Want to speak Greek?

Although southern Cyprus is Greek speaking, if you already know a little Greek, you may not understand a lot of what the locals say. That is because the Cypriots speak a dialect form of the language, which even fluent Greek speakers often find difficult to comprehend!

It does make it much harder to speak Greek if you are trying to learn from scratch but if you persevere and are not afraid to make mistakes when speaking, you CAN learn. Just don't expect to make yourself understood in some of the more remote villages where the dialect there is completely different from anywhere else!

Learning Greek in Cyprus

Here are some key words in CYPRIOT Greek to get you started. We have used an English "transliteration" system for the Greek to show you what the word sounds like rather than show you the word in Greek which is impossible to read unless you know the Greek alphabet!

Put the stress on the part of the word in italics:

Kalee-meh-ra Good Morning

Kalee-neekh-ta Good Night

Yah-sou Hello/Goodbye (informal)

Yah-sas Hello/Goodbye (formal)

Neh Yes

Oy-ee No

Para-ka-lo Please/Don't mention it

Ef-khari-sto Thankyou

Tee-kam-nees How are you?

Mee-ah kha-ra Just fine

Pos-oh kah-nee How much is this?

Ti What?

Yah-dee Why?

Pot-eh When?

Seeg-nom-ee Excuse me?

'n-tax-ee Okay

Why not try some FREE Greek lessons if you like to learn the audio way?

And an essential book to get you started is the fabulous "Be Happy and Speak a Little Greek" by David Patching and Nikolas Georgiou which is available at all good book shops and stationers on the island.

Kali Teekhee! (This means Good Luck!)

More essential Greek words - just click on the links for the basic Greek words YOU need:

Food and Drink

At the Supermarket

Fruit and Veg

Building Terms

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