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Β2

Sentence intonation

The melody that separates question, statement and surprise — vital, since Greek questions don’t change word order.

The question rise

Πάμε σπίτι. (falls: statement) / Πάμε σπίτι; (rises at the end: question). The difference is ONLY melodic — hence the need to hear and copy it. A wh-question (Πού πας;) falls instead: the πού itself carries the question.

Sentence stress: what you want heard

The loudest word carries the information: Ο ΝΙΚΟΣ ήρθε χθες (Nikos, not someone else) / Ο Νίκος ήρθε ΧΘΕΣ (yesterday, not today). Moving the sentence stress answers different questions without changing a single word.

Surprise, doubt, obviousness

Έλα! can greet, cheer on, or voice disbelief (“no way!”) — the melody decides. Drawn-out Καλά… = scepticism; short Καλά! = OK. Listen and repeat aloud: intonation is learned by imitation, not by rule.

Your turn

What does the sentence mean with this melody?