At the repair shop in Greek
Dropping a phone off for repair in Greek. 7 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Καλημέρα. Έσπασε η οθόνη και χάθηκε ο ήχος.» — Good morning. The screen is cracked and the sound is gone.; «Έπεσε ή απλώς σταμάτησε;» — Did it fall, or did it just stop working? 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: dropping a phone off for repair. 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. Έσπασε η οθόνη και χάθηκε ο ήχος.kaliméra. éspase i othóni ke kháthike o íkhosGood morning. The screen is cracked and the sound is gone.
- Έπεσε ή απλώς σταμάτησε;épese i aplós stamátise?Did it fall, or did it just stop working?
- Έπεσε στο πλακάκι. Από τότε κολλάει και ζεσταίνεται.épese sto plakáki. apó tóte kolái ke zesténeteIt fell on the tiles. Since then it freezes and gets hot.
- Θα κάνουμε διαγνωστικό έλεγχο. Παίρνει δύο μέρες.tha kánume diagnostikó élenkho. pérni dío méresWe'll run a diagnostic. It takes two days.
- Και το κόστος επισκευής; Έχω ακόμα εγγύηση.ke to kóstos episkevís? ékho akóma engíisiAnd the cost of the repair? I'm still under warranty.
- Η πτώση δεν καλύπτεται από την εγγύηση. Θα σας πούμε την τιμή.i ptósi den kalíptete apó tin engíisi. tha sas púme tin timíA fall isn't covered by the warranty. We'll name a price.
- Εντάξει. Κρατήστε το αντίγραφο ασφαλείας, αν γίνεται.endáksi. kratíste to andígrafo asfalías, an yíneteFine. Please save a backup, if possible.
Lines one by one
| Greek | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Καλημέρα. Έσπασε η οθόνη και χάθηκε ο ήχος. | kaliméra. éspase i othóni ke kháthike o íkhos | Good morning. The screen is cracked and the sound is gone. |
| Έπεσε ή απλώς σταμάτησε; | épese i aplós stamátise? | Did it fall, or did it just stop working? |
| Έπεσε στο πλακάκι. Από τότε κολλάει και ζεσταίνεται. | épese sto plakáki. apó tóte kolái ke zesténete | It fell on the tiles. Since then it freezes and gets hot. |
| Θα κάνουμε διαγνωστικό έλεγχο. Παίρνει δύο μέρες. | tha kánume diagnostikó élenkho. pérni dío méres | We'll run a diagnostic. It takes two days. |
| Και το κόστος επισκευής; Έχω ακόμα εγγύηση. | ke to kóstos episkevís? ékho akóma engíisi | And the cost of the repair? I'm still under warranty. |
| Η πτώση δεν καλύπτεται από την εγγύηση. Θα σας πούμε την τιμή. | i ptósi den kalíptete apó tin engíisi. tha sas púme tin timí | A fall isn't covered by the warranty. We'll name a price. |
| Εντάξει. Κρατήστε το αντίγραφο ασφαλείας, αν γίνεται. | endáksi. kratíste to andígrafo asfalías, an yínete | Fine. Please save a backup, if possible. |
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. Έσπασε η οθόνη και χάθηκε ο ήχος.” (kaliméra. éspase i othóni ke kháthike o íkhos) — Good morning. The screen is cracked and the sound is gone.. 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.