At the faculty office in Greek
A student at the registrar before a retake in Greek. 7 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Καλημέρα. Κόπηκα στη χημεία και θέλω επανεξέταση.» — Good morning. I failed chemistry and want to retake it.; «Έχετε δώσει τα υπόλοιπα μαθήματα του εξαμήνου;» — Have you passed the rest of the semester's courses? 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 student at the registrar before a retake. 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. Κόπηκα στη χημεία και θέλω επανεξέταση.kaliméra. kópika sti khimía ke thélo epaneksétasiGood morning. I failed chemistry and want to retake it.
- Έχετε δώσει τα υπόλοιπα μαθήματα του εξαμήνου;ékhete dósi ta ipólipa mathímata tu eksamínu?Have you passed the rest of the semester's courses?
- Ναι, όλα. Έχω περάσει και τη φυσική.ne, óla. ékho perási ke ti fisikíYes, all of them. I passed physics too.
- Τότε γράψτε αίτηση. Η προθεσμία είναι μέχρι την Παρασκευή.tóte grápste étisi. i prothezmía íne mékhri tin ParaskevíThen file a petition. The deadline is Friday.
- Και το πτυχίο; Θα καθυστερήσει;ke to ptikhío? tha kathisterísi?And the diploma? Will it be delayed?
- Όχι, αν περάσετε τον Σεπτέμβριο. Ο βαθμός μπαίνει αμέσως.ókhi, an perásete ton Septémvrio. o vathmós béni amésosNo, if you pass in September. The grade is entered at once.
- Ευχαριστώ. Θα διαβάσω όλο το καλοκαίρι.efkharistó. tha diaváso ólo to kalokériThank you. I'll be getting ready all summer.
Lines one by one
| Greek | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Καλημέρα. Κόπηκα στη χημεία και θέλω επανεξέταση. | kaliméra. kópika sti khimía ke thélo epaneksétasi | Good morning. I failed chemistry and want to retake it. |
| Έχετε δώσει τα υπόλοιπα μαθήματα του εξαμήνου; | ékhete dósi ta ipólipa mathímata tu eksamínu? | Have you passed the rest of the semester's courses? |
| Ναι, όλα. Έχω περάσει και τη φυσική. | ne, óla. ékho perási ke ti fisikí | Yes, all of them. I passed physics too. |
| Τότε γράψτε αίτηση. Η προθεσμία είναι μέχρι την Παρασκευή. | tóte grápste étisi. i prothezmía íne mékhri tin Paraskeví | Then file a petition. The deadline is Friday. |
| Και το πτυχίο; Θα καθυστερήσει; | ke to ptikhío? tha kathisterísi? | And the diploma? Will it be delayed? |
| Όχι, αν περάσετε τον Σεπτέμβριο. Ο βαθμός μπαίνει αμέσως. | ókhi, an perásete ton Septémvrio. o vathmós béni amésos | No, if you pass in September. The grade is entered at once. |
| Ευχαριστώ. Θα διαβάσω όλο το καλοκαίρι. | efkharistó. tha diaváso ólo to kalokéri | Thank you. I'll be getting ready all summer. |
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. Κόπηκα στη χημεία και θέλω επανεξέταση.” (kaliméra. kópika sti khimía ke thélo epaneksétasi) — Good morning. I failed chemistry and want to retake it.. 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.