Greek for your holiday
Once you can read the letters, you can find the ferry, the taverna and the pharmacy without a translation. Here you learn the alphabet in six steps and the phrases for the taverna, the ferry, your accommodation and the pharmacy, each with pronunciation.
The alphabet in six steps
Greek looks foreign, but it is read very regularly. You already know many of the letters, and a few of them are traps.
Just like English
Α a as in father, Ε e as in bed, Ι ee, Κ k, Μ m, Ο o as in hot, Τ t, Ζ z. ΤΑΞΙ = "taxi".
The false friends
Η is ee, Ρ is r, Ν is n, Υ is ee, Β is v, Χ is ch as in Scottish "loch". ΜΠΥΡΑ = "BEE-ra", beer.
New letters
Γ is a soft g from the throat (before e and i like the y in "yes"), Δ th as in "this", Θ th as in "think", Λ l, Π p, Σ s, Φ f, Ξ ks, Ψ ps, Ω o.
Two letters, one sound
ΟΥ is oo, ΑΙ is e as in bed, ΕΙ and ΟΙ are ee. ΑΥ and ΕΥ are av and ev, or af and ef before k, p, t, s and similar sounds. ΟΥΖΟ = "OO-zo".
mp, nt, gk
ΜΠ sounds like b, ΝΤ like d, ΓΚ and ΓΓ like g: ΝΤΟΜΑΤΑ = "do-MA-ta", tomato.
Accent and question mark
The small stroke over a vowel marks the stress: καφές = "ka-FES". The Greek question mark looks like an English semicolon: ;
In the transcriptions the stressed syllable is in CAPITALS, syllables are joined with "-", words are separated by spaces and "·" separates sentences. Vowels are short and pure: a as in father, e as in bed, o as in hot, ee as in see, oo as in food. dh is the th in "this", th the th in "think", kh the ch in Scottish "loch", gh a soft, breathy g and y the y in "yes".
Greetings and being polite
- Γεια σας!YA sasHello! Goodbye! (polite or to several people; among friends Γεια σου, "ya soo")
- Καλημέρα!ka-lee-ME-raGood morning! (until about midday)
- Καλησπέρα!ka-lee-SPE-raGood evening! (from the afternoon on)
- Παρακαλώ.pa-ra-ka-LOPlease. Also: here you are, you're welcome.
- Ευχαριστώ!ef-kha-ree-STOThank you!
- Ναι. / Όχι.ne · O-kheeYes. / No. (Careful: "ne" means yes.)
- Συγγνώμη.see-GHNO-meeSorry. Excuse me.
- Δεν καταλαβαίνω. Μιλάτε αγγλικά;dhen ka-ta-la-VE-no · mee-LA-te an-glee-KAI don't understand. Do you speak English?
In the taverna
- Ένα τραπέζι για τέσσερις, παρακαλώ.E-na tra-PE-zee ya TE-se-rees pa-ra-ka-LOA table for four, please.
- Τι μας προτείνετε;tee mas pro-TEE-ne-teWhat do you recommend?
- Είμαι αλλεργικός στους ξηρούς καρπούς.EE-me a-ler-yee-KOS stoos ksee-ROOS kar-POOSI'm allergic to nuts. (As a woman: αλλεργική, "a-ler-yee-KEE")
- Μισό κιλό κρασί χύμα, κόκκινο.mee-SO kee-LO kra-SEE KHEE-ma KO-kee-noHalf a kilo of red house wine. (In Greece, house wine from the barrel is ordered by the kilo; half a kilo is roughly half a litre.)
- Ένα μπουκάλι νερό, παρακαλώ.E-na boo-KA-lee ne-RO pa-ra-ka-LOA bottle of water, please.
- Πολύ νόστιμο!po-LEE NO-stee-moDelicious!
- Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ.ton lo-gha-ryaz-MO pa-ra-ka-LOThe bill, please.
