Is Modern Hebrew more difficult than Modern Greek?

ZhongGuoRen   Sun Dec 17, 2006 9:12 am GMT
Is Modern Hebrew more difficult than Modern Greek? Which language would Europeans or Americans choose to learn? If one could master Modern Hebrew, would it be possible for him/her to read Hebrew Bible very fluently? And Modern Greek has the same status too? Thank you very much!
Benjamin   Sun Dec 17, 2006 10:33 am GMT
« Which language would Europeans or Americans choose to learn? »

At least as far as Europeans are concerned, it would depend on whether they were more interested in Greece or more interested in Israel. I can't say that Europeans in general would necessarily be more inclined to choose one or the other. I can't speak for Americans though, but I'd imagine that it would be similar.
KAKA(Chinese)   Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:58 am GMT
Hebrew, such an immemorial and mysterious language, just according to expectation, finally came back to life in 1948, and was legally authorized as an official language of Israel. When my grandfather was alive, he could master Hebrew very well, and he's a good priest of Protestant. I suggest that you should choose Hebrew then.
JR   Sun Dec 17, 2006 10:40 pm GMT
I think that it would be easier to read the Greek Bible far easier than the Hebrew bible simply because vowels are rarely written in Hebrew, you have to go by the consonants to figure out which word it is, even though the word itself does have vowels (when spoken).
I personally like Greek over Hebrew (although not by alot), but in America neither language is very practical lest you be a Jew.
ZhongGuoRen   Mon Dec 18, 2006 3:52 am GMT
Benjamin & JR & KAKA

I'm very sure that Spanish has been always the most popular foreign language in US, and then what's the 2nd and 3rd popular languages?
And in UK, what's the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd foreign languages in general?
And in France and Germany? ......

Thank you very much again!
Mitch   Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:51 am GMT
In response to JR:

Hebrew PRINTED bibles (as opposed to the handwritten scrolls used in the synagogue) are almost always printed with vowel points. As such, they are very easy to read accurately, once you learn the alphabet (the aleph-bet) and the vowel points. This is also true for some modern material, like children's books and poetry.

It is true that most other modern material like newspapers and non-children's books are written without vowel points (except for an occasional clarification), and would be difficult to read without knowing the language well.

And to some of ZhongGuoRen's other questions:

Most Israelis can read the Hebrew bible without much problem. The style is certainly different, but Modern and Biblical are mutually understandable.

I'll let someone else answer about Modern Greek, and about the status of languages in Europe, but I can tell you about the most studied languages in the States:

Spanish, as you noted, is number one by far. French is a strong second. German is well behind at third, but is well ahead of number four, which is Italian. (Actually, American Sign Language is challenging for fourth.) And apropos of your question about Hebrew: The numbers for Modern Hebrew and Biblical Hebrew combined are higher than a lot of "major" languages being studied in the States.

P.S. "ZhongGuoRen" is a great name to use. Maybe I should sign "MeiGuoRen"!
ZhongGuoRen   Mon Dec 18, 2006 5:20 am GMT
Mitch (MeiGuoRen)

I'm happy and surprised that you can speak Mandarin Chinese.

And I really appreciate your helpful reply, BTW I'm a Protestant.

I like German, Italian and Spanish, quite a lot, instead of French.

Recently I'm interested in Hebrew and would like to learn it myself.

My friend told me that Hebrew seems even harder than difficult Greek.

It's beyond imagination that Italian ranks at 4th position unsteadily.
Benjamin   Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:36 pm GMT
« And in UK, what's the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd foreign languages in general? »

At school in *England* (it's different in Wales, for example), it would be something like this:

1. French
2. German
3. Spanish
4. Italian
5. Russian

However, at university, it would probably be more like this:

1. French
2. Spanish
3. Italian
4. German
5. Russian

Spanish is becoming increasingly popular at school, and Chinese and Japanese are becoming increasingly popular at university.
tim   Mon Dec 18, 2006 5:16 pm GMT
Modern Greek and Hebrew have some commons, almost as far as their sounds.If you knew a european language and espesially a southern one,you'd notice that greek is easier for you.If you knew Arabic,you'd find Hebrew to be easier.
ZhongGuoRen   Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:23 pm GMT
Benjamin & tim

Thank you very much
Miranda   Fri Dec 22, 2006 1:59 am GMT
If you know turkish, greek would be much easier because of the borrowings each others had during more than 500 years of two peoples living together, marriages, hard core sex, etc, etc, all those beautiful things nations did before borders had the importance they have today.

I think that hebrew would be easier, because greek is a horrible language to deal with and by the way, when people listen to you speaking greek, they usually laugh at you...I don't know why...it's not fair...it's just a language, no matter how bad it can be...
ZhongGuoRen   Fri Dec 22, 2006 4:52 am GMT
Miranda

Thank you very much! Best wishes!
Pelasgus   Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:23 am GMT
1.I like both greek and hebrew
2.I don't lough at any language.
3.There is no language without loans.
4.If you are accustomed to indoeuropean languages ,choose greek.
if you know already a semitic language,choose hebrew.

5.since you are a protestant,you must like reading the New and Old Testament from the original text.
Both language are very useful.Old Testament was written in hebrew and translated into greek(In hellenistic Egypt).New Testament was written in greek.
ZhongGuoRen   Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:36 am GMT
Pelasgus

OK, thank you for your neutral suggestions.

And if I don't have the enough energy and time to learn both,

then what do you think about which one I should choose?

I mean that If I can only learn one of them, then which one?

I'm a Chinese (Mandarin), I can speak English, German, Italian, Japanese,

And now I just want to bring another language into my plan.
Pelasgus   Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:51 am GMT
Ni hao
The link between Greek and Chinese people are the Olympic Games 2004-2008. As Australians helped Greeks,so the Greeks help Chinese for the knowhow,maybe you can find a job as a translator.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200601/16/eng20060116_235759.html

Why don't you choose Spanish,French or Hindi or Shanghainese? :)

Wo fingbudong,are chinese mandarin the formal pure language type of chinese? :) Xiexie