Basics & Politeness
With these words and phrases, you'll get through any everyday situation — and you're guaranteed to earn a smile.
Greeting
| Greek | Pronunciation | German | When? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Καλημέρα | ka-li-ME-ra | Good morning | Until about 1:00 PM |
| Καλησπέρα | ka-li-SPE-ra | Good evening | From about 5:00 PM |
| Καληνύχτα | ka-li-NICH-ta | Good night | As a farewell in the evening |
| Γειά σου | JA-su | Hello / Bye (you) | Informal, one person |
| Γειά σας | JA-sas | Hello / Bye (you) | Formal or multiple people |
Politeness
| Greek | Pronunciation | German |
|---|---|---|
| Ευχαριστώ | ef-cha-ri-STO | Thank you |
| Ευχαριστώ πολύ | ef-cha-ri-STO po-LI | Thank you very much |
| Παρακαλώ | pa-ra-ka-LO | Please / You're welcome |
| Συγνώμη | sig-NO-mi | Sorry |
| Ναι | neh | Yes |
| Όχι | O-chi | No |
| Πώς είστε; | pos I-ste? | How are you? (formal) |
| Πώς είσαι; | pos I-se? | How are you? (informal) |
| Καλά | ka-LA | Good |
| Καλά, ευχαριστώ | ka-LA ef-cha-ri-STO | Good, thank you |
| Δεν καταλαβαίνω | den ka-ta-la-VE-no | I don't understand |
| Μιλάτε γερμανικά; | mi-LA-te jer-ma-ni-KA? | Do you speak German? |
| Μιλάτε αγγλικά; | mi-LA-te ang-li-KA? | Do you speak English? |
💡 Tipp
WARNING: "Nai" (ναι) means YES and "Ochi" (όχι) means NO! This really confuses everyone at first. Additionally, Greeks sometimes nod upwards for "No" and downwards for "Yes" — exactly opposite to us.