είμαι καλά
eimai kala/ˈi.me kaˈla/word by word
To say "I am well" in Greek, use είμαι καλά (eimai kala).
είμαι καλά is used as a response to indicate that you are in good health or that you are feeling happy.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb είμαι (I am) and the adverb καλά (well/good).
How does it change in a sentence?
Because καλά is an adverb, the phrase remains the same regardless of whether the speaker is male or female.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is eimai kala. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable. The IPA is /ˈi.me kaˈla/.
Did you know?
- The verb είμαι is a direct descendant of the Ancient Greek εἰμί, meaning the way you say 'I am' today has remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years.
- In Greek, if you say είμαι καλά with a certain tone, it can sometimes function more as a polite way to end a conversation rather than a deep report on your actual health.
- In casual conversation, Greeks often drop the είμαι and simply say καλά, meaning 'well'.
Examples in context
- Είμαι καλά, ευχαριστώ πολύ.Eímai kalá, efcharistó polý.I am well, thank you very much.
- Τώρα είμαι καλά.Tóra eímai kalá.I am well now.
- Είμαι καλά και πολύ χαρούμενο σήμερα.Eímai kalá kai polý charoúmeno símera.I am well and very happy today.
Example conversation
Two friends meet on the street.
- Μαρία MariaΓεια σου Γιώργο, τι κάνεις;Geia sou Giórgo, ti káneis?Hello Giorgos, how are you?
- Γιώργος GiorgosΕίμαι καλά, Μαρία. Εσύ;Eímai kalá, María. Esý?I am well, Maria. And you?
- Μαρία MariaΚι εγώ είμαι πολύ καλά.Ki egó eímai polý kalá.I am very well too.
- Γιώργος GiorgosΧαίρομαι πολύ για αυτό!Chaíromai polý gia aftó!I am very glad about that!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (είμαι, καλά) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries είμαι, CC BY-SA 4.0.
