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GREEK LANGUAGE
The official language is Greek, but many people, particularly younger folk, speak English. Probably the oldest European language, Greek has an oral tradition dating back some 4000 years and a written tradition of about 3000 years. Modern Greek developed from a number of regional dialects, mainly from the south.
Greek has its own distinctive 24-letter alphabet, from which the Cyrillic alphabet was derived. Transliterations into the Roman alphabet are used here; note that the letter combination ‘dh’ is pronounced as the ‘th’ in ‘them’.
Useful Phrases
BASICS
| Hello |
yasas / yasu (informal) |
| Goodbye |
andio |
| Good morning |
kalimera |
| Good afternoon |
kalispera |
| Good evening |
herete |
| Please |
parakalo |
| Thank you |
efharisto |
| O.K |
endaxi |
| Yes |
ne |
| No |
ohi |
| Sorry |
signomi |
| How are you? |
ti kanete / ti kaneis? (informal) |
| I'm well, thanks |
kala, efharisto |
| Do you speak english? |
milate anglika? |
| I understand |
katalaveno |
| I don't understand |
den katalaveno |
| Where is...? |
pou ine...? |
| I would like... |
tha ithela |
| How much? |
poso kanei? |
| When? |
pote? |
GETTING AROUND
| What time does the boat/ train leave/arrive? |
ti ora fevyi/ftani to karavi/ treno? |
| I’d like a return ticket |
tha ithela isitirio me epistrofi |
| Metro station |
Metro stathmos |
| Where is…? |
pou ine…? |
| Is it far? |
ine makria? |
| How do I get to…? |
pos tha pao sto/sti...? |
ACCOMMODATION
| I’d like a single/double room |
thelo ena mono/dhiplo dhomatio |
| with bathroom |
me banio |
AROUND TOWN
| I’m looking for (the) |
… psahno ya… |
| bank |
tin trapeza |
| beach |
tin paralia |
| kiosk |
to periptero |
| market |
tin aghora |
| museum |
to musio |
| ruins |
ta arhea |
TIME, DAYS & NUMBERS
| What time is it? |
ti ora ine? |
| It’s… |
ine… |
| today |
simera |
| tonight |
apopse |
| now |
tora |
| yesterday |
hthes |
| tomorrow |
avrio |
| Sunday |
kyriaki |
| Monday |
deftera |
| Tuesday |
triti |
| Wednesday |
tetarti |
| Thursday |
pempti |
| Friday |
paraskevi |
| Saturday |
savato |
| 0 |
midhen |
| 1 |
ena |
| 2 |
dhio |
| 3 |
tria |
| 4 |
tesera |
| 5 |
pende |
| 6 |
exi |
| 7 |
epta |
| 8 |
okto |
| 9 |
ennea |
| 10 |
deka |
| 100 |
ekato |
| 1000 |
hilia |
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