Head up means no
A quick upward tilt of the head, often with a click of the tongue, means no. Yes is ναι (NEH), which sounds like no to English ears, and no is όχι (OH-khee).
Phrase guide · Greek
Greek phrases for travelers
43 phrases for greeting people, shopping, taking taxis and ferries, and eating at tavernas in Greece. Every one comes with an easy pronunciation guide, so you can say it, or point to it.
How to read the pronunciation
- dh is the th in this, and th is the th in thin
- gh is a soft, breathy g, and kh is the ch in Scottish loch
- r is a quick tap of the tongue, as in Spanish
- Capital letters show the stressed syllable. In Greek spelling, it's the one with the accent mark
Greek · Travel phrasesΕυχαριστώ.
ef-khah-ree-STOH
Thank you.
YouΚαλημέρα! Ένα εισιτήριο για τη Νάξο, παρακαλώ.Good morning! One ticket to Naxos, please.
Greetings and goodbyes
One phrase covers both hello and goodbye. Others change with the time of day.
| Greek | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Γεια σας! | YAH sahs | Hello! / Goodbye!Polite, or to more than one person. To a friend: Γεια σου! (YAH soo) |
| Καλημέρα! | kah-lee-MEH-rah | Good morning! |
| Καλησπέρα! | kah-lee-SPEH-rah | Good evening!From the afternoon on |
| Καληνύχτα! | kah-lee-NEEKH-tah | Good night!Only when leaving, never as a hello |
| Τι κάνετε; | tee KAH-neh-teh? | How are you?Polite. To a friend: Τι κάνεις; (tee KAH-nees?) |
| Καλά, ευχαριστώ. Εσείς; | kah-LAH, ef-khah-ree-STOH. eh-SEES? | Fine, thanks. And you? |
| Καλή συνέχεια! | kah-LEE see-NEH-khyah | Enjoy the rest of your day!Literally “good continuation.” A friendly goodbye in shops and cafés |
Please, thank you and other basics
Learn the word for please first. It also means you're welcome, and it's what staff say when it's your turn.
| Greek | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Παρακαλώ. | pah-rah-kah-LOH | Please. / You're welcome.At a counter, Παρακαλώ; means “Can I help you?” |
| Ευχαριστώ. | ef-khah-ree-STOH | Thank you. |
| Ναι. / Όχι. | NEH / OH-khee | Yes. / No.Ναι sounds like no but means yes |
| Εντάξει. | en-DAH-ksee | OK. |
| Συγγνώμη. | seegh-NOH-mee | Excuse me. / Sorry.To get someone's attention, squeeze past or apologize |
| Δεν πειράζει. | dhen pee-RAH-zee | No problem.The reply when someone apologizes |
| Ορίστε. | oh-REE-steh | Here you are.When handing something over. As a question, Ορίστε; means “Pardon?” |
When you don't understand
Greek can sound fast at first. These phrases slow things down, or move the conversation to English.
| Greek | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Μιλάτε αγγλικά; | mee-LAH-teh ahn-glee-KAH? | Do you speak English? |
| Μιλάω λίγα ελληνικά. | mee-LAH-oh LEE-ghah eh-lee-nee-KAH | I speak a little Greek. |
| Δεν κατάλαβα. | dhen kah-TAH-lah-vah | I didn't understand. |
| Πιο αργά, παρακαλώ. | pyoh ahr-GHAH, pah-rah-kah-LOH | Slower, please. |
| Μπορείτε να το ξαναπείτε; | boh-REE-teh nah toh ksah-nah-PEE-teh? | Could you say that again? |
Shopping
Shops have fixed prices. You can try a little haggling at flea markets, like the one in Monastiraki in Athens, but not in regular shops.
