Phrases that save you in Greek
15 words Greek words on the topic “phrases that save you”: Δεν καταλαβαίνω — I don't understand, Επαναλάβετε, παρακαλώ — please repeat, αργά — slowly, Βοήθεια! — help! 15 words can be played from recordings.
15 words on the topic
- Δεν καταλαβαίνωden katalavénoI don't understandnegation is a separate word, den, placed before the verb — no prefixes here. Remove den and you get I understand
- Επαναλάβετε, παρακαλώepanalávete, parakalóplease repeatthe polite plural imperative of 'repeat'. In conversation people more often say Páli, parakaló — again, please
- αργάargáslowlyboth 'slowly' and 'late': argá to vrádi — late in the evening. The classic request: pio argá, parakaló — more slowly, please
- Βοήθεια!voíthiahelp!shouted as a noun — help! — not as a verb. The β reads v: vo-EE-thia
- ΧάθηκαkháthikaI'm lostfrom chánome, to get lost, about a person. About a thing you say it differently: ékhasa to klidí — I lost the key
- Περιμένετε λίγοperiménete lígowait a minuteliterally 'wait a little'. To your own people: perímene lígo
- Δεν μπορώ να ανοίξωden boró na aníksoI can't open itGreek has no infinitive: after boró comes na plus a personal form
- Χρειάζομαι γιατρόkhriázome yatróI need a doctorkhriázome means to need; the accusative follows straight away, with no preposition
- Προσοχή!prosokhí!cautionprinted on signs and announced in the metro. Literally 'attention'
- επικίνδυνοepikíndinodangerfrom kíndynos, danger. On signs it stands in the neuter
- Καλέστε την αστυνομίαkaléste tin astinomíacall the policethe police number is 100. Astinomía is from ásty, city, and nómos, law
- Έχασα το διαβατήριό μουékhasa to diavatírió muI lost my passportdiavatírio comes from diavéno, to cross: the document for crossing a border
- Δεν νιώθω καλάden niótho kaláI feel badniótho means to feel. Literally 'I do not feel well'
- Μην αγγίζετεmin angízetedo not touchthe ban is built with min, not den: den is plain negation
- Μιλάτε αγγλικά;miláte anglikádo you speak English?the question mark is a raised semicolon. To a friend: milás angliká?
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- Συγγνώμη, δεν καταλαβαίνωsignómi, den katalavénoSorry, I don't understand
- Δεν άκουσα, επαναλάβετε, παρακαλώden ákusa, epanalávete, parakalóI didn't hear you, please repeat
- Μιλάτε πιο αργά, παρακαλώmiláte pio argá, parakalóSpeak more slowly, please
- Βοήθεια, η βαλίτσα είναι βαριάvoíthia, i valítsa íne variáHelp, the suitcase is heavy
- Χάθηκα, πού είναι το μετρό;kháthika, pu íne to metró?I'm lost, where is the metro?
- Περιμένετε λίγο, έρχομαιperiménete lígo, érkhomeWait a minute, I'm coming
What is worth knowing about these words
Δεν καταλαβαίνω (den katalavéno) — I don't understand. negation is a separate word, den, placed before the verb — no prefixes here. Remove den and you get I understand
Επαναλάβετε, παρακαλώ (epanalávete, parakaló) — please repeat. the polite plural imperative of 'repeat'. In conversation people more often say Páli, parakaló — again, please
αργά (argá) — slowly. both 'slowly' and 'late': argá to vrádi — late in the evening. The classic request: pio argá, parakaló — more slowly, please
Βοήθεια! (voíthia) — help!. shouted as a noun — help! — not as a verb. The β reads v: vo-EE-thia
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is Δεν καταλαβαίνω (den katalavéno) — I don't understand.
- What is this word?
It is Χρειάζομαι γιατρό (khriázome yatró) — I need a doctor.
- What is this word?
It is Μιλάτε αγγλικά; (miláte angliká) — do you speak English?.
- What is this word?
It is Δεν μπορώ να ανοίξω (den boró na aníkso) — I can't open it.
- What is this word?
It is Μην αγγίζετε (min angízete) — do not touch.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “I don't understand” in Greek?
negation is a separate word, den, placed before the verb — no prefixes here. Remove den and you get I understand
- How do you say “I need a doctor” in Greek?
khriázome means to need; the accusative follows straight away, with no preposition
- How do you say “do you speak English?” in Greek?
the question mark is a raised semicolon. To a friend: milás angliká?
- How do you say “I can't open it” in Greek?
Greek has no infinitive: after boró comes na plus a personal form
- How do you say “do not touch” in Greek?
the ban is built with min, not den: den is plain negation
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
“I don't understand”, “say that again”, “slower, please”, “help”. They are learned first for a reason: they bring back a conversation that has already gone wrong.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “I don't understand” in Greek?
«Δεν καταλαβαίνω», read “den katalavéno”. negation is a separate word, den, placed before the verb — no prefixes here. Remove den and you get I understand. It is one of 15 words in the set “phrases that save you” — the rest are in the table above.
How many emergency phrases do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 15 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 15 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.