Kalimera or kalispera? Yia sou or yia sas? If you want to greet people in Greece without guessing, this guide shows you which greeting fits which moment, and what to say back.
Short answer: How do you say hello in Greek?
The most common way to say hello in Greek is Γεια σου [ʝa su] to one person you know, and Γεια σας [ʝa sas] to strangers, older people or a group. Both also mean goodbye. Until around lunchtime you can also say Καλημέρα [kaliˈmera] (good morning), and from the afternoon on Καλησπέρα [kalisˈpera] (good evening).
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Greetings are the first Greek you will use and the part people remember. I have published four books on language learning, and in every language I learned the same thing happened: the moment I greeted people correctly in their language, conversations became warmer and longer. In Greece that effect is especially strong, because greeting properly is part of everyday politeness, in the bakery as much as in the office.
The Most Common Greek Greetings at a Glance
Greek greetings: which one when?
| Greek | Say it like | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Γεια σου | yia su | Hello / bye (informal) | Any time, one person you know |
| Γεια σας | yia sas | Hello / bye (formal, plural) | Any time, strangers, older people, groups |
| Γεια! | yia | Hi! / Bye! | Quick and casual |
| Καλημέρα | kaliMEra | Good morning | From waking up until around lunchtime |
| Καλησπέρα | kalisPEra | Good evening | From the afternoon on, as a hello |
| Καληνύχτα | kaliNIchta | Good night | Only when leaving or going to bed |
| Χαίρετε | CHEre-te | Hello (formal) | Polite, a bit old-fashioned, also in writing |
Capital letters in the pronunciation column show the stressed syllable. The “ch” in Καληνύχτα is the throaty sound of the Scottish “loch”. In Χαίρετε it is softer, closer to the German “ich”.
Γεια σου or Γεια σας? Informal vs. Formal Greetings
Γεια literally means “health”, so Γεια σου means “health to you”. The small word at the end decides how formal you are:
- Γεια σου [ʝa su]: to one person you know well, friends, children, people your age in a relaxed setting.
- Γεια σας [ʝa sas]: to strangers, shop staff, older people, anyone you would not call by their first name, and to any group.
If you are unsure, use Γεια σας. Nobody minds being addressed politely, while a casual Γεια σου to an elderly lady at the kiosk can sound a bit cheeky. Among younger Greeks you will also hear a plain Γεια! or the Italian loan word Τσάο (ciao).
Kalimera, Kalispera, Kalinychta: Greetings by Time of Day
The three καλη- greetings are built the same way: καλή means “good”, followed by the time of day. The tricky part is timing, because it does not match English exactly.
| English | Greek | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | Καλημέρα | [kaliˈmera] |
| Good afternoon (when parting) | Καλό απόγευμα | [kaˈlo aˈpoʝevma] |
| Good evening | Καλησπέρα | [kalisˈpera] |
| Have a nice evening (when parting) | Καλό βράδυ | [kaˈlo ˈvraði] |
| Good night | Καληνύχτα | [kaliˈnixta] |
| Have a good day (when parting) | Καλή μέρα / Καλή συνέχεια | [kaˈli ˈmera] / [kaˈli siˈneçia] |
Καλημέρα works from the moment you get up until roughly lunchtime, around noon to 1 pm. Καλησπέρα takes over in the afternoon and lasts all evening. Unlike English “good night”, Καληνύχτα is never a hello: you only say it when you leave in the evening or go to bed. Walk into a taverna at 10 pm and you say Καλησπέρα, walk out at midnight and you say Καληνύχτα.
My favourite Greek goodbye is Καλή συνέχεια, “have a good continuation”. Shop staff and colleagues say it all day long, and it is a lovely way to leave any conversation.
