It arrived cracked in Greek
Complaining about damaged goods in Greek. 7 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Καλησπέρα. Το δέμα ήρθε χθες και το περιεχόμενο είναι ραγισμένο.» — Good evening. The parcel came yesterday, and the contents are cracked.; «Το περιτύλιγμα ήταν φθαρμένο;» — Was the wrapping damaged? Every line can be played right on the page. The conversation is predictable: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: complaining about damaged goods. The conversation is short and predictable — which is exactly what makes it good for a first try: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
- Καλησπέρα. Το δέμα ήρθε χθες και το περιεχόμενο είναι ραγισμένο.kalispéra. to déma írthe khthes ke to periekhómeno íne rayizménoGood evening. The parcel came yesterday, and the contents are cracked.
- Το περιτύλιγμα ήταν φθαρμένο;to peritíligma ítan ftharméno?Was the wrapping damaged?
- Απέξω όχι. Μέσα όμως το γυαλί έσπασε στην άκρη.apékso ókhi. mésa ómos to yalí éspase stin ákriNot outside. But inside the glass cracked along the edge.
- Βγάλατε φωτογραφία; Χρειάζεται για την αξίωση.vgálate fotografía? khriázete ya tin aksíosiDid you take photos? They're needed for the claim.
- Ναι, τρεις. Φαίνεται καθαρά η τρύπα στο κουτί.ne, tris. fénete kathará i trípa sto kutíYes, three. The hole in the box is clearly visible.
- Τότε στέλνουμε καινούργιο. Το παλιό μην το πετάξετε.tóte stélnume kenúryo. to palió min to petákseteThen we'll send a new one. Don't throw the old one away.
- Εντάξει. Πόσο περίπου θα πάρει;endáksi. póso perípu tha pári?Okay. Roughly how long will it take?
Lines one by one
| Greek | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Καλησπέρα. Το δέμα ήρθε χθες και το περιεχόμενο είναι ραγισμένο. | kalispéra. to déma írthe khthes ke to periekhómeno íne rayizméno | Good evening. The parcel came yesterday, and the contents are cracked. |
| Το περιτύλιγμα ήταν φθαρμένο; | to peritíligma ítan ftharméno? | Was the wrapping damaged? |
| Απέξω όχι. Μέσα όμως το γυαλί έσπασε στην άκρη. | apékso ókhi. mésa ómos to yalí éspase stin ákri | Not outside. But inside the glass cracked along the edge. |
| Βγάλατε φωτογραφία; Χρειάζεται για την αξίωση. | vgálate fotografía? khriázete ya tin aksíosi | Did you take photos? They're needed for the claim. |
| Ναι, τρεις. Φαίνεται καθαρά η τρύπα στο κουτί. | ne, tris. fénete kathará i trípa sto kutí | Yes, three. The hole in the box is clearly visible. |
| Τότε στέλνουμε καινούργιο. Το παλιό μην το πετάξετε. | tóte stélnume kenúryo. to palió min to petáksete | Then we'll send a new one. Don't throw the old one away. |
| Εντάξει. Πόσο περίπου θα πάρει; | endáksi. póso perípu tha pári? | Okay. Roughly how long will it take? |
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 it gets in the way badly. It is one of the most reliably measured findings in the entire field.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?
“Καλησπέρα. Το δέμα ήρθε χθες και το περιεχόμενο είναι ραγισμένο.” (kalispéra. to déma írthe khthes ke to periekhómeno íne rayizméno) — Good evening. The parcel came yesterday, and the contents are cracked.. 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.