γεια σου
geia sou/ˈʝasu/
γεια σου (geia sou) is the Greek phrase for 'yasoo', used as an informal greeting to say hello or goodbye to one person.
The phrase γεια σου is versatile and can be used both when arriving to say hello or when leaving to say goodbye.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of γεια, meaning 'health' and σου, meaning 'to you/your', so it literally means 'health to you'.
Which one should you use?
While γεια σου is used for one person in an informal context, γεια σας is used when addressing multiple people or when addressing one person with formal politeness.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word σου is the singular, informal possessive/dative form of the second person pronoun.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is geia sou and the IPA is /ˈʝasu/.
Did you know?
- The word 'yasoo' shares an ancestor with the English word 'hygiene', which also stems from the Ancient Greek root for 'health'.
- In Greece, it is common to accompany γεια σου with a light kiss on both cheeks when greeting friends or family.
- While γεια σου is the standard greeting, Greeks often use the phrase καλημέρα specifically until about 12 o'clock noon, regardless of how well they know the person.
Examples in context
- Γεια σου, Άννα!Hello, Anna!
- Γεια σου, Κώστα!Hello, Kostas!
- Γεια σου, τι κάνεις;Ya sou, ti kaneis;Hello, how are you?
- Γεια σου, σε βλέπω αργότερα.Ya sou, se vlepo argotera.Goodbye, I'll see you later.
- Γεια σου, καλημέρα!Ya sou, kalimera!Hello, good morning!
Example conversation
Two friends meet on the street.
- Γιώργος GiorgosΓεια σου, Αναστασία!Geia sou, Anastasia!Hello, Anastasia!
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΓεια σου, Γιώργο! Τι νέα;Geia sou, Giorgo! Ti nea?Hi, Giorgos! What's new?
- Γιώργος GiorgosΌλα καλά, εσύ πώς είσαι;Ola kala, esy pos eisai?All good, how are you?
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΕίμαι καλά, ευχαριστώ!Eimai kala, efcharisto!I am well, thank you!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry γεια σου, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries γεια, σου, CC BY-SA 4.0.
