καλό βράδυ
kaló vrády
To say "have a good evening" in Greek, you use καλό βράδυ (kaló vrády).
This phrase is a polite greeting used to wish someone a pleasant night when you are parting ways.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective καλό (good) and the noun βράδυ (evening/night).
Which one should you use?
While καλησπέρα is used as a greeting when arriving or meeting someone in the evening, καλό βράδυ is used specifically when parting ways to wish someone a good rest of their night.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the neuter singular form of the adjective καλός to match the neuter noun βράδυ.
How do you pronounce it?
kaló vrády
When do people say it?
When someone says καλό βράδυ, a common polite response is εσείς επίσης (you too) if you are addressing them formally or κι εσύ (you too) if you are addressing a friend or someone informally.
Did you know?
- The word βράδυ actually shares a root with the Ancient Greek word for 'slow'. It is thought that the 'evening' was seen as the slowest, most lingering part of the day.
- Greek has a similar semantic development to Spanish, where the word for 'evening' in Greek and 'afternoon' in Spanish both evolved from roots meaning 'late' or 'slow'.
- Using εσείς επίσης as a response to καλό βράδυ is not just about being formal, but is often used as a sign of respect toward elders even if the relationship is close.
Examples in context
- Καλησπέρα κύριε Παπαδόπουλε, καλή σας βραδιά.Hello, Mr. Papadopoulos, have a good evening.
- Γεια σου Μαρία, καλό βράδυ.Hi, Maria, have a good evening.
- Καλό βράδυ σε όλους!Kaló vrády se ólous!Have a good evening, everyone!
- Γεια σας, καλό βράδυ.Geia sas, kaló vrády.Goodbye, have a good evening.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are leaving the office at the end of the day.
- Δημήτρης DimitrisΤελείωσα τη δουλειά μου, Μαρία.Teleíosa ti douleiá mou, María.I finished my work, Maria.
- Μαρία MariaΚι εγώ. Ας πάμε σπίτι.Ki egó. As páme spíti.Me too. Let's go home.
- Δημήτρης DimitrisΤα λέμε αύριο. Καλό βράδυ!Ta léme ávrio. Kaló vrády!See you tomorrow. Have a good evening!
- Μαρία MariaΕυχαριστώ, Δημήτρη. Καλό βράδυ!Efcharistó, Dímitri. Kaló vrády!Thank you, Dimitris. Have a good evening!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry καλό βράδυ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries βράδυ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
