LingoflyFirst and then in Greek
Going over the order of things before a trip in Greek. 7 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Λοιπόν, τι (ti) κάνουμε (kánume) πρώτα (próta);» — So, what do we do first?; «Πρώτα απ’ όλα (próta ap óla) κλείνουμε (klínume) το ξενοδοχείο (to ksenodokhío). Μετά (metá) βλέπουμε (vlépume) τα (ta) εισιτήρια (isitíria).» — First of all we book the hotel. Then we look at tickets. Every line can be played right on the page.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: going over the order of things before a trip. First the whole conversation, then each line on its own, with a translation.
- próta ap’ óla klínume to ksenodokhío. metá vlépume ta isitíriaFirst of all we book the hotel. Then we look at tickets.
- epidí i akírosi krátisis íne doreán, enó to isitírio ókhiBecause canceling the booking is free, and the ticket is not.
- akrivós. ke ek ton protéron elénkhume an khriázete vízaExactly. And in advance we check whether a visa is needed.
Lines one by one
| Greek | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Λοιπόν, τι (ti) κάνουμε (kánume) πρώτα (próta); | lipón, ti kánume próta? | So, what do we do first? |
| Πρώτα απ’ όλα (próta ap óla) κλείνουμε (klínume) το ξενοδοχείο (to ksenodokhío). Μετά (metá) βλέπουμε (vlépume) τα (ta) εισιτήρια (isitíria). | próta ap’ óla klínume to ksenodokhío. metá vlépume ta isitíria | First of all we book the hotel. Then we look at tickets. |
| Γιατί (yatí) όχι (ókhi) το (to) αντίθετο (andítheto); Οι (i) τιμές (timés) ανεβαίνουν κάθε μέρα (káthe méra). | yatí ókhi to andítheto? i timés anevénun káthe méra | Why not the other way around? Prices rise every day. |
| Επειδή (epidí) η ακύρωση κράτησης (i akírosi krátisis) είναι (íne) δωρεάν (doreán), ενώ (enó) το εισιτήριο (to isitírio) όχι (ókhi). | epidí i akírosi krátisis íne doreán, enó to isitírio ókhi | Because canceling the booking is free, and the ticket is not. |
| Άρα (ára) κλείνουμε (klínume) σήμερα (símera) και (ke) αποφασίζουμε αργότερα (argótera). | ára klínume símera ke apofasízume argótera | So we book today and decide later. |
| Ακριβώς (akrivós). Και (ke) εκ των προτέρων (ek ton protéron) ελέγχουμε αν (an) χρειάζεται (khriázete) βίζα (víza). | akrivós. ke ek ton protéron elénkhume an khriázete víza | Exactly. And in advance we check whether a visa is needed. |
| Τελικά (teliká) όλα (óla) είναι (íne) απλά (aplá), αν (an) τα (ta) κάνεις (kánis) με τη σειρά (me ti sirá). | teliká óla íne aplá, an ta kánis me ti sirá | In the end it's all simple if you do it in order. |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and noticeably so. The link turns up study after study, and together those studies cover almost twenty thousand people.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Greek in this situation?
“Λοιπόν, τι (ti) κάνουμε (kánume) πρώτα (próta);” (lipón, ti kánume próta?) — So, what do we do first? The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.