Basic Expressions and Greetings in Greek

In Brief

Use γεια σου with one person you address informally and γεια σας with more than one person or with one person addressed politely. Ευχαριστώ means “thank you,” παρακαλώ can mean both “please” and “you’re welcome,” and συγγνώμη covers “sorry” and many uses of “excuse me.”

Overview

Greetings and courtesy phrases let you begin speaking Greek before you can build full sentences. At A1, the most useful distinction is not complicated grammar but register (the level of formality you choose): Greek often has one form for a friend or relative and another for strangers, customers, older people, or groups.

English uses you for both one person and several people, and usually for both informal and polite address. Greek makes these differences visible. In γεια σου, σου refers to one person informally. In γεια σας, σας refers either to several people or to one person politely. The same contrast appears in questions such as Τι κάνεις; and Τι κάνετε; (“How are you?”).

These expressions are short, but using them naturally depends on situation and time of day. Some work both when meeting and leaving; others belong mainly to arrival, departure, daytime, or bedtime. Learn each phrase together with its social setting rather than as an isolated dictionary equivalent.

How It Works

The all-purpose greeting: γεια

Γεια is pronounced roughly YA and is related historically to the idea of health. On its own it is a casual “hi” or “bye.” Adding σου or σας makes the person being greeted explicit.

Greek form	Basic meaning	Use
Γεια!	Hi! / Bye!	Casual, especially in speech
Γεια σου!	Hello! / Goodbye!	One person, informal
Γεια σας!	Hello! / Goodbye!	Several people, or one person politely
Χαίρετε!	Hello!	Polite or somewhat more formal; also addressed to a group

The beginner rule is simple: use γεια σου with someone you would naturally treat as a friend, peer, child, or close acquaintance; use γεια σας when politeness or plurality calls for it. Social boundaries vary, and speakers may invite each other to switch to the informal form.

Greetings by time of day

Greek time-based greetings do not map perfectly onto English. They are useful in shops, workplaces, hotels, and other encounters where a neutral polite greeting sounds natural.

Greek	Meaning	Typical use
Καλημέρα!	Good morning! / Good day!	From morning into the earlier part of the day
Καλό μεσημέρι!	Have a good midday/afternoon!	Often said on parting around midday
Καλησπέρα!	Good afternoon! / Good evening!	From later afternoon into the evening
Καληνύχτα!	Good night!	On leaving late or going to bed, not normally on arrival

The words beginning with καλη- contain a form meaning “good.” You do not need to analyse their grammar yet; treat each greeting as a complete expression. Notice the accent marks when writing: καλημέρα, καλησπέρα, καληνύχτα.

Asking how someone is

The usual conversational exchange is short:

• Τι κάνεις; — How are you? (one person, informal)
• Τι κάνετε; — How are you? (polite singular or plural)
• Καλά, ευχαριστώ. Εσύ; — Fine, thank you. And you? (informal)
• Καλά, ευχαριστώ. Εσείς; — Fine, thank you. And you? (polite or plural)

Literally, Τι κάνεις; is closer to “What are you doing?”, but as a greeting it commonly functions like “How are you?” Context determines the meaning. Another common informal greeting is Τι νέα;, literally “What news?”, equivalent to “What’s new?”

Thanking and responding

Ευχαριστώ means “thank you.” It works by itself, while ευχαριστώ πολύ adds “very much.” To make the person explicit, you may hear σ’ ευχαριστώ (“thank you,” informal singular) and σας ευχαριστώ (“thank you,” polite singular or plural).

Παρακαλώ has several everyday jobs:

Situation	Meaning of παρακαλώ	Example
Making a polite request	please	Έναν καφέ, παρακαλώ. — A coffee, please.
Responding to thanks	you’re welcome	Ευχαριστώ. — Παρακαλώ.
Offering or inviting	please / go ahead	Περάστε, παρακαλώ. — Come in, please.
Answering the telephone	hello?	Παρακαλώ;
Asking for repetition	pardon?	Παρακαλώ;

English learners should not search for a different Greek word every time English switches between please and you’re welcome. The same Greek form is natural in both roles.

