Ειλικρινά δεν το περίμενα αυτό από σένα.

Sentence Discussions Greek
#1
English Translation

I honestly (really) wasn’t expecting that from you.

The Greek word “ειλικρινά” (eilikriná) translates to “honestly” or “sincerely” in English. Its etymology can be broken down as follows:

  1. Ειλικρινής (eilikrinís): This is the adjective form meaning “honest” or “sincere.” It is derived from the combination of two parts:

    • εἰληκρινής (eilikrinís): This term is believed to be derived from the root “κρίνω” (krínō), which means “to judge” or “to discern.” The prefix “εἰ-” (ei-) can imply a sense of truth or reality.
    • The word is often interpreted as conveying the idea of being clear or pure in one’s intentions or expressions.

  2. -ά (-á): The suffix “-ά” is commonly used in Greek to form adverbs from adjectives. In this case, it transforms “ειλικρινής” into “ειλικρινά,” indicating the manner in which an action is performed—specifically, in an honest or sincere way.

Thus, “ειλικρινά” (eilikriná) refers to the manner of speaking or acting with honesty and sincerity. It is often used to emphasize the truthfulness of a statement or the genuine nature of one’s feelings or intentions.

Source: GTP-4o 27-Sep-2024

#2
English Translation

I really wasn’t expecting that from you.

This translation is misleading, ειλικρινά means honestly, not really - that would be πραγματικά or πράγματι.

1 Like
#3

I agree. Frankly, I was confused by the translation as well, especially when trying to recall the missing word! It literally didn’t make sense!

But to be fair, I thought about it and asked myself if there is room for nuance—some english speakers (UK, British at least) might say “really” in the above sentence but their meaning is leaning more towards sincerity, frankness, honesty. But all is delivered in their manner or tone, for example, by not placing any real emphasis on the word “really” when speaking, or it’s in their facial expression, or a lilt in their voice when saying that word. I can think of many examples in life in which I’ve experienced this.

#4

You’re totally right about room for nuance, but I don’t think that “1000 most common words” collection is the right place for it. Personally I’d rather see such alternative and less common translations later in the course, after I become familiar with the basic and most common meanings of πραγματικά and ειλικρινά. Otherwise it’s basically teaching me that every word can mean anything depending on the context, which is not helpful at all for a beginner and it simply cancels the idea of learning most common words.