Learn Greek Online!: είμαι ή με λένε;

Either one is correct. The LGO course starts off with the είμαι version (είμαι ο Αντρέας, είμαι η Έλλη, είμαι ο Νίκος Πετρίδης) because it simply wishes to immediately introduce the verb είμαι, while the expression με λένε will not be introduced until Lesson 37, when the verbs λέγω and its contracted sibling λέω are presented. LGO will explain later that με λένε is rather informal, in that it is normally used with the first name only, and tends to be used more with children and young people.

As you will learn in Lesson 6, a somewhat more formal way to say this is το όνομά μου είναι Πολ, in response to the question Τι είναι το όνομά σου/σας; And as Lesson 44 will present, an even more formal way to say this, one where you give your full name, is ονομάζομαι Πολ Γκόνταρντ (or Γκοντάρντ, depending on which syllable you stress in pronouncing your last name), in response to the question Πώς ονομάζεσαι; (familiar) or Πώς ονομάζεστε; (polite).

Regards,
Greg Brush

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