LingoflyΣαν and όπως: two different "like"s
Greek compares in two ways, and they answer different questions. For example: “Ο ουρανός (o uranós) ήταν (ítan) σαν (san) μολύβι (molívi) πριν (prin) τη (ti) βροχή” (vrokhí) — Before the rain the sky was like lead. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Greek compares in two ways, and they answer different questions.
σαν (san) compares by look and takes a word after it: Ο ουρανός (o uranós) είναι (íne) σαν (san) μολύβι (molívi) (o uranós íne san molívi) — the sky is like lead.
όπως (ópos) is about the manner of doing. A whole clause follows it, not a single word: Κάν' το (to) όπως (ópos) σου (su) έδειξα (to ópos su édiksa) — do it the way I showed you.
Table
| the turn | about what | what follows |
|---|---|---|
| σαν (san) | likeness of look | a word |
| όπως (ópos) | the manner of action | a whole clause |
By example
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
two different "like"s: how does it work in Greek?
Greek compares in two ways, and they answer different questions.
What does it look like in a Greek example sentence?
“Ο ουρανός (o uranós) ήταν (ítan) σαν (san) μολύβι (molívi) πριν (prin) τη (ti) βροχή” (vrokhí) (o uranós ítan san molívi prin ti vrokhí) — Before the rain the sky was like lead. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.