Greek greetings tell the other person two things immediately: what stage of the encounter you are in and what relationship you are claiming. Γεια σου and γεια σας can both open and close an interaction; time-of-day greetings distinguish arrival from leave-taking; welcome formulas create a short exchange rather than a one-sided announcement.
The forms are conventional, but their social boundaries are not set by a universal clock. Time of day, setting, familiarity, generation, and local habit all influence what sounds natural.
γεια: hello and goodbye
Γεια σου addresses one familiar person (informal). Γεια σας addresses a group or one person politely (formal). The possessive clitic changes with the same εσύ/εσείς distinction used throughout Greek address.
Γεια σου, Πέτρο! Χαίρομαι που σε βλέπω ξανά.
ya su, Pétro! chérome pu se vlépo ksaná
Hi, Petros! I'm happy to see you again. (informal)
Γεια σας, κυρία Νικολάου. Έχετε λίγο χρόνο;
ya sas, kiría Nikoláu. échete lígho chróno;
Hello, Mrs Nikolaou. Do you have a little time? (polite)
The same pair works at departure:
Γεια σου, Μαρία· θα σε πάρω αύριο το πρωί.
ya su, María; tha se páro ávrio to proí
Bye, Maria; I'll call you tomorrow morning. (informal)
Γεια σας και ευχαριστώ πολύ για τη βοήθεια.
ya sas ke efcharistó polí ya ti voíthia
Goodbye, and thank you very much for the help. (polite)
Bare γεια is also common among familiar speakers, but adding σου/σας makes the relationship explicit. English uses separate words hello and goodbye; Greek γεια relies on whether the encounter is beginning or ending.
The wider person-and-register choice is explained on εσύ versus εσείς.
Time-of-day greetings
| Form | Main use | Register |
|---|---|---|
| καλημέρα | arrival during the morning and often into the early part of the day | neutral; add σας for explicit politeness |
| καλησπέρα | arrival from later afternoon into the evening | neutral across formal and informal settings |
| καληνύχτα | leave-taking late at night or wishing someone good sleep | neutral; not the ordinary arrival greeting |
Καλημέρα! Ήρθα να παραλάβω ένα δέμα.
kaliméra! írtha na paralávo éna dhéma
Good morning! I've come to collect a parcel.
Καλησπέρα σας. Έχουμε κράτηση για τέσσερα άτομα.
kalispéra sas. échume krátisi ya tésera átoma
Good evening. We have a reservation for four people. (polite)
Καληνύχτα, παιδιά· κοιμηθείτε καλά!
kaliníchta, pedhiá; kimithíte kalá!
Good night, children; sleep well!
Morning-versus-evening boundaries are flexible rather than fixed to one official hour. Follow the local rhythm. One boundary is much more stable: καλησπέρα greets someone on arrival in the evening, while καληνύχτα normally closes the evening or sends someone to bed.
χαίρετε: a polite all-purpose hello
Χαίρετε is a conventional polite greeting for one person or a group. It sounds more formal than γεια σας in many everyday encounters, but it is not archaic and is heard in shops, offices, announcements, and first meetings (formal).
Χαίρετε, ήρθα για τη συνάντηση με τη διευθύντρια.
chérete, írtha ya ti sinándisi me ti dhiefthíndria
Hello, I've come for the meeting with the director. (polite)
It takes no σου/σας because its form is already plural/polite. Friendly γεια σας is usually the less formal option.
Welcoming someone
Καλώς ήρθες and καλώς όρισες welcome one familiar person. Καλώς ήρθατε / καλώς ορίσατε welcome a group or one person politely. Καλώς όρισες is the more formulaic “welcome,” while καλώς ήρθες transparently means “glad you came.”
Καλώς ήρθες στο νησί! — Καλώς σε βρήκα!
kalós írthes sto nisí! — kalós se vríka!
Welcome to the island! — Glad to be here! (informal singular)
Καλώς ορίσατε στον ξενώνα μας! — Καλώς σας βρήκαμε!
kalós orísate ston ksenóna mas! — kalós sas vríkame!
Welcome to our guesthouse! — We're glad to be here! (to a group)
The reply literally says “I/we found you well.” Its clitic and verb track the participants: σε βρήκα to one familiar host, σας βρήκα to a polite host or several hosts, σας βρήκαμε from several arriving guests.