- Μπορώ να πληρώσω με κάρτα;bo-RO na plee-RO-so me KAR-taCan I pay by card?
In the café
In summer Greece drinks its coffee cold. You say how much sugar you want when you order.
- Έναν φρέντο εσπρέσο, μέτριο.E-nan FRE-do e-SPRE-so ME-tree-oAn iced espresso, medium sweet. (No sugar: σκέτο, "SKE-to"; sweet: γλυκό, "ghlee-KO")
- Έναν ελληνικό καφέ.E-nan e-lee-nee-KO ka-FEA Greek coffee. (Strong, boiled in a small pot, grounds left in the cup.)
- Πόσο κάνει;PO-so KA-neeHow much is it?
At your accommodation
- Έχω κάνει κράτηση στο όνομα Smith.E-kho KA-nee KRA-tee-see sto O-no-ma SmithI have a booking in the name of Smith.
- Τι ώρα είναι το πρωινό;tee O-ra EE-ne to pro-ee-NOWhat time is breakfast?
- Ποιος είναι ο κωδικός του wifi;pyos EE-ne o ko-dhee-KOS too wifiWhat's the wifi password?
- Δεν δουλεύει το κλιματιστικό.dhen dhoo-LE-vee to klee-ma-tee-stee-KOThe air conditioning isn't working.
Ferry and directions
- Πού είναι το λιμάνι;poo EE-ne to lee-MA-neeWhere is the harbour?
- Δύο εισιτήρια για τη Νάξο, παρακαλώ.DHEE-o ee-see-TEE-rya ya tee NA-kso pa-ra-ka-LOTwo tickets to Naxos, please.
- Τι ώρα φεύγει το πλοίο;tee O-ra FEV-yee to PLEE-oWhat time does the ferry leave?
- Είναι μακριά;EE-ne ma-KRYAIs it far?
Pharmacy and doctor
- Πού είναι το φαρμακείο;poo EE-ne to far-ma-KEE-oWhere is the pharmacy?
- Έχω κάψιμο από τον ήλιο.E-kho KA-psee-mo a-PO ton EE-lyoI've got sunburn.
- Πονάει το κεφάλι μου.po-NA-ee to ke-FA-lee mooI've got a headache.
- Χρειάζομαι γιατρό.khree-A-zo-me ya-TROI need a doctor.
Emergency number throughout Greece: 112. Pharmacies are marked with a green cross. Take your GHIC (or a valid EHIC) and travel insurance details with you; the GHIC covers state healthcare, not private clinics.
Good to know
Yes is "ne"
Ναι ("ne") means yes, όχι ("O-khee") means no. A quick upward tilt of the head, often with a click of the tongue, also means no.
On the house
After the meal the taverna often brings fruit, a dessert or a small spirit on the house, the κέρασμα. Tipping is still usual, mostly by rounding up.
Paper in the bin
On many islands the drains cannot cope with toilet paper. If there is a bin next to the toilet, the paper goes in there.
Book ferries early
In high season popular ferry routes and car spaces sell out quickly. You can buy tickets online or from the travel agencies at the harbour.
A course for exactly your trip to Greece
A phrasebook can only guess what you're planning. In LingoTrip you tell it: island hopping in the Cyclades, a villa on Crete, a wedding in Thessaloniki. LingoTrip builds a course around exactly those conversations, with audio, speech recognition and spaced review until you leave.
Coming soon to the App Store and Google PlayFAQ
Do I need to learn the alphabet?
For a holiday it is enough to read the letters roughly. Place names, timetables and menus are often in Latin letters too, but bus signs and pharmacies not always.
How long does holiday Greek take?
The alphabet and the key phrases take one to three weeks with a few minutes a day. That is not enough for long conversations, but it is enough for the taverna, the ferry and the pharmacy.
Can I get by with English?
In tourist areas, usually yes. On small islands, at the market or in the pharmacy, people are very pleased to hear a few phrases in Greek.
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