How Are You? Greek Greetings and Their Responses
A Greek greeting rarely stops at hello. The next question is almost always how you are, and a short answer plus a question back is expected.
| English | Greek | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? (informal) | Τι κάνεις; | [ti ˈkanis] |
| How are you? (formal) | Τι κάνετε; | [ti ˈkanete] |
| How are you? (informal) | Πώς είσαι; | [pos ˈise] |
| What’s up? | Τι γίνεται; | [ti ˈʝinete] |
| Fine, and you? | Καλά, εσύ; | [kaˈla eˈsi] |
| Very well, thank you. | Πολύ καλά, ευχαριστώ. | [poˈli kaˈla efxaɾiˈsto] |
| Great, all good. | Μια χαρά. | [mɲa xaˈɾa] |
| So-so. | Έτσι κι έτσι. | [ˈetsi c ˈetsi] |
Μια χαρά literally means “a joy” and is the most natural everyday answer. You will hear it far more often than the textbook Καλά, ευχαριστώ.
Welcome and Nice to Meet You
Greek has a few fixed pairs where the answer is just as set as the greeting. Learn them as pairs and you will sound natural straight away.
| English | Greek | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome! (to one person you know) | Καλώς ήρθες! | [kaˈlos ˈiɾθes] |
| Welcome! (formal or plural) | Καλώς ήρθατε! | [kaˈlos ˈiɾθate] |
| Answer: glad to be here | Καλώς σας βρήκα! | [kaˈlos sas ˈvɾika] |
| Nice to meet you. | Χαίρω πολύ. | [ˈçeɾo poˈli] |
| Likewise. | Επίσης. | [eˈpisis] |
| Nice to have met you. (when leaving) | Χάρηκα. | [ˈxaɾika] |
Καλώς σας βρήκα means “I am glad I found you” and is the only correct answer to Καλώς ήρθατε. Use it once at a Greek dinner and your host will be delighted.
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Greetings on the Phone
Greeks answer the phone in a way that confuses many learners, because none of the usual greetings are used:
| English | Greek | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Yes? (neutral) | Ναι; | [ne] |
| Hello? (polite, also in offices) | Παρακαλώ; | [paɾakaˈlo] |
| Hello? (traditional) | Εμπρός; | [emˈbɾos] |
| Hey! (to friends and family) | Έλα! | [ˈela] |
Έλα means “come” and is how friends pick up when they see your name on the screen. It sounds abrupt to English ears, but it is warm and familiar.
Kisses, Handshakes and Greek Body Language
How you greet matters as much as what you say. Among friends and family, Greeks usually greet with a kiss on each cheek, men included in many families. A first meeting, business contacts and formal situations start with a firm handshake and eye contact. If you are unsure, offer your hand and let the other person decide whether it becomes a hug.
Two gestures are worth knowing before your first conversation. The Greek “no” is often a small upward tilt of the head, sometimes with a click of the tongue and raised eyebrows. And an open palm pushed towards someone, the μούτζα, is a serious insult, so wave with your palm facing you or simply raise your hand.
Greek Greetings and Wishes for Special Occasions
Greeks have a fixed wish for almost every occasion, and people notice when a visitor knows the right one. These are the ones you will need most:
| English | Greek | Pronunciation (IPA) | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Happy birthday / name day / holidays | Χρόνια πολλά! | [ˈxɾoɲa poˈla] | Birthdays, name days, Christmas, Easter |
| Merry Christmas | Καλά Χριστούγεννα! | [kaˈla xɾiˈstuʝena] | December |
| Happy New Year | Καλή χρονιά! | [kaˈli xɾoˈɲa] | Around New Year, for days afterwards |
| Happy Easter | Καλό Πάσχα! | [kaˈlo ˈpasxa] | The days before Easter |
| Christ is risen! | Χριστός Ανέστη! | [xɾiˈstos aˈnesti] | From the Easter midnight service on |
| Truly He is risen! (answer) | Αληθώς Ανέστη! | [aliˈθos aˈnesti] | The fixed reply |
| Happy new month | Καλό μήνα! | [kaˈlo ˈmina] | On the first day of every month |
| Get well soon | Περαστικά! | [peɾastiˈka] | To anyone who is ill or injured |
| Good luck | Καλή επιτυχία! | [kaˈli epitiˈçia] | Exams, new jobs, new projects |
| Congratulations (to newlyweds) | Να ζήσετε! | [na ˈzisete] | Weddings |
| My condolences | Συλλυπητήρια. | [silipiˈtiɾia] | Funerals and loss |
Name days deserve a special mention. Most Greeks are named after a saint, and the saint’s day is celebrated like a second birthday, often more than the real one. On 15 August, for example, everyone called Maria or Panagiotis is celebrated. A simple Χρόνια πολλά on that day earns you a lot of goodwill. The typical answer is Ευχαριστώ or Επίσης (likewise).
