γεια
geia/ˈʝa/
The Greek phrase for hello and goodbye is γεια (geia).
The shortened form γεια is highly versatile and can be used as both a greeting upon arrival and a farewell upon departure.
Which one should you use?
While γεια is a general form, you can also use γεια σου for one person you know well or γεια σας for multiple people or to show respect to one person.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the pronoun σου makes the phrase a singular, informal greeting or farewell, whereas adding the pronoun σας makes the phrase a plural or polite greeting or farewell.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is geia and the IPA is /ˈʝa/.
Did you know?
- The word γεια shares a common ancestor with the English word 'hygiene'.
- Though γεια is used for both arriving and leaving, Greeks often use the more specific αντίο when they believe they will not see the person for a long time. Using γεια for a final goodbye can sometimes feel too abrupt.
- Because γεια is so short and common, Greeks often repeat it twice γεια γεια when they are particularly excited to see someone or are waving to them from a distance.
Examples in context
- Γεια σας, κύριε ΓιώργοHello, Mr. George
- Γεια σου, Μαρία!Hi, Maria!
- Γεια, πώς είσαι;Geia, pos eisai;Hello, how are you?
- Γεια σου, τι κάνεις;Geia sou, ti kaneis;Hello, how are you doing?
- Γεια, θα τα πούμε αργότερα.Geia, tha ta poume argotera.Bye, we'll talk later.
Example conversation
Kostas and Anastasia meet briefly on the street.
- Κώστας KostasΓεια σου, Αναστασία!Geia sou, Anastasia!Hello, Anastasia!
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΓεια, Κώστα! Πώς είσαι;Geia, Kosta! Pos eisai;Hello, Kostas! How are you?
- Κώστας KostasΚαλά, αλλά τρέχω τώρα.Kala, alla trekho tora.Fine, but I'm running now.
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΕντάξει, γεια!Entaxei, geia!Okay, bye!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry γεια, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries γεια, CC BY-SA 4.0.
