LingoflyHow likely is it? in Greek
Weighing the odds and agreeing on a fallback plan in Greek. 7 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Πόσο (póso) πιθανό είναι (íne) να (na) τελειώσουμε (teliósume) ως (os) την (tin) Παρασκευή (Paraskeví);» — How likely are we to finish by Friday?; «Το πιθανότερο (to pithanótero) ναι (ne), αν (an) δεν (den) αλλάξει (aláksi) κάτι (káti).» — Most likely yes, if nothing changes. Every line can be played right on the page.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: weighing the odds and agreeing on a fallback plan. First the whole conversation, then each line on its own, with a translation.
- to pithanótero ne, an den aláksi kátiMost likely yes, if nothing changes.
- ke an aláksi? ékhume skhédio ya káthe endekhómeno?And if it does change? Do we have a plan just in case?
- me tin proipóthesi óti tha mas dósun dío méres parapáno, neProvided they give us two extra days, yes.
- an ímun sti thési su, tha to élega tóra, ókhi tin PémptiIn your place I'd say so now, not on Thursday.
- ékhis díkio. akóma ki an pun ókhi, tulákhiston tha ksérumeYou're right. Even if they say no, at least we'll know.
- se káthe períptosi, miláme ksaná ávrio to proíIn any case, let's talk again tomorrow morning.
Lines one by one
| Greek | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Πόσο (póso) πιθανό είναι (íne) να (na) τελειώσουμε (teliósume) ως (os) την (tin) Παρασκευή (Paraskeví); | póso pithanó íne na teliósume os tin Paraskeví? | How likely are we to finish by Friday? |
| Το πιθανότερο (to pithanótero) ναι (ne), αν (an) δεν (den) αλλάξει (aláksi) κάτι (káti). | to pithanótero ne, an den aláksi káti | Most likely yes, if nothing changes. |
| Και (ke) αν (an) αλλάξει (aláksi); Έχουμε (ékhume) σχέδιο (skhédio) για κάθε ενδεχόμενο (ya káthe endekhómeno); | ke an aláksi? ékhume skhédio ya káthe endekhómeno? | And if it does change? Do we have a plan just in case? |
| Με την προϋπόθεση (me tin proipóthesi) ότι (óti) θα (tha) μας (mas) δώσουν δύο (dío) μέρες (méres) παραπάνω (parapáno), ναι (ne). | me tin proipóthesi óti tha mas dósun dío méres parapáno, ne | Provided they give us two extra days, yes. |
| Αν ήμουν (an ímun) στη θέση σου (sti thési su), θα (tha) το (to) έλεγα τώρα (tóra), όχι (ókhi) την (tin) Πέμπτη (Pémpti). | an ímun sti thési su, tha to élega tóra, ókhi tin Pémpti | In your place I'd say so now, not on Thursday. |
| Έχεις δίκιο (ékhis díkio). Ακόμα κι αν (akóma ki an) πουν όχι (ókhi), τουλάχιστον (tulákhiston) θα (tha) ξέρουμε. | ékhis díkio. akóma ki an pun ókhi, tulákhiston tha ksérume | You're right. Even if they say no, at least we'll know. |
| Σε κάθε περίπτωση (se káthe períptosi), μιλάμε (miláme) ξανά (ksaná) αύριο (ávrio) το πρωί (to proí). | se káthe períptosi, miláme ksaná ávrio to proí | In any case, let's talk again tomorrow morning. |
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?
“Πόσο (póso) πιθανό είναι (íne) να (na) τελειώσουμε (teliósume) ως (os) την (tin) Παρασκευή (Paraskeví);” (póso pithanó íne na teliósume os tin Paraskeví?) — How likely are we to finish by Friday? 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.