In this post, you will learn how to say ‘how are you?’ in Greek. You’ll also learn common responses so you can respond if you’re asked this question. This can be really useful if you’re speaking with someone from Greece or Cyprus or if you’re travelling to either.
Greek is an Indo-European language that actually has the longest documented history of all the Indo-European languages, with written records dating back 3,400 years.
Today Greek is the official language in Greece and Cyprus and is spoken by around 13.4 million people worldwide.
Table of Contents
How To Say ‘How Are You?’ In Greek
There are a few different ways to ask ‘how are you?’. Here are the most common:
In formal situations, such as with people you don’t know, you can say:
| English | Greek | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? | Πώς είστε; | Pos ee-steh |
| How are you? | Τι κάνετε; | Tee kah-ne-teh |
In informal situations, such as with friends, you can say one of these:
| English | Greek | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? | Πώς είσαι; | Pos ee-seh |
| How are you? | Τι κάνεις; | Tee kanis |
| What’s up? | Τι λέει; | Tee-lei |
| What’s up? | Τι γίνετε; | Tee-gee-neh-teh |
Check out the below video to hear the pronunciation of these phrases. Skip to 4:29 for ‘how are you?’:
How To Respond To ‘How Are You?’ In Greek
There are many different ways that you can reply to this question. Below are the most common responses to this question. I’ve also included how to say ‘thank you’ as it’s polite to thank someone if they ask how you are.
| English | Greek | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you | Ευχαριστώ | Efharisto |
| I’m fine | Είμαι καλά | Ee-meh kala |
| Fine | Καλά | Kala |
| I’m not good | Δεν είμαι καλά | Dhen ee-meh kala |
| I’m great | Είμαι πολύ καλά | Ee-meh pol-ee kala |
| I’m okay/so-so | Έτσι κι έτσι | E-tee keh-tee |
| Very bad | Χάλια | Haali-ya |
| I’m tired | Είμαι κουρασμένος | Ee-meh kour-ass-menos |
| I’m sick | Είμαι άρρωστος | Ee-meh aar-os-tos |
Check out the below video to hear some responses:
It’s also useful to know how to say ‘and you?’ or ‘what about you?’ to find out how someone else is if they ask you.
| English | Greek | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| And you? (formal) | Εσείς; | Eh-sees |
| And you? (informal) | Εσύ; | Eh-si |
Check out the below video to hear the pronunciation of some of these phrases:
Example Conversation:
Person 1: Πώς είσαι; / Pos ee-seh? (How are you?)
Person 2: Καλά ευχαριστώ. Εσύ; / Kala efharisto. Eh-si? (I’m fine, thanks. And you?)
Person 1: είμαι καλά / Ee-meh kala (I’m fine)
Thanks for reading this post.
You should now know how to say ‘how are you?’ in Greek and you should also be able to respond if you’re asked!
You can’t go wrong with these simple phrases.
Increase your vocabulary further by learning how to wish someone a happy birthday in Greek.
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