Συγγνώμη, μάλλον κάνω λάθος.

Sorry, I am probably wrong.

Breakdown of Συγγνώμη, μάλλον κάνω λάθος.

• συγγνώμη: sorry
• μάλλον: probably
• κάνω λάθος: to make a mistake

Questions & Answers about Συγγνώμη, μάλλον κάνω λάθος.

What does Συγγνώμη literally mean, and how is it used compared to English “sorry” or “excuse me”?

Συγγνώμη is an interjection that usually translates as “sorry”, “excuse me”, or “pardon”, depending on context.

• Literal origin: It comes from συν + γνώμη (literally “same opinion / understanding”), originally meaning something like “reconciliation of opinions” → forgiveness.
• Everyday use:
  • When you bump into someone: Συγγνώμη! = “Sorry!” / “Excuse me!”
  • When you want to get someone’s attention: Συγγνώμη; = “Excuse me?”
  • When you admit a mistake: Συγγνώμη, κάνω λάθος. = “Sorry, I’m wrong.”

So in this sentence, Συγγνώμη, μάλλον κάνω λάθος., it’s functioning just like “Sorry,” at the start of an admission.

Is Συγγνώμη formal or informal? Would I say this to a stranger?

Συγγνώμη is neutral and widely used with everyone:

• To friends and family: perfectly fine.
• To strangers or in polite situations: also fine.

If you want a more formal / polite version, you often add a verb:

• Με συγχωρείτε, μάλλον κάνω λάθος.
  = “Forgive me / Excuse me, I’m probably wrong.”

But Συγγνώμη alone is already polite enough for most everyday interactions (shops, public transport, etc.).

What exactly does μάλλον mean here? Is it exactly “probably”?

In this sentence, μάλλον means “probably” or “most likely”, softening what you say:

• Κάνω λάθος. = “I’m wrong.” (quite definite)
• Μάλλον κάνω λάθος. = “I’m probably wrong.” / “I’m likely wrong.”

Nuances of μάλλον in Modern Greek:

1. Probable / likely:

   • Θα αργήσει μάλλον. = “He’ll probably be late.”

2. Correction / rather:

   • Όχι την Τρίτη, μάλλον την Τετάρτη.
     = “Not on Tuesday, rather on Wednesday.”

In your sentence it’s the probability meaning: you’re not 100% sure, but you think you’re wrong.

Where does μάλλον usually go in the sentence? Could I say “Κάνω μάλλον λάθος” instead?

The most natural position here is before the verb:

• Μάλλον κάνω λάθος. (most common and neutral)

Greek adverbs like μάλλον usually come before the verb, but word order is somewhat flexible:

• Εγώ μάλλον κάνω λάθος. (emphasising “I”)
• Μάλλον εγώ κάνω λάθος. (strong emphasis: “It’s probably me who’s wrong.”)

Κάνω μάλλον λάθος is possible, but it sounds less neutral and can feel a bit marked, as if you’re focusing on the degree/quality of the mistake (“I’m making rather a mistake”) more than just the fact you’re probably wrong. Learners are safer sticking with:

Μάλλον κάνω λάθος.

Why do we say κάνω λάθος (“I do/make mistake”) and not είμαι λάθος (“I am wrong”)?

Κάνω λάθος is an idiomatic expression meaning “to be wrong / to make a mistake.”

• κάνω = “I do / I make”
• λάθος = “mistake / wrong”

So literally: “I make a mistake.”
But in practice it often equates to English “I’m wrong.”

Usage differences:

• Κάνω λάθος. = “I’m wrong / I’m making a mistake.”
• Έκανα λάθος. = “I made a mistake.”
• Έχεις κάνει λάθος. = “You’ve made a mistake.”

Είμαι λάθος (“I am wrong”) does appear in speech, but it’s less standard. More common structures are:

• Είναι λάθος αυτό. = “This is wrong.”
• Έχεις άδικο. = “You are wrong (in this argument).”

So for “I’m wrong / I’m making a mistake,” the default, natural phrase is κάνω λάθος.

