Greek Language for Travelers

Greece is known for its unique natural wonders and vibrant townscape. From the traditional images of stone homes in blue and white colors, everyone immediately relates it with Greece. We strongly advise you to try learning the common phrases and expressions before you visit the country. So, you can explore the country like an expert, more understand the great heritage and connect more deeply with the locals. Thus, we prepare a Greek travel phrases cheat sheet just for you. 

First, we should look at the Greek alphabet to understand our greek words list better.

Greek Alphabet

Basic Greek Phrases 

Greetings

You should learn the fundamentals of Greek greetings to make your vacation far more enjoyable.  You can find the basic phrases like good afternoon and good evening in Greek or Merry Christmas in Greek. For informal conversations, the greetings and phrases listed below are excellent.

Common Greek Travel Phrases

Of course, you can speak English while you are visiting the popular tourist destinations in Greece. However, it will be better if you know some expressions to connect with the locals. Also, you will have a better understanding of the great history of Greece and its rich culture. 

Common Emergency Greek Phrases

Sometimes trips don’t go according to plans and we may find ourselves having trouble. Generally, you can call 112 (EU emergency phone number) and tell them what is happening. However, if you cannot communicate with anyone in English, just in case you should know some basic phrases for an emergency. You can take note of them to use in such cases.

If you want to learn more, you can read our Is Athens Safe? article.

We hope that by the time we come to this section of common Greek phrases, you’ve got a basic understanding of the local language in Greece. If you want to dig in deeper, don’t forget to check our Greek Language article.