If you are even the tiniest bit familiar with Greek culture, you will know this: Greeks are very friendly. They love talking to other people and genuinely care for their well-being.
To blend in and connect with people in Greece, you’ll find that asking “how are you?” in Greek comes in very handy. And the more ways you can say it, the deeper you will be able to delve into the culture.
Here, we will explore the many nuances of asking “How are you?” in Greek so you always know the right thing to say!
Formality in Greek
In a tourism-dependent country like Greece, it is safe to assume that most people will speak English. Nevertheless, Greeks love it when foreigners make the effort to speak their language.
As a visitor to Greece, you’ll most likely find that a friendly hello in Greek goes a long way. To seamlessly integrate into the culture via linguistics, you can take it a step further and follow up your greeting with “How are you?” in Greek.
While everyone in Greece will appreciate being asked how they are, it is important to note that there is a right and wrong way of going about it. Like French, Greek uses the polite plural. This linguistic practice involves using plural forms to address certain individuals in a more formal or respectful manner.
Just as “vous” is utilized in French, Greeks use plural forms when interacting with people who are older, in positions of authority, or those they are not familiar with. This would apply to the question of “How are you?” in Greek.
Non-beginner students of Greek will no doubt be familiar with the concept of the polite plural. But here’s an expert tip that you may not have heard of before: you can also use plural in a casual, quasi-ironic way when addressing intimate friends or family! Crazy, right? If you want to impress your native friend, ask them how they are… in plural!
Formal greetings in Greek
Here is the thing about Greek. If you are speaking to a figure of authority, a person you’re not familiar with, or one you want to show respect to, you must use the polite plural. This applies to asking people how they are as well.
But, despite the fact that Greek is a very rich language, you’re actually quite limited in choice when it comes to how to ask that question in a more formal context.
Other than the following two phrases, most of the ways to ask “How are you?” in Greek feel too casual and are best reserved for friends and family.
1. Τι κάνετε; – What are you doing?
“Τι κάνετε;” is the plural form of “Τι κάνεις;”. It’s the most widely accepted way of formally and politely asking a person how they are.
2. Πώς είστε; – How are you?
The plural form of “Πώς είσαι;”, “Πώς είστε;” is a very polite way of asking somebody how they are doing.
| Greek | English |
| Τι κάνετε; | What are you doing? |
| Πώς είστε; | How are you? |
Informal greetings in Greek
If you are talking to a relative, friend, or someone you know well, you can use any of the following phrases to ask how they are doing.
3. Τι κάνεις; – What are you doing?
“Τι κάνεις;” is by far the most common way to ask somebody how they are. But even though its literal translation is “What are you doing?”, you can safely bet that no one is asking about what you are doing that very second.
The phrase is pretty much the equivalent of the English “How are you?”. When in doubt, always go for “Τι κάνεις;”. You really can’t go wrong with it!
4. Πώς είσαι; – How are you?
Ah, the paradoxes of the Greek language!
While “Πώς είσαι;” directly translates as “How are you?”, it is not as frequently used as “Τι κάνεις;” in Greece. Mind you, that’s not to say this is not a popular phrase! It is definitely the second most common way to ask somebody how they are in Greek.
The reason it is not as prevalent as “Τι κάνεις;” is that it slightly connotes the person asking wants to know about your well-being, physical or mental, or feelings. The unspoken implication is that necessitates a more involved answer.
5. Πώς πάει; – How is it going?
“Πώς πάει;” is the direct translation of “How is it going?”. This means you should use this phrase just as you would do in English.
Even though the question “Πώς πάει;” is by no means inappropriate, it’s rather awkward to use it with people who are not your friends or in your immediate circle. When you’re with good buddies though? It’s a great choice, so fire away!
6. Τι γίνεται; – What is happening?
“Τι γίνεται;” means “What is happening?” in Greek. As you can imagine, this is a rather casual way of asking someone how they are. It’s perfectly alright to use with friends, but, when it comes to talking to people you don’t know well, go for an alternative option.
My personal advice would be to refrain from using it with people a lot younger than you too. It can look like a desperate attempt to appear “down with the kids”. To put it differently, it can very much give off Steve Buscemi skateboard grandpa meme vibes!
7. Τι λέει; – What is it saying?
This is one of those phrases that doesn’t make a lot of sense to a non-Greek. Translating to “What is it saying?”, “Τι λέει;” is a popular casual way of greeting good friends. I understand you probably have a lot of questions right now.
Don’t worry, this is a common phenomenon with non-native speakers! They often ask “What’s what saying? What could it possibly be referring to?”.
I’m sorry to disappoint you, but the answer is nobody really knows. Despite that, it is one of the most widespread slang phrases to ask “How are you?”.
8. Όλα καλά; – Everything good?
The origins of the acronym “OK” to indicate that everything is fine are a big mystery. There are many proposed theories as to how it became a universally used and understood phrase, but Greeks have a favorite one. “Όλα καλά”, which abbreviates to OK, conveniently means “Everything good” in Greek.
