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Addressing person vs writing name
by evonne winston - Thursday, 1 January 2015, 08:09 PM
  To clarify the above:
If writing a name...O Mihalis, for example.....
Is it then Mihali if I am addressing him in a letter...like I would address him in person?
Thanks!
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Re: Addressing person vs writing name
by Blake More - Friday, 2 January 2015, 12:19 AM
 

I suspect you would have to put his name in the vocative case. Or wouldn't you?

And you would probably want to eliminate the article.

Good wishes,

Blake More

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Re: Addressing person vs writing name
by Greg Brush - Friday, 2 January 2015, 12:22 PM
  If you are speaking or writing about someone, the name requires the definite article and is declined for case according to its grammatical function in the sentence:
Ο Πέτρος / Ο Αλέξανδρος / Ο Αντρέας / Ο Μιχάλης / Η Έλλη / Η Μαρία είναι εδώ.
Είδα τον Πέτρο / τον Αλέξανδρο / τον Ανδρέα / τον Μιχάλη / την Έλλη / τη Μαρία στο μαγαζί.
Το βιβλίο τού Πέτρου / τού Αλέξανδρου (or more formally Αλεξάνδρου) / τού Αντρέα / τού Μιχάλη / τής Έλλης / τής Μαρίας είναι στο τραπέζι.

while if you speak or write to someone directly, there is no article and the vocative case must be used:
Πέτρο / Αλέξανδρε / Αντρέα / Μιχάλη / Έλλη / Μαρία, τι κάνεις:
Αγαπτητέ Πέτρο / Αλέξανδρε / Αντρέα / Μιχάλη // Αγαπητή Έλλη / Μαρία, έλαβα χτες το γράμμα σου.

Regards,
Greg Brush
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Re: Addressing person vs writing name
by Biggles The Cat - Friday, 20 February 2015, 12:25 AM
  Thank you for your answer, Greg! I've always wondered and my father (who can speak a fair bit of Greek) had no idea how to correctly address people in writing (eg, in an email).