Chances are, you’re already familiar with these basic words and phrases. But you’ll hear them in almost any conversation, so let’s brush up on them before moving forward with longer phrases.
| English | Greek | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| “Hello” (formal or plural) | Γειά σας (Yassas) | |
| “Hello” (informal) | Γειά σου (Ya sou) | |
| “Yes” | Ναι (Ne) | |
| “No” | Όχι (Ochi) | |
| “Please” | Παρακαλώ (Parakalo) | |
| “Thank you” | Ευχαριστώ (Efcharisto) | |
| “Sorry” | Συγγνώμη (Signomi) | |
| “How are you?” (informal) | Tι κάνεις? (Ti kanis) | |
| “How are you?” (formal) | Τι κάνετε; (Ti kanete?) |
Common Greek Greetings and Partings
Next up in our list of common Greek phrases is a special category — greetings and partings. We already covered how to say hello in Greek above — γεια σου (yasou) for informal situations and γεια σας (yassas) for formal situations or when you’re speaking to multiple people.
Here are other phrases for different times of day and situations:
| English | Greek | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| “Good morning” | Καλημέρα (Kalimera) | |
| “Good evening” | Καλησπέρα (Kalispera) | |
| “Have a good afternoon” | Καλό απόγευμα (Kalo apogevma) | |
| “Welcome” (singular) | Καλώς ήρθες (kalos irthes) | |
| “Welcome” (plural) | Καλώς ήρθατε (kalos irthate) | |
| “Goodbye” | Αντίο (Adio) | |
| “Good night” | Καληνύχτα (Kalinihta) | |
| “See you later” or “Speak soon” (informal) | Τα λέμε (Ta leme) |
Basic Greek Phrases for Everyday Life
Now that you know the basics like “hello,” “thank you,” and “good morning,” let’s move on to longer, but still common phrases you’ll hear and use in your daily life:
| English | Greek | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| “How much is it?” | Πόσο κάνει; (Poso kani?) | |
| “Where is the bathroom?” | Πού είναι η τουαλέτα; (Pou ine i tualeta?) | |
| “Where are you?” | Πού είσαι; (Pou ise?) | |
| “Do you speak English?” | Μιλάτε αγγλικά; (Milate anglika?) | |
| “Could you repeat please?” | Μπορείτε να επαναλάβετε παρακαλώ; (Borite na epanalavete parakalo?) | |
| “Can I have the bill, please?” | Μπορώ να έχω τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ; (Boro na eho ton logariasmo, parakalo?) | |
| “I don’t understand” | Δεν καταλαβαίνω (Den katalaveno) | |
| “There is…” | Υπάρχει… (Iparhi…) | |
| “There are…” | Υπάρχουν… (Iparhoun…) | |
| “Sounds good!” | Καλό ακούγεται (Kalo akougete) | |
| “Cheers!” (used when drinking) | Γεια μας! (Yamas!) | |
| “Enjoy your meal” | Καλή όρεξη (Kali orexi) | |
| “Good luck” | Καλή τύχη (Kali tihi) | |
| “Nice/Beautiful” | Ωραία (Orea) |
Survival Greek Phrases for Traveling in Greece
Traveling to Greece? You’ll want to note down these travel phrases that can save the day:
| English | Greek | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| “Where is…?” | Πού είναι…; (Pou ine…?) | |
| “How much does it cost?” | Πόσο κοστίζει; (Poso kostizi?) | |
| “Can you help me?” | Μπορείτε να με βοηθήσετε; (Borite na me voithisete?) | |
| “I have a reservation” | Έχω μια κράτηση (Eho mia kratisi) | |
| “What’s the best beach here?” | Ποια είναι η καλύτερη παραλία εδώ; (Pia ine i kaliteri paralia edo?) | |
| “Can I have a menu, please?” | Μπορώ να έχω ένα μενού παρακαλώ; (Boro na eho ena menou, parakalo?) | |
| “I would like…” | Θα ήθελα…. (Tha ithela…) | |
| “I would like a coffee, please” | Θα ήθελα έναν καφέ παρακαλώ (Tha ithela enan kafe parakalo) | |
| “The bill, please” | Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ (Ton logariasmo, parakalo) | |
| “I need a doctor” | Χρειάζομαι ένα γιατρό (Hriazomai ena yiatro) | |
| “Where is the nearest pharmacy?” | Πού είναι το πλησιέστερο φαρμακείο; (Pou ine to plisiestero farmakio?) | |
| “Can I pay by card?” | Μπορώ να πληρώσω με κάρτα; (Boro na pliroso me karta?) | |
| “Is there an ATM nearby?” | Υπάρχει ΑΤΜ κοντά; (Iparhi ATM konta?) | |
| “Is there a good restaurant near here?” | Υπάρχει κάποιο καλό εστιατόριο κοντά εδώ; (Iparhi kapio kalo estiatorio konda edo?) | |
| “Where is the bus stop?” | Πού είναι η στάση του λεωφορείου; (Pou ine i stasi tou leoforiu?) | |
| “Where can I rent a car?” | Πού μπορώ να νοικιάσω ένα αυτοκίνητο; (Pou boro na nikiaso ena aftokinito?) | |
| “Can you call me a taxi?” | Μπορείτε να μου καλέσετε ένα ταξί; (Borite na mu kalesete ena taxi?) |
Greek Phrases to Talk About Yourself
Here are the phrases you need to introduce yourself, talk about your life, and ask questions to others.
