# παιδί μου



## alfie1888

Μπορεί κανείς να μου πει την καλύτερη μετάφραση στα αγγλικά για το γλυκόλογο "παιδί μου" μεταξύ φίλων; 

Επίσης, μαθαίνω και τα ιταλικά - ξέρει κανείς πώς το λένε ιταλικά; Θέλω να το χρησιμοποιήσω σε αυτή τη γλώσσα.

Σας ευχαριστώ!


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## Perseas

Hi alfie1888,

I don't know the answer; I 'd  just like to note that "παιδί μου" or the diminutive "παιδάκι μου" can also be used in a patronizing style, which is rather not what you are looking for, as I can tell from the adjective "γλυκόλογο".


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## alfie1888

Yes, most definitely not looking for anything patronising. I used γλυκόλογο correctly, though, right? As in "a term of endearment"? Thank you all the same for your response.


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## ireney

Weeerll, it's not an exact equivalent but it's, I think, rather close to "mate". If we go back quite a few decades (close to a century come to think of it), the "my dear boy" which could have been used in either a patronizing or really friendly way would be, I guess, a better equivalent. Maybe you can come up with something modern given this info?


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## goonhilly

I also struggle with this term   παιδί μου everytime I read it which at the moment as I work through Τώρα Ελληνικά 1+1 is quite a lot and cannot remember of get my head around what would be an equivalent as I am sure we might say something other then "son" or "guy" or mate for example when  2 adults not related are using this expression!

Having now got the final chapter 16 of this book I have got to the point of saying just accept that they like to say mate to each other which in England  we do use frequently between friends but not always over the phone and for example take this sentence spoken over the phone

Ναι, παιδί μου, ναι. Μα το περιμέναμε όλοι.

Υes mate yes. But we have all been expecting it.

But maybe I am wrong where as in the UK we might use the persons name but I am sure they dont mean boy or sonny or guy in this context unless that is what Greek people say to each other frequently but in this book you get them using it between two woman talking or an older woman and younger person but not a child or teenager!


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## velisarius

It all depends on the context, who is speaking to whom, etc.

It can betray impatience; it can be patronising; it can be sympathetic—it can be almost anything, really.


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## goonhilly

So what context above where the older man ( as one refers to the other with Κύριε Πετράκο (voc)) but on the recording they both sound well into their 30-50s is talking about his son or daughter getting married ( not the one being told the good news ) so it is if anything sort of sympathetic but not patronising nor impatience albeit you might infer that if one is expecting it and to the other it is great news there might be a bit of impatience as in we already know! But what would be the nearest equivalent of this / is it "mate" being used in a much more general sense. Nowadays -mate- is I would say more used across many spectres of different social classes from the so called upper to the lower classes as an expression of "Hello mate" as in friendly banter and I believe that perhaps Greeks are less inhibited by social class that some UK people still are as there was a time when mate would be used by so called working /armed to well kids I suppose bearing in mind I was born in the 50s in to a Britain that was still suffering from war shortages. But I remember as kids at school we would be told off for saying mate to "our mates" and or we now have for example "mates rates" used by all and sundry from professsional   through to  so called working class. 

Sorry to be pedantic but it is the need to know and a bit like one of those odd things that I think is essential to be understood. Unless the book I am using is a bit 1970s? As for example in the copy of Linguaphone it is simple stated as a term of endearment and translated as "my child"!
Also in this Ling they tend to use a lot of what I call endearment expressions with " Ο άντρας μου" οr Ο Νικος μου" etc translated as just Nikos or my husband with out reference to the μου unless they start translating it again in Ling as- my boy -which is a bit weird so Linguaphone does too much of what I call clumsy translation of such expressions only substituting obvious known idiomatic Greek to English translations. Not sure if it -Linguaphone- is saying we are going to translate what the greek person is saying in english or nearest equivalent  but no way does an english person say my child all the time just weird to the ear so there must be someway at getting at this. Word ref gives for  example Βρε παιδί μου  as Hey boy or hey mate I think but that is with Βρε.
It is about time that Linguaphone was rewritten with some modern syntax as the english used sound like a sketch out of Enid Blyton nowadays. Just my personal view and I am no grammarian just a working class Joe or whatever.


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## mysunrise

-Hi. Yesterday, I was at the party...
-So, why are you worried...
-You know...
-I know what?
-It's about Jane...
-Great! Did you talk to her?
-Well... she was having a drink.... and I was looking at her...She was wearing a nice dress...she was wonderful...and then I was thinking about my feelings for her...
-Παιδί μου (or Παιδάκι μου) Did you talk to her????? (indignation, impatience)
-No...
-You are idiot!
-I know... She might not like me...
-Παιδί μου (or Παιδάκι μου), do you have her phone number? (query, impatience)
-No...
-For God's sake! Not even some digits!
-No...
-I'll ask my sister do give me her number. I'll tell you then to call her.
-No! Please, no! It's going to be impolite.
-Παιδί μου (or Παιδάκι μου) do you like her? (indignation)
-Yes, sure.
-Stop, παιδί μου (or Παιδάκι μου), with these stupid objections.
etc...

-Παιδί μου (or Παιδάκι μου), did you lock the door of the house?
-I guess yes.
-You guess?!!! Παιδί μου (or Παιδάκι μου) are you stupid? There are so many thieves around.
etc...

-Παιδί μου (or Παιδάκι μου), δεν πας καθόλου καλά! You are thinking that I spent all the money of the account. (irritated, She tries to hide that she had spent the money, and she insinuates that it is an action beyond imagination, that she never spents much money  )
-Exactly!
-Παιδί μου (or Παιδάκι μου), are you ok? I am not so mad yet. We have to pay for the rent and I know that very well (surprised, irritated)
etc...

pd. sorry if the dialogues sound "greek", but I tried to transfer the meaning as well as it gets.


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## bearded

alfie1888 said:


> "παιδί μου" μεταξύ φίλων;


 You asked about Italian 5 years ago...so you probably know by now.  Between friends we would say _vecchio mio / amico mio, _whereas an older man would say to a young one _figliolo _or _figlio mio_.  Anyhow, all these forms (vocatives) sound rather literary and outdated nowadays.


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