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Have you booked your dream Grecian adventure and looking for some handy basic Greek words, and common phrases in Greek to make use of during your stay? In this guide, we’ve got you covered with exactly that!

It’s no secret, we absolutely adore everything about Greece. From the idyllic romantic Greek islands to the historic streets of Athens, the out of this world Greek cuisine, and not to forget the hospitable and warm Greek people themselves.

From the moment we set foot in Athens for a few nights and throughout our Greek island hopping adventure which included stops in Mykonos, Naxos, and Santorini, we were hooked and have vowed to return to beautiful Greece to explore more of this divine country.

Whilst we didn’t have any problems at all with communication throughout our journey, learning a few essential words and phrases in Greek goes a long way towards impressing your local hosts. 

In this post, we’ve decided to put together a list of the most common Greek phrases, some basic Greek words as well as other useful expressions in Greek that you may find handy along your own journey.

Of course, the Greek language is not easy to learn. Least of all because they make use of a completely different alphabet and pronunciation may be a challenge.

As such, we’ve also gone ahead and provided you with pronunciation guides to help you ace this list of essential Greek words and phrases. 

Disclaimer: This post contains links to services or products that I trust and recommend and from which I may earn commissions. Read our privacy policy for more.

Pssst…Before you jet off to idyllic Greece, be sure you have all your essentials packed by reading our European packing guide. 

50 Handy & Common Greek Words & Phrases to Learn

Basic Greek Words

Along your travels, you’ll no likely need some basic Greek words and expressions that may range from simple pleasantries, the Greek “thank you”, or how to say “no” in Greek. Here are some of the essentials to get you started. 

Word:	Written in Greek:	Sounds Like (Phonetic)
Yes in Greek	Ναι	ne
No in Greek	Όχι	o-hee
Greek for Thank You	Ευχαριστώ	ef-ha-ree-sto
Please in Greek	Παρακαλώ	pa-ra-ka-lo
You’re Welcome in Greek	Παρακαλώ	pa-ra-ka-lo
Excuse Me	Συγγνώμη	see-gno-mee
Cheers!	Γεια μας!	ya-mas
Help!	βοήθεια	voh-ee-the-aa

Greetings in Greek

Here are some more useful greetings in Greek that include things like how to say hello in Greek or what goodbye in Greek is. 

Word:	Written in Greek:	Sounds Like (Phonetic)
Good morning in Greek	Καλημέρα	ka-li-mer-a
Good evening in Greek	Καλησπέρα	ka-li-spe-ra
Good night in Greek	Καληνύχτα	ka-li-nih-ta
Hi / Bye	Γειά σας	yee-a sas
See you later	Tα λέμε	ta le-me

When to use which Greek greeting:

“Good morning” is typically used up until noon, 12:00. Thereafter you can start switching to using ‘Geia Sas’ (Hi / Bye). 

“Good evening” can start to be used around late afternoon (from around 16:00 pm onwards is good) and can be used into the night. 

The use of “Good night” is really intended to signal you calling it a night and usually only later after around 21:00 pm. Say you are heading to bed or perhaps you are leaving a dinner party to head back to your hotel, then this form would be more appropriate. 

Useful & Basic Phrases in Greek

The following expressions and phrases and expressions in Greek may come in very handy when trying to navigate through your travels in Greece. Regardless if you want to impress your local host, or simply want to express love in a different language, these Greek phrases will certainly come in handy!

Word:	Written in Greek:	Sounds Like (Phonetic)
Greek for How are you?	Τι κάνεις (Singular)	ti ka-nees?
What is your name?	Πως σας λενε (Formal)	pos sas le-ne?
My name is…	To όνομα μου είναι…	to o-no-ma mou ee-ne…
Nice to meet you	Χαίρω Πολύ	Heh-ro po-li
I don’t understand	Δεν καταλαβαίνω	then ka-ta-la-ve-noh
Do you speak English?	Mιλάτε Αγγλικά	mi-la-te a-gli-ka
I don’t speak Greek	δεν μιλάω Ελληνικά	then mee-lah-o he-lee-nika
I love Greece	Aγαπώ την Ελλάδα	a-ga-po teen e-la-da
How much is this?	Πόσο κάνει?	poh-so ka-nee
What time is it?	Τι ώρα είναι?	ti ho-ra i-neh?
Can you help me?	Μπορείς να με βοηθήσεις?	bo-re-te na me voy-thee-sees
How Do I Go To …	πώς πάω στο	pos pa-o sto

Useful Greek Vocabulary

Here are a few good-to-know Greek words that you can use in combination with the phrases mentioned above!

Word:	Written in Greek:	Sounds Like (Phonetic)
Hotel	Ξενοδοχειο	kse-no-do-ghee-o
Airport	αεροδρόμιο	aero-droh-mio
Train Station	σταθμός τραίνου	stath-mos tre-nou
Taxi	ταξί	tak-si
Bus	Λεωφορείο	leo-foh-rio
Toilet	Τουαλέτα	too-ah-let-ta
Beer	Μπύρα	Bee-rah
Wine	Κρασί	Krah-see
Food	Φαγητό	fah-yee-toh
Water	Νερό	neh-roh
Restaurant	Εστιατόριο	es-tea-a-toh-rio
Bill (Cheque)	λογαριασμός	lo-gah-ree-as-moss
Bank	Τράπεζα	Trah-pe-za
Pharmacy	Φαρμακείο	phar-mah-kee-oh
Tourist Office	Τουριστικό γραφείο	Too-ris-ti-ko grah-fee-oh

Basic Greek Numbers

Here is a list of how to count from one to ten in Greek that may come into play if you wanted to say order two beers or one glass of wine!

Word:	Written in Greek:	Sounds Like (Phonetic)
One	Ενας	en-nahs
Two	Δύο	thee-oh
Three	Τρία	tree-a
Four	Τέσσερα	tess-air-ah
Five	Πέντε	pen-day
Six	Εξι	ex-ee
Seven	Επτά	ef-ta
Eight	Οκτώ	oc-toh
Nine	Εννέα	en-nay-a
Ten	Δέκα	the-ka