Many Greeks will tell you that’s how the acronym OK came to be. Whether that’s true or not remains debatable, but one thing is for sure: “Όλα καλά;” is a very common way to ask how one is doing in Greece.
9. Τι νέα; – What’s new?
Just like in English, in Greek, you can use the phrase “What’s new?” to ask somebody how they are. As you would expect, this question demands a more involved answer than “Fine, thanks”.
“Τι νέα;” serves as a great opener for an engaging conversation regarding what people have been up to. That’s why it makes the most sense to use it when addressing a friend you haven’t seen in a while.
10. Τι χαμπάρια; – What’s up?
If you use this question to greet someone, it means you’re an advanced Greek speaker! An extremely informal phrase, “Τι χαμπάρια;” actually comes from the Turkish word for “news”, i.e. “haber”).
The word “χαμπάρια” was used often in a type of traditional folk Greek song known as “rebetiko”, but is not normally a part of the Greeks’ lexicon. Today, “Τι χαμπάρια;” would only be used as slang, between friends, with a hint of humor.
11. Πώς περνάς; – What kind of time are you having?
Admittedly, “What kind of time are you having?” sounds very awkward in English. As is often the case though, its Greek translation happens to sound completely natural in Greek.
“Πώς περνάς;” is a way to say “How are you doing?” in Greek. You can answer both with a generic reply like “Fine” and a more specific one, talking about what you’re currently going through.
12. Πού είσαι; – Where are you?
This one tends to confuse non-Greek natives. A very casual way of greeting someone in Greece is to ask not how they are, but where they are. I understand this sounds absurd, as whoever you are greeting is most probably right in front of you. You, therefore, already know where they are.
Between friends in Greece, though, an excited “Πού είσαι;” when you first see someone is pretty much an invitation to talk about how they are. Use this one to impress your Greek native friends with your language skills!
| Greek | English |
| Τι κάνεις; | What are you doing? |
| Πώς είσαι; | How are you? |
| Πώς πάει; | How is it going? |
| Τι γίνεται; | What’s happening? |
| Τι λέει; | What is it saying? |
| Όλα καλά; | Everything good? |
| Τι νέα; | What’s new? |
| Τι χαμπάρια; | What’s up? |
| Πώς περνάς; | What kind of time are you having? |
| Πού είσαι; | Where are you? |
Responses to How are you in Greek
What is perhaps even more interesting than the Greek questions for “How are you?” is the responses to them. Here are some you would expect and some that you definitely wouldn’t!
1. Καλά – Fine
Like in most languages, the standard answer to “How are you?” or “How are you doing?” in Greek is “Fine”. After the word “Καλά”, it is also common to say “Ευχαριστώ” (“Thank you”) or “Δόξα τω Θεώ” (“Thank God”).
2. Έτσι κι έτσι – So so
“Έτσι κι έτσι” translates to “So so” and it is a common response to “How are you?”. If you are not feeling great and it doesn’t feel right to say you are “fine”, you can use this phrase to describe how you are.
3. Εντάξει – Alright
“Εντάξει” means “Alright” in Greek. As well as being an answer to the question “How are you?”, it is one of the most frequently used words in Greece! Adding it to your vocabulary will no doubt come in handy at some point.
4. Μην τα ρωτάς – Don’t ask
“Μην τα ρωτάς” is a surprisingly common answer when you ask Greek people how they are doing. It’s a way of expressing that things are not going well, while at the same time discouraging further questions.
Having said that, many Greeks use this phrase as an introduction of sorts to a monologue about their recent troubles!
5. Εδώ, στον αγώνα – Here, fighting
“Εδώ, στον αγώνα” is another surprising answer you might get to the question “How are you?” in Greece. It implies that you are at a race or battle and you are fighting.
This phrase perfectly encapsulates the witty, self-deprecating nature of Greeks who acknowledge the challenges of modern living in their country.
6. Την παλεύω – Hanging in there
“Την παλεύω” is a slang term used to express that you’re hanging in there, doing your best.
While it does not exactly suggest one is thriving, this phrase is normally uttered with a humorous undertone. It gives others the impression that you have seen better days, but you’re still optimistic.
| Greek | English |
| Καλά | Fine |
| Έτσι κι έτσι | So so |
| Εντάξει | Alright |
| Μην τα ρωτάς | Don’t ask |
| Εδώ, στον αγώνα | Here, fighting |
| Την παλεύω | Hanging in there |
Conclusion
And there you have it, the most common greetings in Greek!
Between your average, run-of-the-mill “How are you?” and more unique slang phrases, there are many ways to ask somebody how they are doing in Greek. Hopefully, you will find that this piece contains all the information you need for any type of context!
And remember: to get your accent just right and ensure you’re understood, it’s always a good idea to listen to Greek language podcasts and improve your skills with Greek learning apps!