Vocabulary for Greece | 50 Useful Greek Words and Phrases with Pronunciation

Need useful Greek words for Greece? Start with γειά σας (yiá sas) for polite hello, ευχαριστώ (efcharistó) for thank you, παρακαλώ (parakaló) for please or you’re welcome, πόσο κοστίζει; (póso kostízei?) for how much does it cost, and πού είναι η τουαλέτα; (poú íne i toualéta?) for where is the restroom.

This guide gives you 50 practical Modern Greek words and phrases with the Greek script, approximate romanisation, English meanings and situations in which they can help. The groups cover greetings, understanding other people, menus, trains, ferries, signs, shopping and everyday needs. The aim is to let a beginner complete short useful conversations, not merely memorise a list.

Greek has its own alphabet. Keeping the original spelling in the list means you can compare what you say with signs or show somebody the phrase when your pronunciation is uncertain. Accent marks affect word stress. Listen to Greek speakers and practise a whole sentence rather than reading the Latin letters as though they were English.

Quick answer: eight phrases to learn first

Hello (polite or plural): Γεια σας — yiá sas
Thank you: Ευχαριστώ — efcharistó
Please / you’re welcome: Παρακαλώ — parakaló
Excuse me / sorry: Συγγνώμη — signómi
Do you speak English?: Μιλάτε αγγλικά; — miláte angliká?
How much does it cost?: Πόσο κοστίζει; — póso kostízei?
Where is it?: Πού είναι; — poú íne?
I don’t understand: Δεν καταλαβαίνω — den katalavéno

Find it quickly: 50 phrases with English meanings · Real conversation examples · Common mistakes · Four-week practice plan · FAQs.

How Modern Greek vocabulary really works in Greece

Greek uses a distinctive alphabet. Modern Greek signs contain letters such as Γ, Δ, Θ, Π and Ω. At first, look for recurring complete words: έξοδος (exit), είσοδος (entrance), στάση (stop), εισιτήριο (ticket). A small amount of script knowledge makes a station or menu easier to interpret.

Greeting register matters. Γεια σου (yiá sou) is a familiar hello to one person, while Γεια σας (yiá sas) works for more polite address or a group. When speaking with strangers, the polite form is a safe first choice. Καλημέρα is a morning greeting and καλησπέρα is used later in the day.

One phrase can have two social functions. Παρακαλώ (parakaló) can mean please in a request, you’re welcome after a thank-you, or occasionally ‘yes?/pardon?’ when responding to somebody. The English meaning depends on the exchange.

Pronunciation is not a word-by-word English spelling exercise. Greek stress is marked with an accent in many words, as in ευχαριστώ. The letter pair ευ changes its sound depending on context. The romanisation here is approximate; listen to audio from Greek speakers to develop accurate pronunciation.

Travel vocabulary is not limited to mainland trains. Greece has island and ferry travel, so πλοίο (ship or ferry) and λιμάνι (port) are useful alongside λεωφορείο (bus), τρένο (train) and μετρό (metro). Confirm actual timetables and connections separately.

50 essential Modern Greek words and phrases with English meanings

The fifty entries are arranged around situations rather than the alphabet. Learn a greeting, then a request, then a way to clarify an answer. The final column explains where you can use the expression so that you learn more than a dictionary definition.

Greetings, thanks and courtesy — 1–10

#	Original writing	Romanisation (approx.)	English meaning	Real use
1	Καλημέρα	kaliméra	Good morning	Morning greeting
2	Καλησπέρα	kalispéra	Good evening	Later-day greeting
3	Γεια σας	yiá sas	Hello / goodbye (polite or plural)	Address a stranger or group
4	Γεια σου	yiá sou	Hello / goodbye (informal singular)	Greet someone familiar
5	Ευχαριστώ	efcharistó	Thank you	Express gratitude
6	Παρακαλώ	parakaló	Please / you’re welcome	Make or answer a request
7	Συγγνώμη	signómi	Sorry / excuse me	Apologise or get attention
8	Ναι	ne	Yes	Confirm
9	Όχι	óchi	No	Decline or disagree
10	Αντίο	adío	Goodbye	Say farewell

Begin by opening and closing a conversation. Recall the greeting without reading; then use the right polite form for a person you do not know.

