Moving day in Greek
A contract with the movers about the move in Greek. 7 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Καλημέρα. Μετακομίζω το Σάββατο και χρειάζομαι φορτηγό.» — Good morning. I'm moving on Saturday; I need a truck.; «Πόσα δωμάτια και ποιος όροφος;» — How many rooms, and which floor? 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: a contract with the movers about the move. 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.
- Καλημέρα. Μετακομίζω το Σάββατο και χρειάζομαι φορτηγό.kaliméra. metakomízo to Sávato ke khriázome fortigóGood morning. I'm moving on Saturday; I need a truck.
- Πόσα δωμάτια και ποιος όροφος;pósa domátia ke pios órofos?How many rooms, and which floor?
- Δύο δωμάτια, τέταρτος όροφος, χωρίς ασανσέρ.dío domátia, tétartos órofos, khorís asansérTwo rooms, fourth floor, no elevator.
- Τότε χρειάζονται τρεις αχθοφόροι. Έχετε πακετάρει;tóte khriázonde tris akhthofóri. ékhete paketári?Then you need three movers. Have you packed?
- Τα βιβλία ναι, τα έπιπλα όχι ακόμα.ta vivlía ne, ta épipla ókhi akómaThe books, yes; the furniture not yet.
- Ο καναπές περνάει από την πόρτα;o kanapés pernái apó tin pórta?Will the sofa fit through the door?
- Νομίζω ναι. Αν όχι, βγάζουμε τα πόδια του.nomízo ne. an ókhi, vgázume ta pódia tuI think so. If not — we'll take the legs off.
Lines one by one
| Greek | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Καλημέρα. Μετακομίζω το Σάββατο και χρειάζομαι φορτηγό. | kaliméra. metakomízo to Sávato ke khriázome fortigó | Good morning. I'm moving on Saturday; I need a truck. |
| Πόσα δωμάτια και ποιος όροφος; | pósa domátia ke pios órofos? | How many rooms, and which floor? |
| Δύο δωμάτια, τέταρτος όροφος, χωρίς ασανσέρ. | dío domátia, tétartos órofos, khorís asansér | Two rooms, fourth floor, no elevator. |
| Τότε χρειάζονται τρεις αχθοφόροι. Έχετε πακετάρει; | tóte khriázonde tris akhthofóri. ékhete paketári? | Then you need three movers. Have you packed? |
| Τα βιβλία ναι, τα έπιπλα όχι ακόμα. | ta vivlía ne, ta épipla ókhi akóma | The books, yes; the furniture not yet. |
| Ο καναπές περνάει από την πόρτα; | o kanapés pernái apó tin pórta? | Will the sofa fit through the door? |
| Νομίζω ναι. Αν όχι, βγάζουμε τα πόδια του. | nomízo ne. an ókhi, vgázume ta pódia tu | I think so. If not — we'll take the legs off. |
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?
“Καλημέρα. Μετακομίζω το Σάββατο και χρειάζομαι φορτηγό.” (kaliméra. metakomízo to Sávato ke khriázome fortigó) — Good morning. I'm moving on Saturday; I need a truck.. 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.