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Lesson Transcript

Γεια, λέγομαι Χρυσή. Hi everybody! I’m Chrissi.
Welcome to GreekPod101.com’s “Ελληνικά σε 3 λεπτά”. The fastest, easiest, and most fun way to learn Greek.
In the last lesson, we learned the phrase Συγγνώμη, μιλάτε αγγλικά; "Excuse me, do you speak English?" We mentioned the word συγγνώμη, which means "excuse me" in Greek.
In this lesson we’re going to learn how to use συγγνώμη and other words when apologizing in Greek.
We should use συγγνώμη in formal situations, such as when we are ordering something in bars or restaurants. For example:
Συγγνώμη, έναν καφέ παρακαλώ. "Excuse me, a coffee please."
We can also use it when asking a question:
Συγγνώμη, πού είναι η Ακρόπολη; "Excuse me, where is the Acropolis?"
Sometimes we also hear people say παρακαλώ, which literally means “please” or “I beg” but means the same thing as συγγνώμη when you want to draw somebody's attention. We always use this phrase in formal speech.
[slowly] Παρακαλώ
The informal way to say "excuse me" is Με συγχωρείτε
[slowly] Με συγχωρείτε
Just like Συγγνώμη, we can use Με συγχωρείτε when asking a question, or when apologizing.
All of these phrases can be used for either “excuse me” or “I’m sorry.” But if you really want to apologize for something, it might be better to use a different phrase.
That phrase is Λυπάμαι. It means “I am sorry” or “I’m sad” and can be used in both formal and informal situations.
[slowly] Λυπάμαι
Like in other cases we have seen, the verb λυπάμαι, “I’m sad” or “I’m sorry”, is used without the personal pronoun εγώ , “I”. By just saying the verb, the listener understands it is a first person -- you are talking about yourself.
Now it’s time for Chrissi’s Insights.
Please remember that in Greece if you accidentally bump into someone, we don’t say “I am sorry,” λυπάμαι, instead we say συγγνώμη, "excuse me" or με συγχωρείτε, "forgive me."
Are you are able to count in Greek? In the next lesson we will learn the numbers in Greek from one to ten!
I'll be waiting for you in our next Ελληνικά σε 3 λεπτά.
Θα τα ξαναπούμε στο επόμενο μάθημα!

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