You’ll find some example answers for each question, but don’t forget to change the part in bold to to match your personal details:
| English | Greek | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| “What’s your name?” | Πώς σε λένε; (Pos se lene?) | |
| “My name is…” | Με λένε… (Me lene) | |
| “Where are you from?” | Από πού είσαι; (Apo pou ise?) | |
| “I’m from…” | Είμαι από… (Ime apo…) | |
| “I’m from America.” | Είμαι από την Αμερική (Ime apo tin Ameriki) | |
| “I’m from the United Kingdom.” | Είμαι από το Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο (Ime apo to Inomeno Vasilio) | |
| “What do you do for work?” | Τι δουλειά κάνεις; (Ti doulia kanis?) | |
| “I’m a student” | Είμαι φοιτητής/φοιτήτρια (Ime fititis (masculine) /fititria (feminine)) | |
| “I’m a teacher” | Είμαι δάσκαλος/δασκάλα (Ime daskalos (masculine) / daskala (feminine)) | |
| “How old are you?” | Πόσο χρονών είσαι; (Poso hronon ise?) | |
| “How long have you been learning Greek?” | Πόσο καιρό μαθαίνεις ελληνικά; (Poso kero mathenis ellinika?) | |
| “I’ve been learning Greek for two years” | Μαθαίνω ελληνικά για 2 χρόνια (Matheno ellinika yia dio hronia) |
Slang Greek Phrases and Informal Words
Well, μαλάκα (malaka) is a famous one! It’s often the first word Greek speakers teach their foreign friends, and you might also hear friends calling each other this way! You’ll definitely sound more local if you use it, but be aware that it’s a swear word!
Here are some others — keep in mind that they’re slang and informal, so you should only use them with friends:
| English | Greek | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| “What’s up?” | Τι λέει; (Ti lei?) | |
| “What’s up?” | Πού ‘σαι ρε; (Pou ‘se re?) | |
| “Come on!” | Έλα ρε! (Ela re!) | |
| “Listen” or “You won’t believe this” | Άκου να δεις (Akou na dis) | |
| “What’s the deal with that?” | Τι φάση; (Ti fasi?) | |
| “I got it (I understand)” | Το ‘χω (To ‘cho) | |
| “Damn it!” | Γαμώτο (Gamoto) | |
| “Chill out” | Άραξε (Arakse) | |
| “Anyways” | Τέσπα (Tespa) |
Famous Greek Phrases
Okay, as a learner, you’ll use the basic phrases way more than these Greek proverbs. But these famous Greek quotes can help you practice your comprehension skills with more complex sentences, while learning more about the culture.
Here 5 Greek proverbs and their meaning:
- Είπε ο γάιδαρος τον πετεινό κεφάλα. (Ite o yedaros ton petino kefala).
- Literal translation: “The donkey called the rooster big-headed.”
- Meaning: “Look who’s talking!”
- Τα πολλά λόγια είναι φτώχεια (Ta polla logia ine ftohia).
- Literal translation: “Many words are poverty.”
- Meaning: “Silence is golden.”
- Κάλλιο αργά παρά ποτέ (Kallio arga para pote).
- Literal translation and meaning: “Better late than never.”
- Η γλώσσα κόκαλα δεν έχει και κόκαλα τσακίζει (I glossa kokala den ehi ke kokala tsakizi).
- Literal translation: “The tongue has no bones but it can break bones.”
- Meaning: “Words have the power to hurt people.”
- Ο χρόνος είναι ο καλύτερος γιατρός (O hronos ine o kaliteros yiatros).
- Literal translation: “Time is the best doctor.”
- Meaning: “Give yourself time to heal.”
Learning Common Greek Phrases Will Help You Start Speaking
Most of the Greek phrases in this article are based on daily life situations. This means that you’re more likely to see them or use them. You can start conversations with common greetings, use the travel vocabulary when in Greece, or introduce yourself based on our templates.
Don’t skip practicing Greek pronunciation as there are some sounds that don’t exist in English. And as always, don’t be scared to make mistakes and continue learning new Greek words. Our Greek resources provide a comprehensive list of videos, tutoring sites, YouTube channels, and language apps!
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