GreeklyΓεια σας (ya sas, hello) · Καλημέρα (kaliméra, good morning) · Ευχαριστώ (efkharistó, thank you) · Παρακαλώ (parakaló, please / you're welcome) · Ναι (ne, yes) · Όχι (óhi, no) · Συγγνώμη (sighnómi, sorry) · Δεν καταλαβαίνω (dhen katalavéno, I don't understand) · Πόσο κάνει; (póso káni?, how much is it?) · Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ (ton loghariazmó, parakaló, the bill, please)
How to read the pronunciation
The pronunciation column uses simple Latin letters. The accent shows the stressed syllable, and stress matters in Greek. A few letters need a note:
- dh = the “th” in this (Greek δ); th = the “th” in think (θ).
- gh = a soft, breathy “g” (γ before a, o, u); before e and i it sounds like y.
- kh = the “ch” in Scottish loch (χ).
- r is a short tap, as in Spanish or Italian.
Greek writes its question mark like an English semicolon: Τι κάνεις; is “How are you?”.
Greetings and introductions
| Greek | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Γεια σου | ya su | Hi / bye (to one person, informal) |
| Γεια σας | ya sas | Hello / goodbye (polite, or to a group) |
| Καλημέρα | kaliméra | Good morning |
| Καλησπέρα | kalispéra | Good afternoon / good evening |
| Καληνύχτα | kaliníkhta | Good night |
| Τι κάνεις; | ti kánis? | How are you? (informal) |
| Τι κάνετε; | ti kánete? | How are you? (polite / plural) |
| Καλά, ευχαριστώ. Εσύ; | kalá, efkharistó. esí? | Fine, thanks. And you? |
| Με λένε… | me léne… | My name is… |
| Πώς σε λένε; | pos se léne? | What's your name? (informal) |
| Χάρηκα πολύ | khárika polí | Nice to meet you |
| Είμαι από… | íme apó… | I'm from… |
| Μένω στην Αθήνα | méno stin Athína | I live in Athens |
| Τα λέμε! | ta léme! | See you! |
| Καλή μέρα / Καλό βράδυ | kalí méra / kaló vrádhi | Have a nice day / evening (when leaving) |
Polite words and getting by
| Greek | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ναι | ne | Yes |
| Όχι | óhi | No |
| Παρακαλώ | parakaló | Please / you're welcome |
| Ευχαριστώ πολύ | efkharistó polí | Thank you very much |
| Συγγνώμη | sighnómi | Sorry / excuse me |
| Με συγχωρείτε | me sinkhoríte | Excuse me (polite) |
| Εντάξει | endáxi | OK |
| Δεν καταλαβαίνω | dhen katalavéno | I don't understand |
| Δεν ξέρω | dhen xéro | I don't know |
| Μιλάτε αγγλικά; | miláte angliká? | Do you speak English? |
| Μιλάω λίγα ελληνικά | miláo lígha eliniká | I speak a little Greek |
| Μπορείτε να μιλάτε πιο αργά; | boríte na miláte pio arghá? | Could you speak more slowly? |
| Μπορείτε να το επαναλάβετε; | boríte na to epanalávete? | Could you repeat that? |
| Πώς λέγεται… στα ελληνικά; | pos léyete… sta eliniká? | How do you say… in Greek? |
| Τι σημαίνει αυτό; | ti siméni aftó? | What does this mean? |
At the café and the taverna
| Greek | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ένα τραπέζι για δύο, παρακαλώ | éna trapézi ya dhío, parakaló | A table for two, please |
| Τον κατάλογο, παρακαλώ | ton katálogho, parakaló | The menu, please |
| Τι μας προτείνετε; | ti mas protínete? | What do you recommend? |
| Θα ήθελα… | tha íthela… | I would like… |
| Έναν καφέ, παρακαλώ | énan kafé, parakaló | A coffee, please |
| Ένα νερό | éna neró | A (bottle of) water |
| Ένα ποτήρι κρασί | éna potíri krasí | A glass of wine |
| Χωρίς ζάχαρη | khorís zákhari | Without sugar |
| Είμαι χορτοφάγος | íme khortofághos | I'm vegetarian |
| Καλή όρεξη! | kalí órexi! | Enjoy your meal! |
| Στην υγειά μας! | stin iyiá mas! | Cheers! |
| Ήταν πολύ νόστιμο | ítan polí nóstimo | It was delicious |
| Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ | ton loghariazmó, parakaló | The bill, please |
