The Mastiha Language School – Part 2 (Starter): Ordering Politely Without Stumbling

Today is Thursday, 22 October, and there are 70 days left until New Year's Eve. Our language school began on 12 October, and today comes Part 2, one day later than promised: the starter. Level A1, topic: ordering and staying polite.

The honest interim report

Under Part 1, nobody has left a homework sentence or a vote on the big question so far. We say so openly, as we promised. That is why there are no reader sentences to correct today and no result to announce. The big question from Part 1 stays open, and you can still reply there.

Instead, here is our own homework, made up by the editorial team: “Το κρασί είναι νόστιμο, ευχαριστώ.” In English: “The wine is delicious, thank you.” In German: “Der Wein ist lecker, danke.” Three of the ten words from lesson 1 are in it: krasí, nóstimo, efcharistó.

Lesson 2: Eight building blocks for ordering

Greek, with simplified pronunciation, the English meaning and the German equivalent:

Καλησπέρα (kalispéra): Good evening. – Guten Abend.

Ένα τραπέζι για δύο, παρακαλώ (éna trapézi gia dío, parakaló): A table for two, please. – Einen Tisch für zwei, bitte.

Θα ήθελα … (tha íthela): I would like … – Ich hätte gern …

Ένα νερό, παρακαλώ (éna neró, parakaló): A water, please. – Ein Wasser, bitte.

Συγγνώμη (signómi): Excuse me / sorry. – Entschuldigung.

Τίποτα άλλο, ευχαριστώ (típota állo, efcharistó): Nothing else, thank you. – Sonst nichts, danke.

Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ (ton logariasmó, parakaló): The bill, please. – Die Rechnung, bitte.

Ήταν πολύ νόστιμο (ítan polí nóstimo): It was very tasty. – Es war sehr lecker.

The politeness rule: Θα ήθελα

Θα ήθελα literally means something like “I would want”. In English it matches the polite “I would like …”, in German “Ich hätte gern …”. A tip for German learners: “Ich will ein Wasser” (“I want a water”) quickly sounds demanding in German; “Ich hätte gern ein Wasser” does not.

Double duty: please and παρακαλώ

Both words work double: German “bitte” and Greek παρακαλώ (parakaló) mean both “please” and “you're welcome”. Anyone who is sure of just this one word is already halfway polite.

Three genders, one dish

On the big question from Part 1: Greek has three genders too. For “a” that means: ένας καφές (énas kafés, masculine), μία σαλάτα (mía saláta, feminine), ένα νερό (éna neró, neuter). Whoever orders practises gender without noticing.

A mini dialogue (made up by the editorial team)

Greek:

– Καλησπέρα! Τι θα θέλατε;

– Θα ήθελα ένα νερό και λίγο ψωμί, παρακαλώ.

– Τίποτα άλλο;

– Όχι, ευχαριστώ. Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ.

– Αμέσως!

English: “Good evening! What would you like?” – “I would like some water and a little bread, please.” – “Anything else?” – “No, thank you. The bill, please.” – “Right away!”

German: „Guten Abend! Was darf es sein?“ – „Ich hätte gern ein Wasser und etwas Brot, bitte.“ – „Sonst noch etwas?“ – „Nein, danke. Die Rechnung, bitte.“ – „Sofort!“

Για όποιον μιλάει ελληνικά: παραγγελία στα γερμανικά

This section is for Greek speakers who are learning German, so it stays in Greek.

Αν μιλάς ελληνικά και μαθαίνεις γερμανικά, εδώ είναι έξι φράσεις για το τραπέζι. Η προφορά με ελληνικά γράμματα είναι προσεγγιστική.

Guten Abend (γκούτεν άμπεντ): καλησπέρα.

Ich hätte gern … (ίχ χέτε γκέρν): θα ήθελα …

Entschuldigung (εντσούλντιγκουνγκ): συγγνώμη.

Die Rechnung, bitte (ντι ρέχνουνγκ, μπίτε): τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ.

Zahlen, bitte (τσάλεν, μπίτε): να πληρώσω, παρακαλώ.

Danke, das war sehr lecker (ντάνκε, ντας βαρ ζέερ λέκερ): ευχαριστώ, ήταν πολύ νόστιμο.

Μικρή συμβουλή: το «Ich will …» ακούγεται στα γερμανικά απότομο. Το «Ich hätte gern …» είναι το ευγενικό «θα ήθελα».

Your homework 2

Write a mini dialogue of three lines in the language you are learning (Greek or German): a greeting, an order, a thank-you. At least three of the building blocks above, at most 25 words. Reply to the comment «My homework 2».

Add “please correct” if you want feedback, and “please name me” if we may show you by name. Without these words we correct and name nobody.

The big question 2: polite or understandable?

Ordering in a foreign language sometimes means choosing between two things. The arguments of both sides, without measurements:

Team Polite: A clumsy “please” and “thank you” opens doors. Whoever makes an effort is usually understood kindly.

Team Understandable: Whoever says clearly what they want avoids misunderstandings. Politeness can be learned later.

Reply to «The big question 2» with A (polite), B (understandable) or C (depends on the situation), with a sentence if you like.

To be fair

The lessons are written by the editorial team with the help of an AI. The pronunciation guide is deliberately simplified. If Greek, German or English is your first language and something is wrong or confusing, reply to «Spotted a mistake?». Thank you!

The timetable of the language school

Part 3, main course, on Wednesday, 4 November (57 days left): level A2, small talk at the table and the articles.

Part 4, dessert, on Wednesday, 25 November (36 days left): idioms and proverbs.

Part 5, digestif, on Wednesday, 23 December (8 days left): final quiz with solutions.

70 days until New Year's Eve

70 days until New Year's Eve. We are here: Mastiha Berlin, Arndtstraße 12, 10965 Berlin-Kreuzberg, phone 030 612 85 386. The next Drachma Festival comes in a year, as every year.