Greetings in Emails and Messages
| English | Greek | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Dear Sir (formal letter) | Αγαπητέ κύριε … | [aɣapiˈte ˈciɾie] |
| Dear Madam (formal letter) | Αγαπητή κυρία … | [aɣapiˈti ciˈɾia] |
| Kind regards | Με εκτίμηση | [me ektiˈmisi] |
| Best wishes (friendly) | Φιλικά | [filiˈka] |
| Kisses (friends and family) | Φιλιά | [fiˈʎa] |
Φιλιά at the end of a message is completely normal between friends, and between women and men who know each other well. It is the Greek equivalent of “xx”.
Say It Right: Pronunciation Tips for Greek Greetings
- Stress the right syllable: kaliMEra, kalisPEra, kaliNIchta. The accent mark in the Greek spelling always shows you where.
- Γεια is one syllable: say “ya”, not “gee-a”. The γ before ει sounds like the English y in “yes”.
- Tap the r: the Greek r is a quick tap of the tongue, like the Spanish r in “pero”, never the English r.
- No puff of air: Greek k, p and t are softer than in English, closer to the sounds in “sky”, “spot” and “stop”.
If Greek script still slows you down, my guide to the Greek alphabet gets you reading all 24 letters in about a week. After that, every greeting on this page becomes easy to read on signs, menus and messages. For pronunciation checks, the Portal for the Greek Language of the Centre for the Greek Language offers free dictionaries.
Beyond Hello: What to Learn Next
Greetings open the door. What comes next are the phrases that keep a conversation going: please and thank you, ordering food, asking for directions and the typical Greek expressions like σιγά σιγά and γεια μας. You will find all of them in my list of the most common Greek phrases with pronunciation. For numbers, prices and times, continue with Greek numbers.
If you want to go from single words to real conversations, a structured course with native audio is the fastest route. My complete guide to learning Greek compares the options honestly.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Greek Greetings
What is the most common greeting in Greece?
Γεια σας (yia sas) is the most common and safest greeting. It works any time of day, for hello and goodbye, and is polite enough for strangers. Among friends Γεια σου (yia sou) is used instead.
What does kalimera mean?
Καλημέρα (kalimera) means good morning. It combines καλή (good) and μέρα (day) and is used from the morning until roughly lunchtime.
When do Greeks switch from kalimera to kalispera?
Usually around lunchtime or early afternoon. From then on Καλησπέρα (kalispera) is used as a greeting for the rest of the day, while Καληνύχτα (kalinichta) is only said when leaving at night or going to bed.
How do you respond to yia sou?
Simply say Γεια σου back, or Γεια σας if you are speaking to someone formally or to a group. If it is followed by Τι κάνεις; (how are you?), answer Καλά, εσύ; (fine, and you?).
What was the ancient Greek greeting?
Ancient Greeks greeted each other with χαῖρε (chaire), meaning rejoice, and χαίρετε to several people. The modern formal greeting Χαίρετε comes from the same word.
Related links
- Greek phrases for beginners: everyday expressions and sayings
- Learn the Greek alphabet in 7 days
- Greek numbers with pronunciation
- Learn Greek: the complete guide to courses and methods
- Learning vocabulary successfully
- Train your listening comprehension
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About the author
Sven Mancini has published four books on language learning and has over 20 years of hands-on experience learning new languages, from Norwegian (business fluent since 2005) to English, French, Spanish, Danish and Swedish. He writes about the methods behind effective language learning, not about one specific language. Read more about Sven here.