Greek Lesson: We've Become Dolmas

This lesson uses the satirical Greek song “Γίναμε Ντολμάδες” (“We’ve Become Dolmas”) to teach some vocabulary, grammar, expressions, and cultural insights. The song humorously explores Greek cuisine and political struggle, using food as a metaphor for identity and crisis.

Γίναμε Ντολμάδες

The song	The music only
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Context

“Dolmas” (Greek: ντολμάδες) are grape leaves stuffed with rice and herbs. In this song, this dish becomes a poetic image of how the Greek people, after the economic crisis, were wrapped up in debt — only to end up wrapped in sleeping bags on the sidewalk.

Vocabulary

Greek	Pronunciation	English
ντολμαδάκια	dol-ma-THA-kia	stuffed grape leaves
γεμιστό	yeh-mee-STOH	stuffed (food)
φύλλο	FEE-lo	leaf
μνήμη	MNEE-mee	memory
ψέμα	PSE-ma	lie, falsehood
τυλίγω	tee-LEE-go	to wrap, to roll
κρίση	KREE-see	crisis
πεζοδρόμιο	peh-zo-THRO-mee-o	sidewalk
υπνόσακος	eep-NO-sa-kos	sleeping bag
τρόικα	TRO-i-ka	Troika (EU/IMF/ECB)
φόρος	FO-ros	tax
γεύση	YEF-see	taste
κοιλιά	kee-LYA	belly, stomach
στομάχι	sto-MA-khi	stomach
ζύμη	ZEE-mee	dough
τρώω	TRO-o	to eat
λέω	LE-o	to say
κοιμάμαι	kee-MA-me	to sleep
βάζω	VA-zo	to put, place
μένω	ME-no	to stay, to remain
μαγειρεύω	ma-yee-RE-vo	to cook

Grammar Focus: Aorist Past Tense (Simple Past)

The aorist is the Greek equivalent of the simple past. It’s used to describe a completed action, usually without reference to duration. It often answers the question “what happened?” rather than “what was happening?”

How is it formed?

Most regular verbs in the aorist follow a three-part structure:

augment (usually ε-) + aorist stem + past ending

• The augment appears only in the indicative past forms.
• The aorist stem often differs from the present stem.
• Endings are typically the same across many verbs.

Examples:

• γράφω (to write) → έγραψα (I wrote)
• μένω (to stay) → έμεινα (I stayed)
• λέω (to say) → είπα (I said) (irregular stem)
• τρώω (to eat) → έφαγα (I ate) (irregular and highly used)

Use of the aorist is essential in storytelling, narration, and expressing a chain of events.

Example:

• Γίναμε ντολμάδες → We became dolmas (from “γίνομαι” = to become)
• Μας τύλιξαν στο αλεύρι → They rolled us in flour (from “τυλίγω” = to roll/wrap)

Aorist Conjugation (Active voice)

Verb	Stem	1st Person Past	3rd Person Past	English
γίνομαι	γίν-	γίναμε	έγιναν	we/they became
τυλίγω	τύλιξ-	τύλιξα	τύλιξαν	I/they wrapped
λέω	είπ-	είπα	είπαν	I/they said
κοιμάμαι	κοιμήθ-	κοιμήθηκα	κοιμήθηκαν	I/they slept
βάζω	βά-	έβαλα	έβαλαν	I/they put
μένω	μείν-	έμεινα	έμειναν	I/they stayed
μαγειρεύω	μαγείρεψ-	μαγείρεψα	μαγείρεψαν	I/they cooked

Grammar Notes:

• Many past tense verbs use augment (a prefix “ε-“) + aorist stem + ending.
• Some verbs are irregular (e.g., λέω → είπα).

