LEARNING

GREEK WISHES

Wishes
For Social Occasions

Everyday Wishes

Learn Typical Greek Wishes

& Sound Like A Native Greek!
Omilo Greek language and culture - www.omilo.com
 TABLE
TABLE OFOF CONTENTS
EVERYDAY
CONTENTS
2 GREEK WISHES

ABOUT OMILO AND THIS EBOOK

12
A NEW BEGINNING IN THE CALENDAR

WISHES FOR
13
SOCIAL OCCASIONS WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN SOMEBODY
HAS JUST BOUGHT SOMETHING NEW?

5 HOW DO YOU SAY “WELCOME”

OR “GOODBYE”?
NAMEDAYS

15
6 WHAT DO YOU SAY DURING A MEAL
OR WHEN INVITED FOR DINNER?
BIRTHDAYS

16
7 WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN
RELIGIOUS CELEBRATIONS SOMEBODY IS SICK?

8
WISHING SOMEONE TO HAVE FUN

WEDDINGS 17
WISHING SOMEBODY A GOOD
NIGHT’S REST

9 WISHES FOR SOMEBODY

WHEN A BABY IS BORN WHO IS STARTING SOMETHING NEW

10 18
CONGRATULATING SOMEBODY
WHEN A CHILD IS BAPTIZED

WHEN SOMEBODY PASSED AWAY

19
YOUR TO-DO-LIST

20
MORE GREEK E-BOOKS
 About Omilo and this eBook
Omilo’s ambition is to inspire people from all over the world to learn Greek and explore the
“real Greece”. We pride ourselves on offering our students courses in Greek language and
culture that combine beautiful course locations, friendly and experienced teachers, the
company of international students and a balanced combination of classes with cultural
activities.

Besides our courses in Greece, we also create online content to help our students further
expand their language skills through Language Books and Workbooks for different language
levels, Easy Readers and eBooks.

The idea is to learn how to speak Greek while delving into all the aspects of Greek life – from
modern lifestyle and culture, to history, literature, traditions, and many more.

In this eBook you will find everyday Greek wishes and wishes for social
occasions written in both Greek and in “Greeklish” (Greek written in the
Latin alphabet). You also have access to an audio-file to learn the correct
pronunciation, and we give an English translation, which may or may not
be very exact (rendering these wishes in English is not always easy).

If you have been around Greeks, most likely you have already heard a wide variety of wishes in
Greek which are used either on social οccasions or in everyday life.
When you learn Greek, it is useful to know exactly when and where it is appropriate to wish
someone a “happy this” or a “happy that”. In doing so, you will not only get a better feeling for
Greek culture, but you will also experience a more authentic way of communicating with
Greeks. And this is exactly what you want, isn’t it?

Ready to dive straight in?

Discover how to say a wish in Greek and have fun practicing your Greek,
while sounding like a native speaker :)

Copyright©2021 omilo greek language and culture

No part of this publication may be reproduced, by photocopies, recordings or
in any other way without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Any unauthorized use of this material for commercial purposes could result
in the pursuit of legal action against the offender.

www.omilo.com  2
 You can read this handout
while listening at the same time
to the audio files for the correct
pronunciation in Greek.

Every wish is pronounced twice on the

Audio file; once very slow, per syllable,
and once at normal speaking speed.

Click on the links below

to listen to the audio files:

wishes for everyday

social occasions wishes

Καλή αρχή! :)
We wish you a good start of your lesson
www.omilo.com  3
GREEK WISHES
FOR
SOCIAL
OCCASIONS
1. NAMEDAYS

2. BIRTHDAYS

3. RELIGIOUS CELEBRATIONS

4. WEDDINGS

5. WHEN A BABY IS BORN

6. WHEN A CHILD IS BAPTIZED

7. WHEN SOMEBODY PASSED AWAY

 Name days 1
Did you know that name days are more important than birthdays in Greece?
Birthdays are celebrated in the case of young children or those who do not have a
name day. However, when people reach their twenties, they will generally celebrate
only their name day (following the Orthodox calendar of saints’ names).

Χρόνια πολλά! [chronia polla] Many years to you! Long

may you live!

Και του χρόνου! [ke too chronoo] And next year! = May you
enjoy good health &
celebrate your name
day next year as well!

Να χαίρεσαι [na cherese May your name bring you

το όνομά σου! to onoma soo] joy! Congratulations on
your name day!
Happy Name Day!

Να σε χαίρεται [na se cherete ee May your family be happy

η οικογένειά σου! eekoyenia soo] for you!

