The easiest way to start a conversation with locals is to speak their language. This doesn’t mean you need to take Greek lessons for a few years before going on a trip to Greece. However, a simple thank you in Greek can take you a very long way.
How do you say thank you in Greek?
This is the first article in a series that’s meant to help you learn a few of the basic Greek words, Greek greetings and phrases to use on your travels.
You’ll learn several ways to say thank you in Greek, among many other useful things.
Contents of Thank You in Greek
Efharisto Is Thank You in Greek: Simple as That
The word ‘efharisto’ Greek people use all the time means ‘thank you’ or ‘thanks’.
Here’s how you spell it in Greek: eυχαριστώ
If you want to know how to pronounce eυχαριστώ (thank you in Greek), you’ll do by remembering it sounds just like the name ‘F Harry Stowe’ (as someone told me a while ago).
This simple thank you Greek word should be enough for you to connect with local people. However, you can add various flavors to it such as ‘thank you very much’, ‘thanks a lot’ or the formal pronoun ‘sas’, the polite plural that can make the difference between the formal ‘Thank You’ in Greek and the informal ‘Thanks’ you’d use when talking to your friends.
Thanks a lot in Greek is ευχαριστώ πολύ (efharisto poli).
Thank you very much in Greek is ευχαριστώ πάρα πολύ (efcharistó para poli). I haven’t heard this version much, I have to say. I haven’t used it either, because I don’t like to exaggerate with my politeness. Nevertheless, it’s always good to know that you can use it.
How To Reply When People Thank You in Greek
You may wonder what should follow a thank you in Greek. The right things to say is παρακαλώ (parakaló), which means ‘you’re welcome’.
Let’s say you’re in Santorini and you take one of these flying dress photo shoots. Wouldn’t in be nice to be able to thank the photographer in Greek?
What if you were having an awesome dinner at Pelagia’s Yard in Georgioupolis, Crete and you wanted to show your hosts that you loved their service?
Yes, a fat tip is a nice way to do it, but so is a thank you in Greek with the proper pronunciation.
What Makes Spelling Thank You in Greek So Complicated
The Greek alphabet makes learning the language seem too complicated to bother trying.
Once you can spell the word, you’ll see that the pronunciation isn’t as complicated as it seems at the first glance.
My Trick To Remember the Greek Spelling
After dozens of trips across Greece, now I can read Greek almost fluently, even though I can’t speak it.
During my first encounters with the Greek language, though, I couldn’t read street signs or maps. I discovered that I could put my math and physics lessons to good use in Greece.
For example, χ is one of the symbols that are used in mathematics. We learned it was ‘hi’, so I worked out that I should spell it as an ‘h’. Similarly, ρ is ‘ro, λ is ‘lambda’ and ώ is omega (the angular frequency in Physics classes).
Now that you know how to say thank you in Greek, what are you going to do with it? Just book a trip and go!
