Travel phrases

Essential Greek travel phrases

Pack the words that matter. These are the 34 Greek phrases that actually come up on a trip, from your first Γεια σας to calling for help, grouped by situation and written with a simple pronunciation guide, and read aloud at the tap of a button. Chosen the way a Greek speaker would choose them, which is why the list ends with the phrases you only hear once you are there.

Quick answer

The most useful Greek travel phrases cover greetings, politeness, directions, food, and emergencies. Learn a handful first: Γεια σας (hello), Παρακαλώ (please), Ευχαριστώ (thank you), and Πού είναι η τουαλέτα; (where is the toilet?). This free tool groups 34 Greek phrases by situation, each with a plain-English pronunciation and a play button that reads it aloud. They are the phrases Greek speakers really use, not an English list translated into Greek, so the last block is the one a phrasebook never has: what locals say to each other.

Start here

The first 10 Greek phrases to learn

The ones you need on day one. Tap play, say the phrase back until it sounds close, then say it along with the voice: that is shadowing, the drill interpreters train with.

  1. 1 Γεια σας Hello YAH sahs Formal and to a group; it also does duty as goodbye
  2. 2 Καλημέρα Good morning kah-lee-MEH-rah From dawn to early afternoon, said on entering any shop
  3. 3 Καλησπέρα Good evening kah-lee-SPEH-rah From late afternoon on, as a greeting and not only at night
  4. 4 Γεια σου Hi YAH soo To one person you know; too familiar for an older stranger
  5. 5 Τα λέμε See you tah LEH-meh The everyday sign off; Antio sounds final and is rare in speech
  6. 6 Ευχαριστώ Thank you ef-khah-ree-STOH Efcharisto poly for a bigger thank you
  7. 7 Παρακαλώ Please pah-rah-kah-LOH Also you are welcome, go ahead, and a clerk's how can I help you
  8. 8 Ναι / Όχι Yes / No neh / OH-khee A head tilt back with a tsk sound is also no, and it is not rude
  9. 9 Συγγνώμη Sorry seegh-NOH-mee Also how you open a question to a stranger
  10. 10 Δεν καταλαβαίνω I don't understand dhen kah-tah-lah-VEH-noh
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All 34 phrases, grouped by situation.

Greetings

Γεια σας Hello YAH sahs Formal and to a group; it also does duty as goodbye
Καλημέρα Good morning kah-lee-MEH-rah From dawn to early afternoon, said on entering any shop
Καλησπέρα Good evening kah-lee-SPEH-rah From late afternoon on, as a greeting and not only at night
Γεια σου Hi YAH soo To one person you know; too familiar for an older stranger
Τα λέμε See you tah LEH-meh The everyday sign off; Antio sounds final and is rare in speech

Basics

Ευχαριστώ Thank you ef-khah-ree-STOH Efcharisto poly for a bigger thank you
Παρακαλώ Please pah-rah-kah-LOH Also you are welcome, go ahead, and a clerk's how can I help you
Ναι / Όχι Yes / No neh / OH-khee A head tilt back with a tsk sound is also no, and it is not rude
Συγγνώμη Sorry seegh-NOH-mee Also how you open a question to a stranger
Δεν καταλαβαίνω I don't understand dhen kah-tah-lah-VEH-noh
Μιλάτε αγγλικά; Do you speak English? mee-LAH-teh ang-glee-KAH

Getting around

Πού είναι η τουαλέτα; Where is the toilet? poo EE-neh ee too-ah-LEH-tah
Πώς πάω στο κέντρο; How do I get to the centre? pos PAH-oh stoh KEN-droh
Εδώ είναι καλά Here is fine eh-DHOH EE-neh kah-LAH How you tell a taxi driver where to pull in
Ένα εισιτήριο, παρακαλώ One ticket, please EH-nah ee-see-TEE-ree-oh, pah-rah-kah-LOH
Τι ώρα φεύγει το πλοίο; What time does the ferry leave? tee OH-rah FEV-yee toh PLEE-oh The islands run on ferries; the same question works for the KTEL coach

Eating out

Τι έχετε σήμερα; What have you got today? tee EH-kheh-teh SEE-meh-rah In a taverna the menu is indicative; you may be walked to the pots
Ένα φραπέ, παρακαλώ One frappe, please EH-nah frah-PEH, pah-rah-kah-LOH The iced coffee of every kafeneio; metrios means medium sweet
Μια καράφα νερό, παρακαλώ A carafe of water, please myah kah-RAH-fah neh-ROH, pah-rah-kah-LOH Tap water comes in a carafe in tavernas and is usually free
Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ The bill, please ton loh-ghah-ryaz-MOH, pah-rah-kah-LOH Nobody will rush you; the bill comes only when you ask
Καλή όρεξη Enjoy your meal kah-LEE OH-rek-see Said to anyone about to eat, including the next table