| Greek | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Πόσο κάνει αυτό; | POH-soh KAH-nee af-TOH? | How much is this? |
| Έχετε ...; | EH-kheh-teh ...? | Do you have ...? |
| Απλώς κοιτάζω, ευχαριστώ. | ah-PLOHS kee-TAH-zoh, ef-khah-ree-STOH | I'm just looking, thanks. |
| Έχετε κάτι πιο φτηνό; | EH-kheh-teh KAH-tee pyoh ftee-NOH? | Do you have anything cheaper? |
| Θα το πάρω. | thah toh PAH-roh | I'll take it. |
| Μπορώ να πληρώσω με κάρτα; | boh-ROH nah plee-ROH-soh meh KAHR-tah? | Can I pay by card? |
Taxis, ferries and buses
Taxis use the meter, apart from a fixed fare between Athens airport and the city center. Buy ferry tickets before you board, because they aren't sold on the ship.
| Greek | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Πού είναι η τουαλέτα; | POO EE-neh ee too-ah-LEH-tah? | Where's the restroom? |
| Πού είναι η στάση του λεωφορείου; | POO EE-neh ee STAH-see too leh-oh-foh-REE-oo? | Where's the bus stop? |
| Στο λιμάνι, παρακαλώ. | stoh lee-MAH-nee, pah-rah-kah-LOH | To the port, please. |
| Μπορείτε να βάλετε το ταξίμετρο; | boh-REE-teh nah VAH-leh-teh toh tah-KSEE-meh-troh? | Could you turn on the meter? |
| Σταματήστε εδώ, παρακαλώ. | stah-mah-TEE-steh eh-DHOH, pah-rah-kah-LOH | Stop here, please. |
| Ένα εισιτήριο για ..., παρακαλώ. | EH-nah ee-see-TEE-ree-oh yah ..., pah-rah-kah-LOH | A ticket to ..., please.For ferries and buses. To Naxos is για τη Νάξο (yah tee NAH-ksoh) |
| Τι ώρα φεύγει το πλοίο; | tee OH-rah FEV-yee toh PLEE-oh? | What time does the ferry leave?For the bus, say το λεωφορείο (toh leh-oh-foh-REE-oh) |
Food and drink
Dishes often go in the middle of the table to share, and nobody will rush you. Ask for the check when you're ready to leave.
| Greek | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ένα τραπέζι για δύο, παρακαλώ. | EH-nah trah-PEH-zee yah DHEE-oh, pah-rah-kah-LOH | A table for two, please. |
| Μια κανάτα νερό, παρακαλώ. | myah kah-NAH-tah neh-ROH, pah-rah-kah-LOH | A pitcher of water, please.Tap water. For a bottle, ask for ένα μπουκάλι (EH-nah boo-KAH-lee) |
| Ένα μισόκιλο κρασί, παρακαλώ. | EH-nah mee-SOH-kee-loh krah-SEE, pah-rah-kah-LOH | Half a kilo of wine, please.House wine is ordered by the “kilo.” This is about half a liter |
| Είμαι χορτοφάγος. | EE-meh khohr-toh-FAH-ghohs | I'm vegetarian.Same word for men and women |
| Ήταν όλα πολύ νόστιμα! | EE-tahn OH-lah poh-LEE NOH-stee-mah | Everything was delicious! |
| Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ. | tohn loh-ghah-ryahz-MOH, pah-rah-kah-LOH | The check, please. |
| Γεια μας! | YAH mahs | Cheers!Literally “our health” |
If something goes wrong
Hopefully you won't need these. Call 112 for any emergency, and the operators speak English. You can also dial 166 for an ambulance or 100 for the police.
| Greek | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Βοήθεια! | voh-EE-thee-ah | Help! |
| Χρειάζομαι γιατρό. | khree-AH-zoh-meh yah-TROH | I need a doctor. |
| Υπάρχει φαρμακείο εδώ κοντά; | ee-PAHR-khee fahr-mah-KEE-oh eh-DHOH kohn-DAH? | Is there a pharmacy near here? |
| Χάθηκα. | KHAH-thee-kah | I'm lost. |
Buying a ferry ticket in Piraeus
Ask for a ticket, pick a boat, check the time and pay. This is how it sounds at a ticket office in Piraeus, the port of Athens.
