γεια
geia/ˈʝa/
The Greek word for "hi" is γεια (geia).
γεια is used as a friendly, informal greeting.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
γεια is a shortened form of the noun γεια, which means "health".
Which one should you use?
Use γεια σου for a single person informally and γεια σας for a group or for one person formally.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "hi to you" to one person informally, you add the pronoun σου to make γεια σου. To say "hi to you" to a group of people or to one person formally, you use γεια σας.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is geia and the IPA is /ˈʝa/.
Did you know?
- In Greek mythology, Hygieia, whose name is the origin of γεια, was the goddess of health and the daughter of Asclepius.
- While γεια is the standard informal greeting, Greeks often pair it with a light kiss on both cheeks when greeting friends and family.
- In many Greek contexts, saying γεια can function as both a hello and a goodbye, similar to how 'bye' functions in English.
Examples in context
- Γεια σου, φίλε!Hi, friend!This sentence shows how to use γεια when greeting a single friend.Tatoeba #2684025 by Zeus, translation #1635231 by Amastan
- Γεια σας, παιδιά.Hi, guys.This sentence shows how to use γεια when addressing a group of people.Tatoeba #5485752 by Zeus, translation #2561375 by Hybrid
- "Γεια, Τόμ!" "Γεια, Μαιρη!""Hi, Tom!" "Hi, Mary!"These sentences show how to use γεια when greeting individuals by name.Tatoeba #2738749 by Ricardo14, translation #2738724 by Hybrid
- Γεια σας, πώς είστε;Hello, how are you?
- Γεια, τι κάνεις;Hi, how are you?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dimitris and Kyriaki meet at a cafe.
- Δημήτρης DimitrisΓεια, Κυριακή!Geia, Kyriaki!Hi, Kyriaki!
- Κυριακή KyriakiΓεια σου, Δημήτρη!Geia sou, Dimitri!Hi, Dimitris!
- Δημήτρης DimitrisΠώς είσαι;Pos eisai;How are you?
- Κυριακή KyriakiΚαλά, ευχαριστώ.Kala, efcharisto.Fine, thanks.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries γεια, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries γεια, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