Exercise 1: Translate into English

1. Φύλλα σταφυλιού γεμισμένα με ρύζι. Grape leaves stuffed with rice.
2. Η γιαγιά τύλιξε τα γεμιστά. Grandma wrapped the stuffed vegetables.
3. Ο παππούς είπε ένα ψέμα. Grandpa told a lie.
4. Μας έβαλαν στον υπνόσακο. They put us in the sleeping bag.
5. Ποιος μαγειρεύει παστίτσιο; Who is cooking pastitsio?
6. Το παιδί κοιμάται στο πεζοδρόμιο. The child sleeps on the sidewalk.
7. Οι πολιτικοί είπαν πολλά. The politicians said a lot.
8. Η τρόικα ήπιε καφέ στις Βρυξέλλες. The Troika drank coffee in Brussels.

Exercise 2: Fill in the correct past tense form

Use the aorist form of the verb in parentheses:

1. Εμείς ______ ντολμάδες. (γίνομαι) γίναμε
2. Αυτοί μας ______ στο ψέμα. (τυλίγω) τύλιξαν
3. Η τρόικα ______ φόρους. (βάζω) έβαλε
4. Ο κόσμος ______ στον δρόμο. (μένω) έμεινε
5. Η γιαγιά ______ τις μελιτζάνες. (τηγανίζω) τηγάνισε
6. Ο πατέρας ______ ροδάκινα. (τρώω) έφαγε
7. Η μητέρα μας ______ να σωπάσουμε. (λέω) είπε
8. Το παιδί ______ κάτω από το τραπέζι. (κοιμάμαι) κοιμήθηκε

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Structure Focus: Using “σαν” (like/as)

The particle σαν is used to form comparisons:

• σαν μυστικό → like a secret
• σαν ψέμα → like a lie
• σαν στρώμα μνήμης → like a mattress of memory

σαν + noun = figurative comparison, similar to “comme” in French or “like/as” in English.

Exercise 3: Match the phrases

Guess the English equivalents to these Greek expressions :

1. σαν ιερή γραφή like sacred scripture
2. σαν τραγούδι like a song
3. σαν παλιό φίλο like an old friend
4. σαν ψέμα like a lie
5. σαν στρώμα like a mattress
6. σαν όνειρο like a dream
7. σαν χαρά like joy
8. σαν μυστικό like a secret

Useful Expressions

• Μας τύλιξαν για τα καλά → They really fooled us.
• Τυλιγμένος μέχρι τα αυτιά → Totally wrapped up (in love, debt, etc).
• Ψηφίζω με το στομάχι → To vote with the stomach (emotional vote).
• Ό,τι τυλίγεται, δεν ξετυλίγεται εύκολα → What is wrapped doesn’t unwrap easily (proverbial tone).

Final Task: Listen and Shadow

1. Listen to the song Γίναμε Ντολμάδες again.
2. Try to sing along with the first stanza.
3. Underline all the past tense verbs you hear.
4. Write down 3 food-related expressions from the lyrics.

Summary

Today we learned:

• Key vocabulary from the song
• How the aorist tense works in Greek
• How to use “σαν” for comparisons
• Culturally loaded food idioms
• How humor and cuisine reflect social reality

Stay tuned for more songs and lessons — and don’t forget to taste before you translate!

