Knowing how to greet people correctly is the foundation of speaking Greek.

You need to know the difference between formal and informal situations to make a good impression.

Greek culture places a strong emphasis on politeness and respect for elders.

This guide breaks down the most common Greek greetings for any situation you’ll encounter.

Saying hello in Greek

The most common way to say hello is with the word γεια.

This word literally translates to “health” in English.

To greet one person you know well, you say γεια σου.

To greet multiple people, or someone you need to show respect to, you say γεια σας.

You can also just say γεια for a very casual “hi” among close friends.

Time-specific greetings

Greeks switch their greetings based on the time of day.

In the morning until about 1:00 PM, you greet people with καλημέρα.

From the late afternoon into the evening, you switch to καλησπέρα.

When you’re leaving a place at night, or going to sleep, you say καληνύχτα.

These time-based greetings are versatile and can be used in both formal and informal situations.

Asking how someone is

After saying hello, you’ll usually ask the person how they’re doing.

The most common phrase is τι κάνεις; which literally translates to “what are you doing?”.

For formal situations or when addressing a group, you must use the plural form τι κάνετε;.

Another common option is πώς είσαι; which translates directly to “how are you?”.

If you travel to the island of Crete, you’ll likely hear the regional variation ίντα κάνεις; instead of the standard τι κάνεις;.

Welcoming someone

When someone arrives at your home or your country, you should make them feel welcome.

The phrase for welcome is καλώς ήρθες for an informal singular greeting.

For multiple people or formal situations, you use καλώς ήρθατε.

The standard polite response to this is καλώς σας βρήκαμε, which means “glad to have found you”.

Summary table of Greek greetings