ClerkΚαλημέρα σας! Παρακαλώ;kaliméra sas! parakaló?Good morning! Can I help you?
YouΚαλημέρα! Ένα εισιτήριο για τη Νάξο, παρακαλώ.kaliméra! éna isitírio yia ti náxo, parakaló.Good morning! One ticket to Naxos, please.
ClerkΜε το συμβατικό ή με το ταχύπλοο;me to simvatikó i me to takhíploo?The regular ferry or the fast boat?
YouΜε το συμβατικό. Τι ώρα φεύγει;me to simvatikó. ti óra févyi?The regular one. What time does it leave?
ClerkΣτις εφτά και μισή. Πενήντα πέντε ευρώ.stis eftá ke misí. penínda pénde evró.At seven thirty. Fifty-five euros.
YouΜπορώ να πληρώσω με κάρτα;boró na pliróso me kárta?Can I pay by card?
ClerkΒεβαίως. Καλό ταξίδι!vevéos. kaló taxídhi!Of course. Have a good trip!
Numbers and money
Prices are in euros: €55 is πενήντα πέντε ευρώ (peh-NEEN-dah PEN-deh ev-ROH).
| Greek | Say it like | Number |
|---|---|---|
| ένα | EH-nah | 1 |
| δύο | DHEE-oh | 2 |
| τρία | TREE-ah | 3 |
| τέσσερα | TEH-seh-rah | 4 |
| πέντε | PEN-deh | 5 |
| έξι | EK-see | 6 |
| εφτά | ef-TAH | 7 |
| οχτώ | okh-TOH | 8 |
| εννιά | eh-NYAH | 9 |
| δέκα | DHEH-kah | 10 |
| είκοσι | EE-koh-see | 20 |
| πενήντα | peh-NEEN-dah | 50 |
| εκατό | eh-kah-TOH | 100 |
| χίλια | KHEE-lyah | 1,000 |
| ευρώ | ev-ROH | euro |
Good to know in Greece
Toilet paper goes in the bin
Many Greek buildings have narrow pipes, so used toilet paper goes in the small bin next to the toilet. Only flush it where a sign says you can.
Tipping is a thank-you
Tips aren't required. In tavernas, people round up the bill or leave 5 to 10 percent for good service. In taxis, rounding up the fare is enough.
Ferries: book early, arrive early
Book ahead for August, when popular sailings can sell out, especially around the August 15 holiday. Tickets are issued in your name, so bring your passport or ID, and be at the port an hour before departure.
Questions travelers ask
How do you say hello in Greek?
Γεια σας (YAH sahs) is the polite hello, and it means goodbye too. With friends and children, say γεια σου (YAH soo). In the morning you'll also hear καλημέρα, and later in the day καλησπέρα.
How do you say thank you in Greek?
Ευχαριστώ (ef-khah-ree-STOH), or ευχαριστώ πολύ (ef-khah-ree-STOH poh-LEE) for thank you very much. The reply you'll hear is παρακαλώ, you're welcome, which is also the word for please.
How do you ask how much something costs in Greek?
Πόσο κάνει; (POH-soh KAH-nee?) means how much is it? Point and add αυτό (af-TOH) for this one. If the number goes by too fast, Μπορείτε να το γράψετε; (boh-REE-teh nah toh GHRAH-pseh-teh?) asks them to write it down.
Do people in Greece speak English?
In hotels, tourist areas and central Athens, you'll get by in English. Younger Greeks are far more likely to speak it than older people, so in villages a few Greek words help a lot.
Can you drink the tap water in Greece?
In Athens, Thessaloniki and most of the mainland, yes. On many islands, including Santorini and Mykonos, people drink bottled water, so ask at your hotel. A bottle of water is ένα μπουκάλι νερό (EH-nah boo-KAH-lee neh-ROH).
More phrase guides
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