Να τον/ την [na ton/ teen May he/ she enjoy good health
χαίρεσαι! cherese] and bring happiness to your life!
May you enjoy his/ her presence
in your life! (This wish is expressed
to family members. For example,
you can say this to the
partner or parents of
the person celebrating his /her
name day.)

www.omilo.com  5
 Birthdays 2
Although name days are more important in Greece, many people
or non-Greeks do not have a name day, so birthdays are very important too!

Χρόνια πολλά! [chronia polla] Many years to you!

Long may you live!

Πολύχρονος/ -η! ( * ) [polichronos/ -ee] Many years to you!

Να ζήσεις! [na zeesees] May you live long!

Να τα [na ta Here’s wishing that you live

εκατοστίσεις! ekatosteesees] to be a hundred!

Να τα χιλιάσεις! [na ta Here’s wishing that you live

cheeliasees] to be a thousand! (especially
when congratulating older people)

Ό,τι επιθυμείς! [otee Anything you wish for! May your

epithimees] dreams come true!

Να τον/ [na ton/ teen May he/ she enjoy good health
την χαίρεσαι! cherese] and bring happiness to your life!
May you enjoy his/ her presence
in your life! (This wish is
expressed to family members,
e.g. the partner or parents
of the person celebrating
his/ her birthday.)

Και του χρόνου! [ke too chronoo] And next year! = May you be
healthy and celebrate
your birthday next year as well!

Do you know how to sing the Greek Birthday song?

Click here to watch the video, and sing along with teachers and students :)

www.omilo.com  6
 Religious Celebrations 3
Καλές γιορτές! [kales yiortes] Happy holidays!
(This wish is for Christmas
and Easter holidays)

Καλά Χριστούγεννα! [kala christooyenna] Merry Christmas!

Καλές Aπόκριες! [kales apokreeyes] (Have a) nice carnival!

Καλή Καθαρά Δευτέρα! [kali kathara deftera] (Have a) nice Clean

Monday!
Καλή Σαρακοστή! [kali sarakosti] (Have a) nice Lent
(40 days till Easter)!

Καλό Πάσχα! [kalo pascha] Happy Easter!

Καλή Ανάσταση! [kali anastasi] Happy Resurrection Day!

(this wish is used on
Easter Saturday)

Καλό [kalo (Have a) nice 15th

Δεκαπενταύγουστο! dekapentavgoosto] of August!

(Have a) nice three-day

Καλό τριήμερο! [kalo triimero] weekend!
(when a person has
Friday or Monday off)

www.omilo.com  7
 Weddings 4
Η ώρα η καλή! [ee ora ee kalee] May the wedding day
come soon (used in the period
before the wedding, a wish to the
couple on their engagement).

Να ζήσετε! [na zeesete] Long may you live!

Καλούς απογόνους! [kaloos apogonoos] May you have good children!

Συγχαρητήρια! [seencharitiria] Congratulations!

Και στα δικά σου! [ke sta deeka soo] May you get married too! (to the
people who are invited at the
wedding)

www.omilo.com  8
 When a baby is born 5
Με έναν πόνο! [me enan pono] (May you give birth) with only
one pain!

Καλή λευτεριά! [kali leftheria] Wishing you well when you

give birth! (a wish to the
"mother- to- be”).

Να σας ζήσει! [na sas zeesee] May your child live a long and
healthy life! (after the baby is
born, a wish for the parents
and family)

Να είναι τυχερός/ [na eene teecheros/ May he/ she/ the baby be
/-ή, /-ό! ( * ) -ee/ -o] lucky!

Γερό και δυνατό! [yero ke deenato] (May your child be) healthy
and strong!

www.omilo.com  9
Να σας ζήσει
When a child is baptized
[na sas zeesee May your child (the newly
6
ο νεοφώτιστος/ o neofotistos / baptized) live a long and
η νεοφώτιστη! ( * ) ee neofotistee] healthy life!

Να είναι [na eene May your child

ευτυχισμένος/ -η/ -ο! ( * ) eftichismenos/ -ee/ -o] be happy!

Πάντα άξιος/ -ια! [panda aksios -ia] May you always have such
achievements! (to the godfather/
godmother of the child)

When somebody passed away

Συλλυπητήρια! [Seeleepeeteeria] Condolences!
7
Ζωή σε εσάς! [zoee se esas] Life to you!

Να ζήσετε [na zeesete na May you live long and

να τον/ την θυμάστε! ton/ teen theemaste] always remember him/ her!

