Wherever you go, nothing makes your travels easier than knowing a few words in the local language, and in Greece, even a few words will welcome you and can even inspire a lasting friendship. Fortunately, if you are planning a trip to Greece this year, it will only take you a few minutes to learn some basic Greek phrases that will help you get around the European country.
From saying good morning, good afternoon, and good evening (kalimera, kalispera, and kalinikta) to simply saying hello in Greek (yia sas or yiassou), these common phrases should help make your international travel easier – residents will appreciate your effort in learning language and it will be more likely to help you.
Although Greek is the main language of Greece, many residents and citizens also speak English, German and French, so chances are that if you start with a Greek greeting, you can quickly admit that your Greek is not great and ask if the person speaks another language. This respect for culture is the first step in fully immersing yourself in Greek life on your vacation.
Common Greek Phrases
Greek citizens greet each other differently depending on the time of day. In the morning tourists can say kalimera (kah-lee-MARE-ah) and in the afternoon they can use kalomesimeri (kah-lo-messy-mary), although in practice this is rarely heard and kalimera can be used both times. The day. However, kalispera (kah-lee-spare-ah) means “good night” and kalinikta (kah-lee-neek-tah) means “good night,” so use these specific terms as appropriate.
On the other hand, “Hello” can be said at any time by saying yai sas, yiassou, gaisou or yasou (all pronounce yah-sooo); You can also use this word to say goodbye or as a toast, although yia sas is more respectful and should be used with older people and just about anyone for added courtesy.
When ordering something in Greece, remember to say please by saying parakaló (par-ah-kah-LO), which can also mean “huh” or a shortened version of “please repeat that” or “Sorry.” Once you get something, you can say efkharistó (eff-car-ee-STOH) to mean “thank you”; if you have trouble pronouncing this, just say “If the car stole from me” but drop the last “le. «
When getting instructions, be sure to search for deksiá (decks-yah) for “right” and aristerá (ar-ee-stare-ah) for “left.” However, if you say “you are right” as a general statement, you would say entáksi (en-tohk-see) instead. When asking for directions, you can say “where is—” by saying “Pou ine?” (Poo-eeneh)
Now is the time to say goodbye! Antío sas (an-tyoh sahs) or simply antío can be used interchangeably, like adios in Spanish, for both to mean a form of goodbye!
Other tips and common mistakes
Do not confuse ‘yes’ and ‘no’ in Greek: yes is né, which sounds like ‘no’ or ‘nah’ to English speakers, while it is not ókhi or ochi, which sounds like ‘okay’ to English speakers. of English. in some areas it is said more softly, like oh-shee.
Avoid relying on your understanding of spoken instructions. Get a good map to use as a visual aid when you ask, but make sure your informant knows where to start! Most maps in Greece show Western and Greek letters, so whoever helps you should be able to read it easily.
Greek is a flexed language, which means that the tone and accent of words change their meaning. If you mispronounce something, even words that look or sound similar to you, many Greeks won’t really understand what you mean, they aren’t being difficult; They don’t really mentally classify their words the way you say them.
Getting nowhere? Try to emphasize a different syllable and write addresses and names whenever possible.
