Basic Greek For Traveling

Whether you’re traveling through Greece or have recently moved, it’s important to know a few Greek phrases, especially when it comes to saying ‘Hello’ or ‘thank you!’ Why Athens has put a list together of useful phrases for tourists (or expats) to use while you’re in Greece, along with spelling and pronunciation!

 

The Greek language is not an easy one to learn or pronounce. We’ve put together a quick guide with audio clips to help you along. Learning to say a few words like ‘hello’, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ is always a nice gesture when travelling anywhere in the world and the Greeks do appreciate the effort, however good or bad the attempt.

You would say ‘kalimera’ (good morning) up until 12:00pm, from here onwards ‘yia sas’ (hello) will be the standard greeting. You will hear ‘kalispera’ (good afternoon/evening) from late afternoon right through to the end of the day. If you are leaving a restaurant or passing by the hotel reception desk to walk back to your room, you would say ‘kalinihta’ (good night).

To read this article in full, and for spelling and pronunciation of popular Greek phrases, please visit: Why Athens