A sign can combine three different pieces of information: a destination, an arrow and a distance. Read them separately before putting them together. The practice sign below uses Greek destination words in capitals, with invented distances. It is a reading exercise, not directions to an actual place.
Read the sign
| ΚΕΝΤΡΟ | ↑ 500 m |
| ΜΟΥΣΕΙΟ | ← 200 m |
| ΣΤΑΘΜΟΣ | → 800 m |
Recognise the words in capitals
ΚΕΝΤΡΟ is κέντρο, centre. ΜΟΥΣΕΙΟ is μουσείο, museum. ΣΤΑΘΜΟΣ is σταθμός, station. In these uppercase labels, the written stress mark is absent. When you write the words in lowercase, restore the stress mark: κέντρο, μουσείο, σταθμός. Notice that the final Σ in ΣΤΑΘΜΟΣ becomes ς at the end of σταθμός.
Keep Greek letter values
Ρ is the capital form of ρ, not the Latin letter P. You meet it in ΚΕΝΤΡΟ. Σ corresponds to σ or word-final ς, and Θ is θ. In ΜΟΥΣΕΙΟ, read ου together as one vowel sound and ει together as another, rather than pronouncing every letter separately. Recognising a familiar word in capitals is often easier than trying to transliterate the entire sign.
Read the direction and distance together
Here, ↑ means straight ahead, ← means left and → means right. The centre is shown straight ahead at 500 metres, the museum left at 200 metres, and the station right at 800 metres. Μπροστά means ahead, αριστερά means left and δεξιά means right. The shortest distance is to the museum, but the sign does not give a walking time.
Check your reading
- Which destination is to the left?
- What distance is shown for the station?
- Write ΚΕΝΤΡΟ in lowercase with its stress mark.
- Can you read a journey time of eight minutes from the station’s 800 m label?
Show the answers
1. ΜΟΥΣΕΙΟ, the museum. 2. 800 metres. 3. κέντρο. 4. No: a distance is given, not a time.
Say what you have read
Practise Το μουσείο είναι αριστερά, “The museum is to the left”, then Ο σταθμός είναι δεξιά, “The station is to the right”. Cover the sign and recall the three destinations. Finally, copy each uppercase label beside its lowercase form, paying attention to Ρ, Θ and the final sigma.
Continue with asking for directions in Greek or review Greek vowel combinations.