Ο Θεός να τον/ την [o theos na ton/ teen May God rest his/ her soul
αναπαύσει - anapafsee - -forgive him/ her!
να τον/ την συγχωρέσει! na ton/ teen
seenchoresee]

(* on p. 6 - 10)
In order to use these wishes correctly, you need a bit of grammar. Depending on the
gender of the person you are talking to, you use the following endings:
Masculine: ending in “os ” e.g. τυχερός (lucky)
Feminine: ending in “η” e.g. τυχερή (lucky)
Neuter (also babies!): ending in “o” e.g. τυχερό (lucky)
In this e-book, we try to keep the grammar as easy as possible. However, if you want to
learn more about grammar, you are very welcome to book one of our group or
individual courses.

www.omilo.com  10
EVERYDAY
GREEK
WISHES
1. A NEW BEGINNING IN THE CALENDAR

WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN SOMEBODY HAS

2. JUST BOUGHT SOMETHING NEW?

3. HOW DO YOU SAY “WELCOME” OR “GOODBYE”?

4. WHAT DO YOU SAY DURING A MEAL OR WHEN

INVITED FOR DINNER?

5. WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN SOMEBODY IS SICK?

6. HOW DO YOU WISH SOMEBODY TO HAVE FUN?

HOW DO YOU WISH SOMEBODY A GOOD

7. NIGHT’S REST?

8. WHAT DO YOU WISH SOMEBODY

WHO IS SARTING SOMETHING NEW?

9. HOW DO YOU CONGRATULATE SOMEBODY?

 A new beginning in the calendar 1
Every beginning should have positive energy! And this is something that occurs a
lot in Greece! Not only are the typical “New Year’s” wishes important, but also
every first day of the month, the first day of the week, the weekend, the beginning
of summer, etc. Learn these easy wishes by heart and surprise your Greek friends
every Monday or first day of the month with a nice wish.

Καλή χρονιά! [kalee chroneeya] Happy New Year!

Ευτυχισμένος [efteecheesmenos Happy New Year!

ο νέος χρόνος! o neos chronos]

Καλό μήνα! [kalo meena] (Have a) nice month!

Καλή [kalee (Have a) good

πρωτομαγιά! protomayia] 1st of May!

Καλή [kalee (Have a) good

πρωταπριλιά! protapreeleea] 1st of April!

Καλή [kalee (Have a) nice week!

εβδομάδα! evdomada]

Καλό [kalo (Have a) nice

σαββατοκύριακο! savatokeeryeeako] weekend!

Καλό [kalo (Have a) nice

καλοκαίρι! kalokeree] summer!

Καλό [kalo (Have a) nice

χειμώνα! cheemona] winter!

www.omilo.com  12
What do you say when somebody has just bought something new?
2
Did you know that Greeks also say a wish when someone buys something
new? When you see your Greek friend with brand new shoes, a new shirt or
even with a new haircut, do not forget to wish him/ her : “me yia”! When the
newly bought item is of considerable size and value, then there are other
things you can say as well. Take a look below.

Με γεια! [me yia] With health! = Enjoy your

new acquisition!
(This expression Greeks even use
when somebody gets a new
haircut!)

Καλορίζικο! [kaloreezeeko] Enjoy your new house!

Καλοτάξιδο! [kalotakseedo] Enjoy your new car, motor-bike. . . !

How do you say “welcome” or “goodbye”?

3
Omilo participants travel a lot to Greece, sometimes several times
per year. They make Greek friends for life, visit them and socialize.
For anyone traveling to or in Greece, you will hear these wishes very
often. And of course, do not forget to say them when your Greek
friends visit you or go on holiday!

Καλό δρόμο!/ [kalo dromo/ sto kalo] Drive (home) safely!

Στο καλό!

Καλό ταξίδι! [kalo takseedee] Have a nice trip!

Καλή αντάμωση! [kalee antamosee] Until we meet again!

www.omilo.com  13
 Καλές διακοπές! [kales deeyakopes] Enjoy your holidays!

Καλώς ήρθες/ [kalos eerthes/ Welcome!

όρισες! oreeses]

Καλώς [kalos Welcome! (For male you

τον/ την/ τους! ton/ teen/ toos] use “ton” and for female
you use “tin”, for plural "toos"

www.omilo.com  14
What do you say during a meal or when invited for dinner?
4
Good food is very important in Greece. With joyful moments or celebrations,
people come together to eat and drink. People who are good cooks get a lot of
compliments. When you are invited for dinner or you invite your Greek friends,
here is what you can say:

Καλή όρεξη! [kali oreksee] Enjoy your meal!

