καλησπέρα
kalispéra/kaliˈspera/
kalispera is the Greek phrase for "good evening".
The greeting καλησπέρα is used in the late afternoon or evening. It serves a dual purpose: you can use it as a way to say "hello" when arriving somewhere, or as a way to say "goodbye" when leaving.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is kalispéra and the IPA is /kaliˈspera/.
Did you know?
- The word εσπέρα inside καλησπέρα is a direct relative of the English word 'vespers', which refers to evening prayer services in the Christian church.
- If you are entering a small shop or a cafe in Greece, you may hear the staff say καλησπέρα to the entire room at once rather than greeting each customer individually.
- In Greece, the transition from saying καλημέρα to καλησπέρα is not fixed to a clock hour but often depends on when the speaker's specific 'day' feels like it has shifted toward evening.
Examples in context
- Καλησπέρα σε όλους.Kalispera se olous.Good evening to everyone.
- Καλησπέρα, τι κάνετε;Kalispera, ti kanete;Good evening, how are you?
Example conversation
Γιώργος meets Μαρία at a cafe in the late afternoon.
- Γιώργος GiorgosΚαλησπέρα, Μαρία!Kalispera, Maria!Good evening, Maria!
- Μαρία MariaΚαλησπέρα σου, Γιώργο.Kalispera sou, Giorgo.Good evening to you, George.
- Γιώργος GiorgosΠώς είσαι σήμερα;Pos eisai simera;How are you today?
- Μαρία MariaΠολύ καλά, ευχαριστώ.Poly kala, efcharisto.Very well, thank you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry καλησπέρα, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries καλησπέρα, CC BY-SA 4.0.