Apologising and getting attention

Συγγνώμη means “sorry,” “excuse me,” or “pardon.” Use it for a small apology, to interrupt politely, to attract attention, or before saying that you did not understand.

• Συγγνώμη! — Sorry! / Excuse me!
• Συγγνώμη, δεν κατάλαβα. — Sorry, I didn’t understand.
• Συγγνώμη, πού είναι η στάση; — Excuse me, where is the bus stop?

Με συγχωρείτε is a more formal or more deliberate “excuse me/forgive me.” For most everyday beginner situations, συγγνώμη is sufficient.

Leaving

Because γεια σου/σας works at both ends of an encounter, it is often the easiest goodbye. Other useful choices add a particular nuance:

Greek	Natural English equivalent	Comment
Αντίο!	Goodbye!	A clear farewell; can feel more final than casual γεια
Τα λέμε!	See you!	Informal; literally, “we’ll talk”
Θα τα πούμε.	See you / We’ll talk again.	Common conversational farewell
Καλό βράδυ!	Have a good evening!	Said when parting in the evening
Καληνύχτα!	Good night!	Late departure or bedtime

Examples in Context

Greek	English	Note
Γεια σου, Μαρία! Τι κάνεις;	Hi, Maria! How are you?	Informal, one person
Γεια σας, κύριε Παπαδόπουλε.	Hello, Mr Papadopoulos.	Polite address to one person
Γεια σας, παιδιά!	Hi, everyone!	Addressing a group
Καλημέρα! Έναν καφέ, παρακαλώ.	Good morning! A coffee, please.	A natural café exchange
Καλησπέρα σας. Έχετε ένα δωμάτιο;	Good evening. Do you have a room?	Polite greeting; σας adds courtesy
Ευχαριστώ πολύ για τη βοήθεια.	Thank you very much for the help.	A fuller expression of thanks
Ευχαριστώ! — Παρακαλώ!	Thank you! — You’re welcome!	Standard response
Συγγνώμη, δεν κατάλαβα.	Sorry, I didn’t understand.	Useful repair phrase
Συγγνώμη, μιλάτε αγγλικά;	Excuse me, do you speak English?	Polite way to approach a stranger
Παρακαλώ, μιλήστε πιο αργά.	Please speak more slowly.	A polite request
Τι κάνετε; — Καλά, ευχαριστώ. Εσείς;	How are you? — Fine, thank you. And you?	Polite singular or plural
Χάρηκα πολύ.	Nice to meet you.	Literally expresses being pleased
Τα λέμε αύριο. Γεια!	See you tomorrow. Bye!	Informal departure
Καλό βράδυ και καληνύχτα!	Have a good evening and good night!	Said on leaving late

Common Mistakes

Using γεια σου for everyone

• Wrong: Γεια σου, κυρίες και κύριοι.
• Right: Γεια σας, κυρίες και κύριοι.
• Why: Σου addresses one person informally. A group requires σας, which also serves as polite address to one person.

Treating καληνύχτα as an evening hello

• Wrong: Καληνύχτα! when arriving at an evening event.
• Right: Καλησπέρα! when arriving; Καληνύχτα! when leaving late or going to bed.
• Why: Greek καληνύχτα behaves like English “good night,” not like “good evening.”

Assuming παρακαλώ only means “please”

• Wrong: Searching for a separate expression after someone says ευχαριστώ.
• Right: Ευχαριστώ. — Παρακαλώ.
• Why: Παρακαλώ is both “please” in a request and “you’re welcome” after thanks. Intonation and context make its role clear.

Translating “sorry” too narrowly

• Wrong: Avoiding συγγνώμη because no serious offence occurred.
• Right: Συγγνώμη, πού είναι το μουσείο;
• Why: Συγγνώμη also means “excuse me” when approaching someone or interrupting.