Shopping

Πόσο κάνει; How much is it? POH-soh KAH-nee
Μπορώ να πληρώσω με κάρτα; Can I pay by card? boh-ROH nah plee-ROH-soh meh KAR-tah Cards are taken nearly everywhere; small kafeneia still prefer cash
Μου κάνετε μια καλύτερη τιμή; Can you give me a better price? moo KAH-neh-teh myah kah-LEE-teh-ree tee-MEE Fair game in a street market or a tourist shop, not in a supermarket
Μόνο κοιτάζω, ευχαριστώ Just looking, thanks MOH-noh kee-TAH-zoh, ef-khah-ree-STOH

Emergencies

Βοήθεια! Help! voh-EE-thyah
Καλέστε ασθενοφόρο! Call an ambulance! kah-LEH-steh as-theh-noh-FOH-roh 112 covers everything; 166 is the direct line for an ambulance
Χρειάζομαι γιατρό I need a doctor khree-AH-zoh-meh yah-TROH
Έχω χαθεί I'm lost EH-khoh khah-THEE

Locals say

Ορίστε; Yes? / Pardon? oh-REE-steh Answering the phone, the shop counter opener, and asking someone to repeat; said flat, it means here you are as something is handed over
Γεια μας! Cheers! YAH mahs The toast, literally to our health; Geia sou when you clink with one person
Σιγά σιγά Slowly, slowly see-GHAH see-GHAH The national pace: no rush, take it easy, it will get done
Μια χαρά Just fine myah khah-RAH The standard answer to how are you and to is everything all right
Καλή συνέχεια Enjoy the rest of your day kah-LEE see-NEH-khyah Said as you leave a shop, a cafe or a taxi, at any hour; you will hear it back, or answer Episis, likewise

How to get the most from these phrases

Learn by situation, not alphabetically. Your memory files Γεια σας next to the moment you would use it, so run through the greetings before you fly, the restaurant block on the way to dinner, and the emergency block once so it is there if you ever need it.

The pronunciation guide is written the way an English speaker would read it aloud, with the stressed syllable in capitals. It is a crutch, not the real sound. Press play, listen once, then say the phrase back: the audio fixes the vowels that plain English spelling cannot capture. Once a phrase feels easy, say it together with the voice, a beat behind, the way interpreters drill: our guide to shadowing explains the sequence.

Phrases get you to the country. What gets you fluent is meeting the same words again and again in context, which is exactly what reading does. Once Παρακαλώ and Ευχαριστώ feel automatic, the next step is a real Greek sentence, then a page, then a book. That is the whole idea behind reading in Lingo7.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most important Greek phrases for travel?

Start with greetings and politeness, then the phrases that solve a real problem: asking directions, ordering, paying, and getting help. On this page that is Γεια σας (hello), Παρακαλώ (please), Ευχαριστώ (thank you), Πού είναι η τουαλέτα; (where is the toilet?), and Βοήθεια! (help!). Learn those few and you can be polite and safe almost anywhere.

What do Greek locals say that a phrasebook leaves out?

A phrasebook translates English, so it gives you the Greek for "hello" and stops. The phrases people there actually trade all day are the ones with no English slot: Ορίστε; (yes? / Pardon?), Γεια μας! (cheers!), Σιγά σιγά (slowly, slowly). The "Locals say" block on this page collects 5 of them and says when each one is used, which is usually what turns a correct sentence into a normal one.

What do these Greek phrases sound like?

Tap the play button next to a phrase and you hear it read aloud, so you can copy the sound instead of guessing it from the spelling. The written pronunciation is a crutch for English eyes, the audio is the real thing. Play Γεια σας and Ευχαριστώ a few times, say them back, and they come out right when it counts.

How do you say hello and thank you in Greek?

In Greek, hello is Γεια σας (pronounced YAH sahs) and thank you is Ευχαριστώ (ef-khah-ree-STOH). Add Παρακαλώ (please) and Τα λέμε (see you), and you have the words that carry most short exchanges with a shopkeeper, waiter, or stranger.

How do you ask where the toilet is in Greek?

Ask Πού είναι η τουαλέτα; (pronounced poo EE-neh ee too-ah-LEH-tah), which means "where is the toilet?" in Greek. If you only catch part of the reply, Δεν καταλαβαίνω (I don't understand) and a smile usually gets it repeated or pointed out. It is one of the few phrases worth memorizing word for word before you go.

Do I need to learn Greek before traveling?

No, but a dozen Greek phrases go a long way. Locals warm up fast when you open with Γεια σας and Ευχαριστώ instead of English. You do not need grammar or fluency for a trip, just the survival set above. For anything past that, the fastest route to real Greek is reading, which is exactly what Lingo7 is built for.