Leaving and expecting to meet again
Τα λέμε “we'll talk/see each other” is the everyday informal farewell when future contact is expected. Γεια χαρά is a cheerful casual goodbye. Αντίο is neutral but often feels more definite or emotionally weighted than τα λέμε. Στο καλό is said to someone setting off and can carry the warmth of “go well”; intonation can also make it curt, so context matters.
Τα λέμε μετά τη δουλειά· θα σου στείλω μήνυμα.
ta léme metá ti dhuliá; tha su stílo mínima
See you after work; I'll send you a message. (informal)
Γεια χαρά, παιδιά! Περάσαμε υπέροχα απόψε.
ya chará, pedhiá! perásame ipérocha apópse
Bye for now, everyone! We had a wonderful time tonight. (informal, cheerful)
Αντίο, Ελένη. Ελπίζω να ξανασυναντηθούμε σύντομα.
andío, Eléni. elpízo na ksanasinandithúme síndoma
Goodbye, Eleni. I hope we meet again soon.
Στο καλό και καλό δρόμο!
sto kaló ke kaló dhrómo!
Go well, and have a safe journey!
A short first meeting
— Καλησπέρα σας, κύριε Λάμπρου. — Καλησπέρα. Εσείς πρέπει να είστε η κυρία Μάνου. — Μάλιστα. Χάρηκα πολύ. — Κι εγώ, καλώς ορίσατε.
— kalispéra sas, kírie Lámbru. — kalispéra. esís prépi na íste i kiría Mánu. — málista. chárika polí. — ki eghó, kalós orísate
— Good evening, Mr Lamprou. — Good evening. You must be Mrs Manou. — Yes. Pleased to meet you. — Likewise; welcome. (polite)
The exchange maintains polite plural forms and titles throughout. An informal meeting would use first names, singular verbs, and γεια σου.
Continue from this greeting into introducing yourself and others; the broader occasion-based formula collection is on greetings and wishes.
Common Mistakes
1. Combining both address clitics after γεια.
❌ Γεια σου σας, καλώς ήρθατε.
Incorrect—choose singular familiar σου or plural/polite σας, not both.
✅ Γεια σας, καλώς ήρθατε.
ya sas, kalós írthate
Hello, welcome. (polite or plural)
2. Misspelling the vowel in καληνύχτα.
❌ Καληνίχτα, θα τα πούμε αύριο.
Incorrect standard spelling—the word is καληνύχτα with ύ.
✅ Καληνύχτα, θα τα πούμε αύριο.
kaliníchta, tha ta púme ávrio
Good night; we'll talk tomorrow.
3. Giving the welcome reply the wrong person ending.
❌ Καλώς ήρθες! — Καλώς σε βρήκες!
Incorrect—the arriving speaker says I found you: βρήκα.
✅ Καλώς ήρθες! — Καλώς σε βρήκα!
kalós írthes! — kalós se vríka!
Welcome! — Glad to be here! (informal singular)
Key Takeaways
- Γεια σου/σας works for both hello and goodbye; σου is familiar singular, σας plural or polite.
- Καλημέρα and καλησπέρα greet on arrival; καληνύχτα normally closes a late encounter or marks bedtime.
- Χαίρετε is a live polite greeting, not merely an old-fashioned form.
- Welcome formulas form a pair: καλώς ήρθες/ορίσατε → καλώς σε/σας βρήκα.
- Τα λέμε, γεια χαρά, αντίο, and στο καλό frame leave-taking with different expectations and tones.
Related Topics
- εσύ vs εσείς (T–V Distinction)A1 — Choose familiar singular εσύ or plural/polite εσείς, keep the whole address package consistent, and negotiate changes as relationships develop.
- Introductions and NamesA1 — Ask and give names, introduce another person, and continue a first Greek conversation with forms suited to familiar or polite address.
- Greetings and Everyday WishesA1 — Use a compact phrasebook of Greek greetings, welcome formulas, check-ins, and everyday good wishes with literal glosses and register labels.
- Wishes and CongratulationsA2 — Choose the Greek wish that fits a birthday, name day, achievement, illness, journey, meal, toast, or recurring celebration—and reply naturally.