The diagnosis in Greek
A talk with the doctor about tests and medicine in Greek. 7 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Ήρθαν τα αποτελέσματα. Είναι φλεγμονή, όχι ιός.» — The results have come. It's an inflammation, not a virus.; «Δηλαδή χρειάζομαι αντιβιοτικό;» — So I need an antibiotic? 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 talk with the doctor about tests and medicine. 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.
- Ήρθαν τα αποτελέσματα. Είναι φλεγμονή, όχι ιός.írthan ta apotelézmata. íne flegmoní, ókhi iósThe results have come. It's an inflammation, not a virus.
- Δηλαδή χρειάζομαι αντιβιοτικό;diladí khriázome andiviotikó?So I need an antibiotic?
- Ναι, πέντε μέρες. Και ένα παυσίπονο αν πονάει πολύ.ne, pénde méres. ke éna pafsípono an ponái políYes, five days. And a painkiller if it hurts a lot.
- Υπάρχουν παρενέργειες;ipárkhun parenéryes?Are there side effects?
- Μπορεί να πονάει το στομάχι. Πάρ’ το μετά το φαγητό.borí na ponái to stomákhi. par’ to metá to fayitóThe stomach may hurt. Take it after meals.
- Και πότε θα νιώσω καλύτερα;ke póte tha nióso kalítera?And when will I feel better?
- Σε δύο μέρες. Αν όχι, ξανάρχεσαι για ακτινογραφία.se dío méres. an ókhi, ksanárkhese ya aktinografíaIn two days. If not — come in for an X-ray.
Lines one by one
| Greek | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Ήρθαν τα αποτελέσματα. Είναι φλεγμονή, όχι ιός. | írthan ta apotelézmata. íne flegmoní, ókhi iós | The results have come. It's an inflammation, not a virus. |
| Δηλαδή χρειάζομαι αντιβιοτικό; | diladí khriázome andiviotikó? | So I need an antibiotic? |
| Ναι, πέντε μέρες. Και ένα παυσίπονο αν πονάει πολύ. | ne, pénde méres. ke éna pafsípono an ponái polí | Yes, five days. And a painkiller if it hurts a lot. |
| Υπάρχουν παρενέργειες; | ipárkhun parenéryes? | Are there side effects? |
| Μπορεί να πονάει το στομάχι. Πάρ’ το μετά το φαγητό. | borí na ponái to stomákhi. par’ to metá to fayitó | The stomach may hurt. Take it after meals. |
| Και πότε θα νιώσω καλύτερα; | ke póte tha nióso kalítera? | And when will I feel better? |
| Σε δύο μέρες. Αν όχι, ξανάρχεσαι για ακτινογραφία. | se dío méres. an ókhi, ksanárkhese ya aktinografía | In two days. If not — come in for an X-ray. |
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?
“Ήρθαν τα αποτελέσματα. Είναι φλεγμονή, όχι ιός.” (írthan ta apotelézmata. íne flegmoní, ókhi iós) — The results have come. It's an inflammation, not a virus.. 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.