What is the full present tense conjugation of κάνω?

Present tense of κάνω (to do / to make):

• (εγώ) κάνω – I do / I make
• (εσύ) κάνεις – you do / you make (singular, informal)
• (αυτός/αυτή/αυτό) κάνει – he / she / it does / makes
• (εμείς) κάνουμε – we do / we make
• (εσείς) κάνετε – you do / you make (plural or polite)
• (αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά) κάνουν(ε) – they do / they make

In μάλλον κάνω λάθος, κάνω is 1st person singular, so the subject “I” is understood and omitted.

Is λάθος a noun or an adjective here? Does it change form?

In κάνω λάθος, λάθος is effectively used as a noun meaning “a mistake”.

Details:

• As a noun:
  
  • το λάθος = the mistake
  • Plural: τα λάθη = the mistakes
• As an adjective/adverb-like word, it’s invariable (doesn’t change form):
  • Είναι λάθος απάντηση. = “It’s a wrong answer.”
  • Το έκανες λάθος. = “You did it wrong.”

In your sentence, it’s the standard idiom κάνω λάθος = “I make a mistake / I’m wrong,” so think of λάθος here as “a mistake.”

Why is there no word for “I” in μάλλον κάνω λάθος?

Modern Greek usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person:

• κάνω = “I do/make”
• κάνεις = “you (sg) do/make”
• κάνει = “he/she/it does/makes”

So:

• Μάλλον κάνω λάθος. = “I’m probably wrong.”
  (subject “I” is implicit in κάνω)

If you want to emphasise the subject, you can add it:

• Εγώ μάλλον κάνω λάθος. = “I am probably the one who’s wrong.”

Could I drop μάλλον or Συγγνώμη? How would that change the meaning?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

1. Without μάλλον:

   • Συγγνώμη, κάνω λάθος.
     = “Sorry, I’m wrong.” (more definite, you accept you’re wrong)

2. Without Συγγνώμη:

   • Μάλλον κάνω λάθος.
     = “I’m probably wrong.” (neutral statement, less explicitly apologetic)

3. Original:

   • Συγγνώμη, μάλλον κάνω λάθος.
     = “Sorry, I’m probably wrong.”
     → You both apologize and soften your statement with some doubt.

How do you pronounce Συγγνώμη, μάλλον κάνω λάθος and where is the stress?

Stress (accent) in Greek marks the stressed syllable. Here is the breakdown:

• Συγγνώμη → συγ-ΓΝΩ-μη → [siɣˈðno.mi]
• μάλλον → ΜΑΛ-λον → [ˈma.lon]
• κάνω → ΚΑ-νω → [ˈka.no]
• λάθος → ΛΑ-θος → [ˈla.θos]

Whole sentence (approximate IPA):
[siɣˈðno.mi ˈma.lon ˈka.no ˈla.θos]

Key points:

• γγν in συγγνώμη is pronounced like ng + voiced gh + n but it flows as [ɣðn] in casual speech.
• θ in λάθος is like “th” in English “think”.

Why is there a comma after Συγγνώμη? Is it required?

Συγγνώμη acts as a separate interjection (“Sorry,”), and it’s natural to separate it with a comma:

• Συγγνώμη, μάλλον κάνω λάθος.

The comma:

• reflects the small pause you make when speaking,
• separates the apology from the statement.

In informal writing (texts, chats), you might sometimes see it without a comma, but the standard and clearer way is with the comma.

Are there other natural ways to say “I’m probably wrong” in Greek?

Yes, there are alternatives with slightly different nuance:

• Μάλλον έχω άδικο.
  = “I’m probably wrong” (especially in the sense of losing an argument / being mistaken in opinion).

• Πιθανόν να κάνω λάθος.
  = “It’s possible that I’m wrong.” (a bit more formal/neutral; πιθανόν = “possibly”.)

• Ίσως κάνω λάθος.
  = “Maybe I’m wrong.”

But Μάλλον κάνω λάθος is very common and natural in everyday speech.