Mixing informal and polite forms

• Wrong: Γεια σας! Τι κάνεις; to one stranger.
• Right: Γεια σας! Τι κάνετε;
• Why: Once you choose polite address, keep the following verb and pronoun forms polite too. Κάνετε matches polite σας; κάνεις matches informal σου.

Dropping written accents

• Wrong: ευχαριστω, παρακαλω, συγγνωμη
• Right: ευχαριστώ, παρακαλώ, συγγνώμη
• Why: Modern Greek normally marks the stressed syllable in words of more than one syllable. The accent is part of standard spelling and helps pronunciation.

Usage Notes

Politeness is a relationship, not a fixed age formula

Γεια σας is a safe opening with staff, customers, officials, unfamiliar adults, and anyone you want to address respectfully. Γεια σου is normal among friends, relatives, children, and many peers. Modern everyday interaction can become informal quickly, but it is usually safer for a learner to begin politely and follow the other speaker’s lead.

Adding σας to a time greeting—καλημέρα σας, καλησπέρα σας—can make it warmer or more explicitly polite. It is not required every time. A simple καλημέρα is already courteous.

Punctuation and tone matter

Greek uses the semicolon-shaped mark ; as its question mark: Τι κάνετε; A mark that looks like an English question mark is not used in standard Greek punctuation. In speech, warmth comes from tone as much as from the words themselves. A brisk γεια can be casual; γεια σας with friendly intonation is polite without sounding stiff.

Useful conversational repairs

When you miss something, Συγγνώμη, δεν κατάλαβα is more useful than pretending you understood. Follow it with Μπορείτε να το πείτε ξανά; (“Can you say it again?”) or Πιο αργά, παρακαλώ (“More slowly, please”). These are complete chunks; you can use them before studying every grammatical part.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master the following nuances at A1, but you will hear them often.

Γεια χαρά is a friendly, informal greeting or farewell. Χαίρετε is grammatically connected with a plural command meaning “rejoice,” but in present-day use it functions as a conventional polite “hello”; learners can simply memorise it as a greeting.

Greek speakers also adapt greetings to occasion. Καλώς ήρθες welcomes one person informally, while καλώς ήρθατε welcomes a group or one person politely. The reply Καλώς σας βρήκα or Καλώς σας βρήκαμε literally expresses being glad to have found the host or group. These formulas do not translate word for word into everyday English, so learning the whole exchange is more effective than analysing each word first.

For stronger apologies, speakers may expand συγγνώμη: Συγγνώμη για την καθυστέρηση (“Sorry for the delay”) or Ζητώ συγγνώμη (“I apologise”). The latter is more formal or emphatic. Similarly, ευχαριστώ can be strengthened with πάρα πολύ (“very, very much”) or followed by για plus what you are thankful for.

Finally, informal speech may shorten or run expressions together. Recognising a rapid γεια σου, τι κάνεις; matters more initially than reproducing native speed. Keep the stressed vowels clear and let fluency develop through repeated listening.

Practice Tips

1. Learn expressions in pairs. Rehearse γεια σου / γεια σας, τι κάνεις; / τι κάνετε;, and εσύ; / εσείς; together. This builds the informal–polite distinction as one system rather than a list of exceptions.
2. Act out three thirty-second encounters. Greet a friend, order from a café worker, and ask a stranger for help. Include an opening, παρακαλώ or ευχαριστώ, and an appropriate goodbye.
3. Listen for the situation, not only the translation. When you hear παρακαλώ, decide whether it means “please,” “you’re welcome,” “hello?” on the phone, or “pardon?” Context is the skill being practised.

Related Concepts

This concept has no formal prerequisite in the Greek grammar map; it is designed as a starting point.

• Build the address contrast: Personal Pronouns — explains εσύ, εσείς, and why Greek distinguishes informal singular from polite or plural “you.”
• Build fuller sentences: Basic Conjunctions — connect short greetings, thanks, reasons, and replies.
• Ask for places and help: Basic Prepositions — useful for extending phrases such as “Where is…?” and describing location.