Στηνdo
What υγειά
youσας/
sayμας!
during a[steen
mealiyia
or sas/
when mas]
invited forCheers!
dinner? (literally: to
your/ our health)
Γεια μας! [yia mas] Cheers! (literally: to our
health)

Άσπρο πάτο! [aspro pato] Bottoms up!

Καλή χώνεψη! [kalee chonepsee] "(Have a) good digestion!”

Γεια στα χέρια σου! [yia sta cheryeea soo] “Bless your hands!” (a wish
you can say to the cook)

www.omilo.com  15
 What do you say when somebody is sick?
5
It is never nice to hear that a friend is sick, so it is important to
know how to wish him/ her well. These wishes can be also used to
write on a card or in a message.

Περαστικά! [perasteeka] Get well soon!

Σιδερένιος/ -ια! [seederenios/ -ia] “Iron!”= May you

be strong as iron again!

Καλή ανάρρωση! [kalee anarosee] Get well!

How do you wish someone to have fun?

6
Greeks are outgoing and like to celebrate, dance, have fun, attend concerts,
performances, etc. Whenever your friend is about to go out on the town or leaves on
holiday or goes to an event, do not forget to wish him or her a lot of fun!

Καλή διασκέδαση! [kalee deeyaskedasee] Have fun!

Καλά να περάσεις! [kala na perasees] Have a nice time!

www.omilo.com  16
 How do you wish somebody a good night’s rest?
7
Going out is nice, but sleeping well is even more important! You probably have
already heard “καληνύχτα [kalinichta]” (good night), but you can surprise your
friends with some extra sweet wishes!

Καλόν ύπνο! [kalon eepno] (Have a) good sleep!

Όνειρα γλυκά! [oneera gleeka] Sweet dreams!

Καλό ξημέρωμα! [kalo kseemeroma] “May you wake up well!”

Καλή ξεκούραση! [kalee ksekoorasee] (Have a) good rest!

(Can also be used for a nap/ siesta)

What do you wish somebody who is starting something new?

8
Every big step in life is important and requires a bit of courage. Therefore, it is good
to show support and encouragement with a nice wish. And every day you will find
an opportunity to use one of the wishes below:

Καλή τύχη! [Kalee teechee!] Good luck! We wish you

a lot of luck.
Καλή επιτυχία! [Kalee epeeteecheeya] Success/ All the best/
Good luck (this wish
expresses you want him/
her to succeed in something)

www.omilo.com  17
 Καλές δουλειές! [Kales dooleeyes] Good luck with your
(new) business!
Καλή δουλειά! [kalee dooleeya] Have a good day at your
job!
Καλή αρχή! [kalee archee] (Have a) good start!

How do you congratulate somebody?

9
Take every opportunity to motivate or congratulate somebody. It is easy and you
will give people a positive feeling! At the same time, it could be one more
opportunity to start a conversation!

Συγχαρητήρια! [seencharitiria] Congratulations!

Μπράβο! [bravo] Well done!

Και σε ανώτερα! [ke se anotera] “To an even more successful

or better future.”

www.omilo.com  18
 YOUR TO-DO-LIST
1. Learn the wishes in this e-book and listen to the correct pronunciation on
the audio. You can find the AUDIO links on page 3 of this eBook.

2. Do not try to memorize all the wishes, but start with those that you think
you can use often and that you feel comfortable with.

3. Use the wishes in real life; on the phone, on social media, during meetings
with Greek friends, in a Greek tavern, etc.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes, it is part of the fun :)

4. After expressing a wish, take the opportunity to start a small conversation.

(If you are already at that language level)

5. If this eBook is your very first Greek lesson, and you do not know the Greek
alphabet yet, it is a good idea to start learning it. It will make your life much
easier while in Greece, as well as more interesting :)
Do you want to learn the 24 letters of the Greek Alphabet?
Click here to watch the video and learn together with a native Greek teacher

However, after learning the 24 letters, there is more...the combination of

vowels and consonants. If you want to proceed, then the complete multi-media
Alphabet-eBook is the ideal solution, with videos, audio, exercises, etc...

Καλή επιτυχία!
[Kali epitichia] Wishing you success!

Kαλό μάθημα!
[Kalo mathima] Enjoy your lesson!

www.omilo.com  19
 More Greek eBooks
All Language Levels
We hope that this eBook helped you to start your Greek Language Journey,
and first conversations in Greek.

Apart from learning the Greek wishes,

there are several other ways in which you
can achieve your Greek learning goals.

Are you interested in learning more Greek

with eBooks, Language books or Easy
Readers?

Click here to take a look at the Omilo

Publications and learn more Greek with us.
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