Your argument in Greek
An argument about a decision, kept impersonal in Greek. 7 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Το επιχείρημά σου το κατάλαβα, αλλά δεν με πείθει.» — I understand your argument, but it doesn't convince me.; «Γιατί; Τα στοιχεία είναι από δημοσκόπηση.» — Why? The data comes from a survey. 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: an argument about a decision, kept impersonal. 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.
- Το επιχείρημά σου το κατάλαβα, αλλά δεν με πείθει.to epikhírimá su to katálava, alá den me píthiI understand your argument, but it doesn't convince me.
- Γιατί; Τα στοιχεία είναι από δημοσκόπηση.yatí? ta stikhía íne apó dimoskópisiWhy? The data comes from a survey.
- Μία δημοσκόπηση δεν είναι γεγονός. Ποιος ρωτήθηκε;mía dimoskópisi den íne yegonós. pios rotíthike?One survey is not a fact. Whom did they ask?
- Παραδέχομαι ότι το δείγμα ήταν μικρό. Αλλά η τάση φαίνεται.paradékhome óti to dígma ítan mikró. alá i tási féneteI admit the sample was small. But the trend is visible.
- Σε αυτό συμφωνώ. Ας λάβουμε υπόψη και τις συνέπειες.se aftó simfonó. as lávume ipópsi ke tis sinépiesOn that I agree. Let's take the consequences into account too.
- Εντάξει. Δεν χρειάζεται να υψώνουμε τη φωνή για αυτό.endáksi. den khriázete na ipsónume ti foní ya aftóGood. We don't need to raise our voices over this.
- Συμφωνώ. Την απόφαση θα την πάρουμε μαζί.simfonó. tin apófasi tha tin párume mazíAgreed. We'll make the decision together.
Lines one by one
| Greek | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Το επιχείρημά σου το κατάλαβα, αλλά δεν με πείθει. | to epikhírimá su to katálava, alá den me píthi | I understand your argument, but it doesn't convince me. |
| Γιατί; Τα στοιχεία είναι από δημοσκόπηση. | yatí? ta stikhía íne apó dimoskópisi | Why? The data comes from a survey. |
| Μία δημοσκόπηση δεν είναι γεγονός. Ποιος ρωτήθηκε; | mía dimoskópisi den íne yegonós. pios rotíthike? | One survey is not a fact. Whom did they ask? |
| Παραδέχομαι ότι το δείγμα ήταν μικρό. Αλλά η τάση φαίνεται. | paradékhome óti to dígma ítan mikró. alá i tási fénete | I admit the sample was small. But the trend is visible. |
| Σε αυτό συμφωνώ. Ας λάβουμε υπόψη και τις συνέπειες. | se aftó simfonó. as lávume ipópsi ke tis sinépies | On that I agree. Let's take the consequences into account too. |
| Εντάξει. Δεν χρειάζεται να υψώνουμε τη φωνή για αυτό. | endáksi. den khriázete na ipsónume ti foní ya aftó | Good. We don't need to raise our voices over this. |
| Συμφωνώ. Την απόφαση θα την πάρουμε μαζί. | simfonó. tin apófasi tha tin párume mazí | Agreed. We'll make the decision together. |
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?
“Το επιχείρημά σου το κατάλαβα, αλλά δεν με πείθει.” (to epikhírimá su to katálava, alá den me píthi) — I understand your argument, but it doesn't convince me.. 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.