Η φίλη μου είπε ότι, χωρίς απόδειξη, η επιστροφή συνήθως δεν επιτρέπεται.

My friend said that, without a receipt, a return usually isn’t allowed.

Breakdown of Η φίλη μου είπε ότι, χωρίς απόδειξη, η επιστροφή συνήθως δεν επιτρέπεται.

• δεν: not
• η φίλη: the female friend
• μου: my
• ότι: that
• συνήθως: usually
• χωρίς: without
• λέω: to say
• επιτρέπεται: to be allowed
• η επιστροφή: the return
• η απόδειξη: the receipt

Questions & Answers about Η φίλη μου είπε ότι, χωρίς απόδειξη, η επιστροφή συνήθως δεν επιτρέπεται.

Why is there a comma after ότι? Isn’t ότι just that?

In Greek, commas are often used to mark pauses and to set off extra information. Here, ότι, χωρίς απόδειξη, ... treats χωρίς απόδειξη as a parenthetical insert (like without a receipt), so it gets commas.
It’s also perfectly possible (and common) to write it without the first comma: είπε ότι χωρίς απόδειξη η επιστροφή.... The comma just makes the insertion feel more “as an aside.”

What’s the difference between ότι and πως for that?

Both ότι and πως can introduce a clause meaning that after verbs like λέω / είπα.

• ότι is very common in both speech and writing.
• πως is also common, often a bit more conversational in some contexts.
  In this sentence, ότι is a standard choice: είπε ότι....

Why is it Η φίλη μου and not Η φίλη της/του/σας etc.? What exactly does μου do?

μου is an unstressed “weak” possessive pronoun (a clitic) meaning my. Greek often expresses possession like this:

• η φίλη μου = my (female) friend
  Similarly: ο φίλος μου (my male friend), το βιβλίο μου (my book).
  It comes after the noun, unlike English my friend.

Why do we say η φίλη μου είπε with the pronoun μου after the noun, but μου είπε with μου before the verb is also possible?

They are different μου’s:

• η φίλη μου: μου = my (possession) attached to friend.
• μου είπε: μου = to me (indirect object).
  So you could also say: Η φίλη μου μού είπε ότι... (= My friend told me that...). The sentence you have simply doesn’t include to me.

Why is είπε used here, and what tense is it?

είπε is the simple past (aorist) of λέω (to say/tell). It presents the action as a completed event: she said it (once, at that time).
If you used έλεγε (imperfect), it would suggest repetition/background: she was saying / she used to say.

Why is χωρίς followed by απόδειξη (and what case is that)?

χωρίς takes the accusative case.
Here, απόδειξη is accusative singular: (χωρίς) απόδειξη.
You’ll see the same pattern with other nouns: χωρίς νερό, χωρίς χρόνο, χωρίς λόγο.

Does απόδειξη mean “proof” or “receipt” here?

Literally, απόδειξη can mean proof or evidence, but in everyday shopping contexts it very commonly means receipt (proof of purchase).
So χωρίς απόδειξη is the standard way to say without a receipt.

Why is there η before επιστροφή? Isn’t “return” kind of general?

Greek often uses the definite article where English might use no article. η επιστροφή can mean the return / returning / returns depending on context.
In store-policy language, η επιστροφή is like referring to the concept/practice: the return (process).

Is επιστροφή the same as “refund”?

Not exactly.

• επιστροφή = return (returning an item)
• επιστροφή χρημάτων = refund (return of money)
  Greek can use επιστροφή broadly, but if you specifically mean money back, adding χρημάτων makes it explicit.

What role does συνήθως play, and can it move around?

συνήθως means usually and is an adverb. It’s flexible in position:

• η επιστροφή συνήθως δεν επιτρέπεται (very natural)
• συνήθως η επιστροφή δεν επιτρέπεται (also fine, a bit more fronted/emphatic)
  Its placement affects emphasis slightly but not basic meaning.

Why is negation δεν επιτρέπεται and not something like δεν επιτρέπουν?

δεν επιτρέπεται is an impersonal passive construction: it is not allowed. It focuses on the rule/policy, not who enforces it.
δεν επιτρέπουν would be active plural: they don’t allow (it), where they is vague (store staff / policy makers). Both exist, but the passive sounds especially “policy-like.”

What tense/voice is επιτρέπεται?

επιτρέπεται is present tense, passive voice of επιτρέπω (to allow). In this form it means is allowed.

• επιτρέπεται = is allowed
• επιτρέπονται = are allowed (plural)

Why is η επιστροφή singular but talking about returns in general?

Greek often uses the singular with an article to talk about a general practice or category:

• η επιστροφή δεν επιτρέπεται = returns are not allowed / returning is not allowed (as a general policy)
  If you wanted to emphasize multiple individual returns, you could use plural: οι επιστροφές δεν επιτρέπονται, but the singular is very common in policy statements.