Questions and conversation repair — 11–20

#	Original writing	Romanisation (approx.)	English meaning	Real use
11	Μιλάτε αγγλικά;	miláte angliká?	Do you speak English? (polite)	Find a shared language
12	Δεν καταλαβαίνω	den katalavéno	I don’t understand	Explain confusion
13	Μπορείτε να το επαναλάβετε;	boríte na to epanalávete?	Can you repeat that? (polite)	Request repetition
14	Πιο αργά, παρακαλώ	pio argá, parakaló	More slowly, please	Follow a reply
15	Τι είναι αυτό;	ti íne aftó?	What is this?	Identify an item
16	Πού είναι …;	poú íne …?	Where is …?	Ask about a place
17	Πόσο κοστίζει;	póso kostízei?	How much does it cost?	Ask a price
18	Μπορείτε να με βοηθήσετε;	boríte na me voithísete?	Can you help me? (polite)	Ask for assistance
19	Μια στιγμή, παρακαλώ	mia stigmí, parakaló	One moment, please	Pause a conversation
20	Εντάξει	entáxi	Okay / all right	Acknowledge a reply

If an answer is unclear, use one of these conversation-repair phrases before guessing. Good communication includes recognising uncertainty.

Food, menus and prices — 21–30

#	Original writing	Romanisation (approx.)	English meaning	Real use
21	Νερό	neró	Water	Ask for a drink
22	Καφές	kafés	Coffee	Order coffee
23	Τσάι	tsái	Tea	Order tea
24	Το μενού	to menoú	Menu	Choose a meal
25	Θα ήθελα …	tha íthela …	I would like …	Order politely
26	Αυτό, παρακαλώ	aftó, parakaló	This one, please	Point to an item
27	Ο λογαριασμός, παρακαλώ	o logariasmós, parakaló	The bill, please	Ask to pay
28	Χωρίς γλουτένη	chorís glouténi	Without gluten	Describe a dietary restriction
29	Δεν τρώω κρέας	den tróo kréas	I don’t eat meat	Explain a preference
30	Έχω αλλεργία σε …	écho allergía se …	I am allergic to …	State an exact allergen

Food and payment requests are more useful with the item or price in front of you. Health-related restrictions need a precise explanation, not a vague label.

Transport, ferries and directions — 31–40

#	Original writing	Romanisation (approx.)	English meaning	Real use
31	Σταθμός	stathmós	Station	Find transport
32	Τρένο	tréno	Train	Discuss railway travel
33	Μετρό	metró	Metro	Find city rail
34	Λεωφορείο	leoforío	Bus	Find a bus
35	Ταξί	taxí	Taxi	Request a taxi
36	Εισιτήριο	isitírio	Ticket	Ask about fares
37	Πλοίο	plío	Ship / ferry	Find island transport
38	Λιμάνι	limáni	Port	Find a ferry terminal
39	Αριστερά	aristerá	Left	Follow directions
40	Δεξιά	dexiá	Right	Follow directions

Reading signs is a separate skill from speaking. Learn to recognise these words visually, then confirm the route and destination with current information.

Everyday services and signs — 41–50

#	Original writing	Romanisation (approx.)	English meaning	Real use
41	Τουαλέτα	tualéta	Toilet / restroom	Find facilities
42	Νοσοκομείο	nosokomío	Hospital	Find medical services
43	Φαρμακείο	farmakío	Pharmacy	Find medicines
44	Αστυνομία	astynomía	Police	Seek official help
45	Βοήθεια!	voíthia!	Help!	Call for assistance
46	Είσοδος	ísodos	Entrance	Read a building sign
47	Έξοδος	éxodos	Exit	Read a direction sign
48	Μετρητά	metritá	Cash	Discuss payment
49	Κάρτα	kárta	Card	Ask about card payment
50	Κράτηση	krátisi	Reservation / booking	Discuss an arrangement

Keep this group visible as written text for practical situations. It is often easier to show a correct word than to guess at a difficult pronunciation.

Real-life Modern Greek conversations you can reuse

Try speaking each exchange aloud. Then cover the script and reconstruct the conversation from memory. Finally, change the item, direction or place while keeping the request pattern. These dialogues are illustrative; real speakers may answer in many different ways.

At a café

You: Καλημέρα. (Kaliméra.) — Good morning.
You: Θα ήθελα έναν καφέ, παρακαλώ. (Tha íthela énan kafé, parakaló.) — I’d like a coffee, please.
You: Ο λογαριασμός, παρακαλώ. (O logariasmós, parakaló.) — The bill, please.
You: Ευχαριστώ. (Efcharistó.) — Thank you.

Notice the complete request, not merely the noun καφές. When you change a noun, an article may also change, so learn the original phrase and listen before generating many variations. For allergies, check the exact ingredient and preparation with staff.

Finding a ferry port

You: Συγγνώμη, πού είναι το λιμάνι; — Excuse me, where is the port?
Helper: Δεξιά. — Right.
You: Ευχαριστώ πολύ. — Thank you very much.

In Greece, the nearest ferry route may be more useful than a rail route for some islands. Λιμάνι means port and πλοίο means ship or ferry. The words help locate a service but cannot confirm whether a sailing operates today.

When you do not follow an explanation

You: Δεν καταλαβαίνω. — I don’t understand.
You: Πιο αργά, παρακαλώ. — More slowly, please.
You: Μπορείτε να το επαναλάβετε; — Could you repeat it?