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The lyrics

Greek	Pronunciation	English
Ντολμαδάκια στη σειρά, σφιχτά σαν μυστικό,	Dolma-THA-kia sti si-RA, sfi-KTA san mee-STI-ko	Dolmadakia lined up, tight like a secret,
κάθε ρύζι και ευχή, μέσα σ’ ένα φύλλο σταφύλι.	KA-the REE-zee ke ef-HEE, ME-sa s’ E-na FEE-lo sta-FEE-li	Each grain of rice a wish, inside a vine leaf.
Κανταΐφι τυλιγμένο, σαν λόγια του χωριού,	Kan-da-EE-fi tee-lee-GME-no, san LO-ghia tou kho-REE-ou	Kadaïfi wrapped like words from the village,
και λάχανο γεμιστό με της γιαγιάς τη μνήμη.	ke LA-kha-no ye-mee-STO me tees ya-YAS tee MNEE-mee	And stuffed cabbage with the memory of grandma.
Όλα τυλίγονται σφιχτά,	O-la tee-LEE-gho-de sfi-KTA	Everything wraps up tight,
σαν μνήμη, σαν τραύμα, σαν χαρά.	san MNEE-mee, san TRAV-ma, san kha-RA	like memory, like trauma, like joy.
Η γεύση κρατάει τη ζωή,	ee YEF-see kra-TA-ee tee zo-EE	Taste holds onto life,
κι η κοιλιά μας θυμάται πιο καλά απ’ την ψυχή.	kee ee kee-LYA mas thee-MA-te pyo ka-LA ap’ teen psee-KHEE	and our belly remembers better than the soul.
Ρολά μελιτζάνας στο ταψί, τυλιγμένα με φως,	Ro-LA me-leed-ZA-nas sto tap-SEE, tee-lee-GME-na me FOS	Eggplant rolls in the tray, wrapped in light,
σπανακόπιτες ρολά, σαν ιερές γραφές.	spa-na-KO-pee-tes ro-LA, san ee-e-RES ghra-FES	Spanakopita rolls, like sacred scriptures.
Και το παστίτσιο, στρώμα-στρώμα, στρώμα μνήμης,	ke to pa-STEE-tsyo, STRO-ma STRO-ma, STRO-ma MNEE-mees	And the pastitsio, layer by layer, a mattress of memory,
που σε κοιμίζει γλυκά, πριν σε ξυπνήσει η ΔΕΗ.	pou se kee-MEE-zee ghlee-KA, prin se ksee-PNEE-see ee D-E-I	that lulls you to sleep, before DEI wakes you up.
Όλα τυλίγονται σφιχτά,	O-la tee-LEE-gho-de sfi-KTA	Everything wraps up tight,
σαν μνήμη, σαν τραύμα, σαν χαρά.	san MNEE-mee, san TRAV-ma, san kha-RA	like memory, like trauma, like joy.
Η γεύση κρατάει τη ζωή,	ee YEF-see kra-TA-ee tee zo-EE	Taste holds onto life,
κι η κοιλιά μας θυμάται πιο καλά απ’ την ψυχή.	kee ee kee-LYA mas thee-MA-te pyo ka-LA ap’ teen psee-KHEE	and our belly remembers better than the soul.
Κι ύστερα η κρίση — κι εμείς, τυλιγμένοι στο πεζοδρόμιο,	kee EES-te-ra ee KREE-see — kee e-MEES, tee-lee-GME-ni sto pe-zo-THRO-mee-o	Then came the crisis — and we, wrapped on the sidewalk,
σε sleeping bag φτηνά, που εμείς είμαστε η γέμιση.	se SLEEP-ing bag ftee-NA, pou e-MEES E-mas-te ee YEH-mee-see	in cheap sleeping bags, where we are the filling.
Στις Βρυξέλλες η τρόικα τρώει καναπεδάκια,	stees Vree-KSE-les ee TRO-i-ka TRO-ee ka-na-pe-DA-kia	In Brussels, the Troika eats canapés,
και λέει: «Καλύτερα να φορολογήσουμε και τους υπνόσακους».	ke LE-ee: “Ka-LEE-te-ra na fo-ro-lo-YEE-sou-me ke tous eep-NO-sa-kous”	and says: “We’d better tax the sleeping bags too.”
Όλα τυλίγονται, μάνα — σε φύλλα, σε ζύμες, σε ψέμα,	O-la tee-LEE-gho-de, MA-na — se FEE-la, se ZEE-mes, se PSE-ma	Everything wraps up, mama — in leaves, in dough, in lies,
Μας τύλιξαν στο αλεύρι, όπως λένε οι Γάλλοι.	mas TEE-lee-xan sto a-LE-vree, O-pos LE-ne ee GA-lee	They rolled us in flour, as the French would say.
Και σαν στην Ελλάδα του Ομήρου, για ρούχα,	ke san steen e-LA-tha tou o-MEE-rou, ya ROO-kha	And like in Homer’s Greece, for clothing,
Μας έμειναν μόνο τα φύλλα της αμπέλου.	mas E-mee-nan MO-no ta FEE-la tees am-PE-lou	we were left with nothing but the vine leaves.