I want to return it in Greek
Returning goods at a shopping center in Greek. 7 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Καλησπέρα. Αγόρασα αυτό χθες και θέλω να κάνω επιστροφή.» — Good evening. I bought this yesterday and want to make a return.; «Κρατήσατε την απόδειξη;» — Did you keep the receipt? 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: returning goods at a shopping center. 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. Αγόρασα αυτό χθες και θέλω να κάνω επιστροφή.kalispéra. agórasa aftó khthes ke thélo na káno epistrofíGood evening. I bought this yesterday and want to make a return.
- Κρατήσατε την απόδειξη;kratísate tin apódiksi?Did you keep the receipt?
- Ναι, ορίστε. Δεν μου κάνει το νούμερο.ne, oríste. den mu káni to númeroYes, here. The size didn't fit.
- Μπορείτε να το αλλάξετε ή να πάρετε τα χρήματα πίσω.boríte na to aláksete i na párete ta khrímata písoYou can exchange it or get the money back.
- Υπάρχει σε μεγαλύτερο μέγεθος, σε άλλο χρώμα;ipárkhi se megalítero méyethos, se álo khróma?Is there a bigger one, in a different color?
- Σε μπλε ναι, σε μαύρο όχι. Θέλετε να δείτε;se ble ne, se mávro ókhi. thélete na díte?There's blue, there's no black. Would you like to see it?
- Ναι. Αν δεν μου κάνει και αυτό, παίρνω τα χρήματα.ne. an den mu káni ke aftó, pérno ta khrímataYes. If this doesn't fit either, I'll take the refund.
Lines one by one
| Greek | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Καλησπέρα. Αγόρασα αυτό χθες και θέλω να κάνω επιστροφή. | kalispéra. agórasa aftó khthes ke thélo na káno epistrofí | Good evening. I bought this yesterday and want to make a return. |
| Κρατήσατε την απόδειξη; | kratísate tin apódiksi? | Did you keep the receipt? |
| Ναι, ορίστε. Δεν μου κάνει το νούμερο. | ne, oríste. den mu káni to número | Yes, here. The size didn't fit. |
| Μπορείτε να το αλλάξετε ή να πάρετε τα χρήματα πίσω. | boríte na to aláksete i na párete ta khrímata píso | You can exchange it or get the money back. |
| Υπάρχει σε μεγαλύτερο μέγεθος, σε άλλο χρώμα; | ipárkhi se megalítero méyethos, se álo khróma? | Is there a bigger one, in a different color? |
| Σε μπλε ναι, σε μαύρο όχι. Θέλετε να δείτε; | se ble ne, se mávro ókhi. thélete na díte? | There's blue, there's no black. Would you like to see it? |
| Ναι. Αν δεν μου κάνει και αυτό, παίρνω τα χρήματα. | ne. an den mu káni ke aftó, pérno ta khrímata | Yes. If this doesn't fit either, I'll take the refund. |
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. Αγόρασα αυτό χθες και θέλω να κάνω επιστροφή.” (kalispéra. agórasa aftó khthes ke thélo na káno epistrofí) — Good evening. I bought this yesterday and want to make a return.. 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.