Shopping and money
| Greek | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Πόσο κάνει; | póso káni? | How much is it? |
| Πόσο κάνουν; | póso kánun? | How much are they? |
| Έχετε…; | ékhete…? | Do you have…? |
| Μπορώ να πληρώσω με κάρτα; | boró na pliróso me kárta? | Can I pay by card? |
| Μετρητά | metritá | Cash |
| Μια σακούλα, παρακαλώ | mia sakúla, parakaló | A bag, please |
| Απλώς κοιτάζω | aplós kitázo | I'm just looking |
| Αυτό, παρακαλώ | aftó, parakaló | This one, please |
Directions and transport
| Greek | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Πού είναι…; | pu íne…? | Where is…? |
| Πού είναι η τουαλέτα; | pu íne i tualéta? | Where is the toilet? |
| Δεξιά / Αριστερά | dhexiá / aristerá | Right / left |
| Ευθεία | efthía | Straight on |
| Είναι μακριά; | íne makriá? | Is it far? |
| Κοντά | kondá | Near |
| Ένα εισιτήριο για… | éna isitírio ya… | A ticket to… |
| Πότε φεύγει το λεωφορείο; | póte févyi to leoforío? | When does the bus leave? |
| Στη στάση, παρακαλώ | sti stási, parakaló | At the stop, please |
Health and emergencies
| Greek | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Βοήθεια! | voíthia! | Help! |
| Χρειάζομαι γιατρό | khriázome yatró | I need a doctor |
| Πού είναι το φαρμακείο; | pu íne to farmakío? | Where is the pharmacy? |
| Πονάει εδώ | ponái edhó | It hurts here |
| Είμαι αλλεργικός / αλλεργική σε… | íme alerghikós / alerghikí se… | I'm allergic to… (man / woman) |
| Καλέστε ασθενοφόρο! | kaléste asthenofóro! | Call an ambulance! |
The European emergency number 112 works in both Greece and Cyprus.
Numbers 1 to 10
| Number | Greek | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ένα | éna |
| 2 | δύο | dhío |
| 3 | τρία | tría |
| 4 | τέσσερα | tésera |
| 5 | πέντε | pénde |
| 6 | έξι | éxi |
| 7 | επτά / εφτά | eptá / eftá |
| 8 | οκτώ / οχτώ | októ / okhtó |
| 9 | εννέα / εννιά | enéa / enyá |
| 10 | δέκα | dhéka |
From phrases to real Greek
Phrases get you through the first week. To go further you need the patterns behind them: why it is έναν καφέ but ένα νερό, or τι κάνεις with a friend but τι κάνετε with a pharmacist. That is grammar, and it is the step that turns memorised lines into sentences of your own. Our guide How to learn Greek shows the order to learn it in, and the Greekly app gives you dialogues built around the places you actually go.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say hello in Greek?
Γεια σου (ya su) to one person you know, and Γεια σας (ya sas) to someone you address politely or to a group. Both also mean goodbye. Καλημέρα (kaliméra) means good morning and Καλησπέρα (kalispéra) good evening.
How do you say thank you in Greek?
Ευχαριστώ (efkharistó). Thank you very much is Ευχαριστώ πολύ (efkharistó polí). The usual reply is Παρακαλώ (parakaló), which also means please.
How do you say yes and no in Greek?
Yes is Ναι (ne) and no is Όχι (óhi). Ναι sounds like the English “neigh”, which confuses many visitors at first.
Why do Greeks use a semicolon as a question mark?
In Greek the question mark is written like the English semicolon (;). Τι κάνεις; means “How are you?”. A raised dot (·) plays the role of the English semicolon.
What is the most useful Greek phrase for beginners?
Συγγνώμη, δεν καταλαβαίνω (sighnómi, dhen katalavéno), “Sorry, I don't understand”, followed by Μπορείτε να μιλάτε πιο αργά; (boríte na miláte pio arghá?), “Could you speak more slowly?”. Together they keep a conversation going instead of ending it.
What is the emergency number in Greece and Cyprus?
112, the European emergency number, works in both Greece and Cyprus.