This group lets a beginner repair a conversation rather than guess. For an appointment, number or journey, ask for the detail to be written down if needed.

Recognising signs

You see Είσοδος. — Entrance.
You see Έξοδος. — Exit.
You ask: Πού είναι η τουαλέτα; — Where is the toilet?

Learning a few Greek letter patterns creates practical recognition. Signs sometimes include Latin transliteration, but you should not depend on it always being present.

Asking at a pharmacy

You: Συγγνώμη, πού είναι το φαρμακείο; — Excuse me, where is the pharmacy?
Helper: Αριστερά. — On the left.
You: Ευχαριστώ. — Thank you.

This is a location question, not medical advice. Medication instructions, symptoms and urgent treatment require accurate language assistance.

Mistakes to avoid when using these phrases

Confusing γεια σου and γεια σας. The latter is polite or plural; the former is familiar singular.
Assuming παρακαλώ always means please. It can also mean you’re welcome or serve as a response to someone calling you.
Ignoring Greek accent marks. In many words they show stress, which helps pronunciation.
Using the Latin transliteration as though it were exact phonetics. Native audio is a better pronunciation guide.
Confusing the words for port and station. Λιμάνι is the port; σταθμός is a station.
Relying on ferry vocabulary as evidence a sailing exists. Live schedules and weather conditions must be checked separately.
Treating ‘without gluten’ as an allergy-safety guarantee. Ingredient details and cross-contact must be confirmed with appropriate help.

A practical four-week vocabulary study plan

The goal is retrieval and transfer: to remember a phrase after a delay and to use it in a different situation. The Fencing Method is useful here as a learning analogy. Begin with a small set that solves immediate problems, strengthen it through successful recall, then expand the boundary of what you can express. Avoid learning dozens of rare words before you can ask for help or recognise a sign.

Week 1 — survive: Practise the eight quick phrases and the first ten greetings. Spend 10–15 minutes daily reading, listening and recalling them without looking. Record whether you can greet, thank and say goodbye appropriately.
Week 2 — clarify: Learn the ten questions and conversation-repair phrases. Practise asking for repetition and for slower speech. Write three short dialogues set at a counter, on a street and at an appointment.
Week 3 — function: Learn food, shopping and transport vocabulary. Use role-play to ask a price, find the correct exit, order an item and confirm a destination. Combine two different groups in each role-play.
Week 4 — thrive: Learn the final group and create ten original micro-conversations. Test all 50 meanings without the English column. Revisit mistakes after one day, three days and a week, using native audio to refine pronunciation.

Why a list of 50 phrases can be more useful than 500 random words

Imagine meeting a stranger and asking for help. A vocabulary list can tell you the nouns for station, water and money; it cannot by itself show how to make a polite request. The real unit of learning is often a short social action: open the exchange, state your need, check the answer and close politely. Once that pattern is secure, you can replace the destination or item and solve a different problem.

To check whether this is working, cover the English translations and ask yourself three questions: Can I recall the phrase? Do I know when it would be appropriate? Could I adapt it to a different place? If any answer is no, practise that particular phrase again instead of indiscriminately rereading the entire table.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say hello in Greek?

Γεια σας (yiá sas) is a polite or plural hello. Γεια σου (yiá sou) is an informal singular greeting.

How do you say thank you in Greek?

Ευχαριστώ (efcharistó) means thank you.

What does parakalo mean in Greek?

Παρακαλώ (parakaló) can mean please or you’re welcome, depending on the situation.

How do you ask the price in Greek?

Say Πόσο κοστίζει; (póso kostízei?) for ‘How much does it cost?’

How do you ask where the toilet is in Greece?

Πού είναι η τουαλέτα; (poú íne i toualéta?) means ‘Where is the restroom?’

Do I have to read the Greek alphabet?

Not at first, but learning common letters and signs makes everyday navigation and menus easier.

What is the Greek word for ferry or ship?

Πλοίο (plío) means ship and can refer to a ferry; λιμάνι (limáni) means port.

Is ancient Greek the same as Modern Greek?

No. Modern Greek developed historically from earlier Greek, but it differs in grammar, pronunciation and everyday vocabulary.

What should I learn after 50 Greek phrases?

Learn the Greek alphabet, common question structures, polite verb forms and short authentic listening dialogues.

Continue reading with eduKate

These are connected guides, not a requirement to read every article. Choose the country overview for context, the language-learning guide for deeper study, or a different country phrasebook when you want to compare ways of expressing the same needs.

Sources, editorial accuracy and limitations

The language and cultural references below were used to cross-check core expressions and identify context. This is original educational writing and an introductory phrasebook, not certified interpretation. Local varieties, pronunciation and social register vary. Do not use an approximate phrase as the sole basis for a medical, legal, financial or safety-critical decision.

Reviewed: November 2026.