I don't mangle your beautiful language too much:
> 
> ο βιος ειναι μικρος. να τρωτε τα επιδωρπια πρωτος. Η ζωή είναι μικρή. Να τρώτε τα επιδόρπια πρώτα. ("πρώτα" is not in acordance to the "επιδόρπια". Is just the adverb...)
> 
> Is this correct? It's a sweet variation on "Carpe diem," (Latin for "Seize the day") made famous by the Roman poet Horace. It has even echoed in American hiphop, in a song by Eminem: "You better lose yourself in the music, the moment/ You better never let it go." Are there similar expressions of this motif in Greek? Thanks.
> 
> Χαιρετε


 
Χαίρε wonderment!
You just started with modern Greek, means you have done classic Greek first, right? "Βίος" is the older form for "life", now "ζωή".

I don't know what we say.. We do say "Life is short", that's for sure. I mean, I can't think of anything more than that...


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## Vagabond

I'll second anthodocheio's post... we do say "life is short" (= η ζωή είναι σύντομη), "life is little" (= η ζωή είναι λίγη) or "life is small" - even though in English it sounds weird (= η ζωή είναι μικρή).

As to a longer expression, like the one with the desserts you posted, I can think of a couple, but they are *not* decent.


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## GreedyGreen

I've nothing to add on the Greek language side here,but can I just say that "life is short. Eat deserts first" really tickled me! A lovely expression!


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## balgior

wonderment said:


> ο βιος ειναι μικρος. να τρωτε τα επιδωρπια πρωτος.
> 
> Is this correct?
> Χαιρετε



Hi!

Ι would say "Η ζωή είναι μικρή" in modern Greek instead of "Ο βίος είιναι μικρός", although both are correct.

"Να τρώτε τα επιδόρπια πρώτα" should be the rest. The first is just a spelling error. As for the second one, "πρώτος" is an adjective used for males:
(ο πρώτος, η πρώτη, το πρώτο / plural: οι πρώτοι, οι πρώτες, τα πρώτα)

Here we see that the appropriate adjective to use would be "τα πρώτα" for 
"τα επιδόρπια" -> "τα πρώτα επιδόρπια" = (the) first desserts.

But we don't want to use an adjective, but an adverb, right? An adverb that means "first(ly)". So it is "πρώτα" which is (also) an adverb. If you have studied classic Greek you should notice that adverbs used to end in "-ως" but in modern Greek this has changed to "-α": "καλώς -> καλά".

I hope i helped!


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## wonderment

Hello again,

Many thanks, anthodocheio and balgior, for your helpful corrections. And thanks also, Vagabond and GreedyGreen, for your thoughts.  



anthodocheio said:


> You just started with modern Greek, means you have done classic Greek first, right?



Yes. “Pathon mathon” as Aeschylus would say, but Homer, Sappho, and the tragedians are worth it. I’m curious about something—if a native Greek speaker wishes to read Homer, is she more likely to read him in the original or Kasantzakis’s translation? 

Come to think of it, Kasantzakis’s Zorba is, for me, a fabulous expression of Greek joie de vivre. And Cavafy’s Ithaka, too. Two beautiful reasons to learn modern Greek. 



Vagabond said:


> I'll second anthodocheio's post... we do say "life is short" (= ? ??? ????? ???????), "life is little" (= ? ??? ????? ????) or "life is small" - even though in English it sounds weird (= ? ??? ????? ?????).
> 
> As to a longer expression, like the one with the desserts you posted, I can think of a couple, but they are *not* decent.



Oh, I have a vivid imagination...I can guess.   Here's another: Life is short. Then we die. 

Υεια!


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## ireney

Moderator's note: Please conduct any discussion relating to the Greek language in its various forms in a separate thread since such a discussion is off topic for this thread. Thank you for your understanding.


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## jaxlarus

This is how I'd translate your...mottoes:
*Η ζωή είναι σύντομη. Φάτε το επιδόρπιο πρώτο!
Άδραξε τη μέρα.*

Ηere's a couple I like myself:
*Η ΖΩΗ είν' ωράια, αλλά τα 'χει μ' άλλον!
Ζήσε όπως θες κι άσε τους άλλους. Οι άλλοι είναι πολλοί, η ζωή πολύ λίγη.
*
A collection of lyrics:
*Μια ζωή την έχουμε κι αν δεν την γλεντήσουμε, τι θα καταλάβουμε; Τι θα καζαντίσουμε;* (= gain)
*Τέτοια που είναι η ζωή, τέτοια κι εγώ της κάνω!
Γλέντα τη ζωή. Όλοι δύο μέτρα παίρνουν γη.
*
Αnd here's one I once read on a wall:
* Η ζωή είναι ένας κ***ς: Αν δεν την γ******ς θα σε χ**ει!*


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## anthodocheio

jaxlarus said:


> This is how I'd translate your...mottoes:
> *Η ζωή είναι σύντομη. Φάτε το επιδόρπιο πρώτο!*
> *Άδραξε τη μέρα.*
> 
> Ηere's a couple I like myself:
> *Η ΖΩΗ είν' ωράια, αλλά τα 'χει μ' άλλον! ΑΥΤΟ Μ'ΑΡΕΣΕΙ. ΕΙΝΑΙ ΚΑΠΩΣ ΑΠΑΙΣΙΟΔΟΞΟ ΑΛΛΑ ΠΟΛΥ ΕΞΥΠΝΟ!*
> *Ζήσε όπως θες κι άσε τους άλλους. Οι άλλοι είναι πολλοί, η ζωή πολύ λίγη.*
> 
> A collection of lyrics:
> *Μια ζωή την έχουμε κι αν δεν την γλεντήσουμε, τι θα καταλάβουμε; Τι θα καζαντίσουμε;* (= gain)
> *Τέτοια που είναι η ζωή, τέτοια κι εγώ της κάνω!*
> *Γλέντα τη ζωή. Όλοι δύο μέτρα παίρνουν γη.*
> 
> Αnd here's one I once read on a wall:
> * Η ζωή είναι ένας κ***ς: Αν δεν την γ******ς θα σε χ**ει! ΣΕΜΝΑΑΑΑ!!!!!!!!!! *


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## wonderment

Oh, this looks like fun!   Thanks so very much, jaxlarus! 

Please *do not* translate. I want to try this on my own, and ask for help when I'm stuck. So I'll be back later, no doubt with questions.

anthodocheio, no censorship please. Information wants to be free.


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