Essential Greek Phrases for Travelers

Greece and Cyprus draw millions of visitors every year, and while English is widely spoken in tourist areas, a handful of Greek phrases go a long way — both practically and in how warmly they're received.

Greetings and politeness

Γεια σου (yia sou — hi, informal) or γεια σας (yia sas — hello, formal/plural), ευχαριστώ (efharisto — thank you), παρακαλώ (parakalo — please), συγγνώμη (signomi — sorry/excuse me) — small courtesies genuinely appreciated by locals.

Getting around

Πού είναι...; (pou ine...? — where is...?), πόσο κάνει; (poso kani? — how much does it cost?), αριστερά / δεξιά (aristera/dexia — left/right) — practical navigation phrases.

Dining

Ένα τραπέζι για δύο, παρακαλώ (ena trapezi ya dyo, parakalo — a table for two, please), τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ (ton logariasmo, parakalo — the bill, please), είναι νόστιμο (ine nostimo — it's delicious) — genuinely useful phrases for enjoying Greek hospitality and cuisine.

Common signage and useful recognition

Beyond speaking, being able to recognise a handful of common written words — like ανοιχτό (open) and κλειστό (closed), or τουαλέτες (toilets) — is practically useful, and reinforces your growing recognition of the Greek alphabet as covered in our related article.

Emergencies and help

Μπορείτε να με βοηθήσετε; (borite na me voithisete? — can you help me?), δεν καταλαβαίνω (den katalaveno — I don't understand), μιλάτε αγγλικά; (milate anglika? — do you speak English?) — practical fallback phrases.

Greece and Cyprus: shared language, some regional differences

Standard Modern Greek is understood across both Greece and Cyprus, though Cyprus has its own distinct regional dialect features in everyday spoken Greek — a standard dictionary gives a strong foundation understood in both, with regional accent and vocabulary differences as a layer you'll naturally pick up once travelling.

A practical pre-trip habit

Look up and practice the phrases you'll actually need — check-in, dining, directions — and download your dictionary app before travelling so it works offline, especially useful on islands or in areas with less reliable connectivity.

Look up any Greek word or phrase instantly, offline, with English Greek Dictionary →