Ways to say it
| Ancient Greek | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| χαῖρε | chaire | to one person |
| χαίρετε | chairete | to more than one |
To a group, the ending changes to χαίρετε (chairete). Greeks used the same word at the start and sometimes at the end of a letter.
What does it mean word for word?
χαῖρε is the imperative of the verb χαίρω, 'to rejoice', so the greeting literally tells someone 'rejoice' or 'be well'.
Which one should you use?
There was no separate casual or formal version of this greeting in Ancient Greek. The number of people addressed is the only thing that changes the word.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
χαῖρε worked in every setting, from greeting a stranger in the street to opening a letter to a king.
Is it said differently in some regions?
This greeting is attested across Greek literature from the classical period onward, used by Athenian writers such as Plato and Xenophon.
How does it change in a sentence?
χαῖρε is a verb form, not a noun, which is why it takes a plural ending -τε for more than one listener instead of a separate plural word.
How do you pronounce it?
The diphthong αι is pronounced like the English 'eye' in the reconstructed classical pronunciation, so χαῖρε sounds roughly like 'KHAI-re'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Greek did not have a distinct 'good morning' separate from 'hello'. The same χαῖρε was used at any time of day.
When do people say it?
Greek letters often opened with the sender's name, the recipient's name and χαίρειν, the infinitive form of the same verb, as a fixed epistolary greeting.
Did you know?
- χαῖρε comes from the same verb as χαρά, 'joy', so the Greek hello is literally a wish for happiness rather than a neutral word like the English 'hello'.
- Ancient Greek letters often closed with a form of the same verb, εὖ πράττειν or χαίρειν, tying the opening and closing of a letter together.
Examples in context
- χαῖρε, ὦ φίλε.chaire, o phile.Hello, my friend.
- χαίρετε, ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι.chairete, andres Athenaioi.Hello, men of Athens.
- χαῖρε καὶ σύ.chaire kai sy.Hello to you too.
Example conversation
Socrates greets his student Phaedrus on a path outside Athens.
- Socratesχαῖρε, Φαῖδρε.chaire, Phaidre.Hello, Phaedrus.
- Phaedrusχαῖρε, ὦ Σώκρατες.chaire, o Sokrates.Hello, Socrates.
- Socratesποῖ πορεύῃ?poi poreuei?Where are you going?
- Phaedrusεἰς τὸ ἄστυ.eis to asty.To the city.
