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Questions & Answers about Καλημέρα, πώς είστε;
What does each word mean literally?
- Καλημέρα = good morning (literally good day: καλός
- ημέρα). Used as a morning greeting.
- πώς = how.
- είστε = you are (2nd person plural of είμαι; also used for polite singular).
How do you pronounce it?
- IPA: [kaliˈmera, pos ˈiste]
- Simple guide: kah-lee-ME-ra, pos EES-teh Stress falls on -μέ- in Καλημέρα and on the first syllable in είστε.
Why does the question end with a semicolon?
In Greek, the question mark is the semicolon-shaped symbol ;. The Greek semicolon is a different mark, the raised dot ·. Don’t add a space before the Greek question mark.
What’s the difference between είστε and είσαι?
- είστε = you are (plural or polite singular)
- είσαι = you are (informal singular) Use είστε with strangers, elders, or groups; είσαι with friends, kids, or peers.
Do Greeks really use the plural for politeness?
Yes. The 2nd person plural (verbs and pronouns) serves as the polite singular: εσείς, σας, είστε.
Can I say είσαστε instead of είστε?
Yes. είσαστε is a longer variant of είστε. Both are correct; είστε is more common in modern speech.
Is the comma after Καλημέρα necessary?
It’s standard to separate a greeting from what follows with a comma: Καλημέρα, πώς είστε; It’s also used before a name in direct address: Καλημέρα, Γιάννη!
Why does πώς have an accent? Isn’t πως also a word?
- πώς (with accent) = how (question/exclamation)
- πως (no accent) = that (conjunction, like ότι) Example: Ξέρω πως θα έρθει = I know that he’ll come. / Πώς είστε; = How are you?
What are natural replies to this greeting?
- Καλά, εσείς; = Fine, and you?
- Μια χαρά, εσείς; = Very well, and you?
- Όλα καλά. = All good.
- Very formal: Πολύ καλά, ευχαριστώ. Εσείς; = Very well, thank you. And you?
When do I use Καλημέρα vs other greetings?
- Καλημέρα: morning until around noon (sometimes up to early afternoon).
- Καλησπέρα: afternoon/evening greeting.
- Καληνύχτα: good night (when leaving for the night).
- Γεια σου / Γεια σας: hello/hi, any time of day (informal/formal or plural).
Can I add σας to the greeting?
Yes. Καλημέρα σας is a polite/plural version of Καλημέρα. You can combine: Καλημέρα σας, πώς είστε;
Do I need to include the pronoun εσείς?
No. Greek usually drops subject pronouns because the verb shows the person. Πώς είστε; is natural; Πώς εσείς είστε; is only for special emphasis.
Is the word order fixed? Could I say Είστε πώς;?
Wh-words normally come first, so Πώς είστε; is the natural order. Είστε πώς; is ungrammatical. Alternatives include Είστε καλά; (Are you well?) or colloquial Πώς πάει; (How’s it going?).
How do I type the accent marks?
Modern Greek uses a single accent mark (τόνος) on the stressed vowel (e.g., Καλημέρα, πώς). On a Greek keyboard, press the tonos key (often the semicolon key) then the vowel; on phones, long-press the vowel to select the accented form.
Why does πώς end with ς and not σ?
Greek has two forms of sigma: σ inside a word and ς at the end of a word. Since πώς ends the word, it takes ς.