Greek, Greek Common Words, Greek Textbooks, Greek Vocabulary, Most Common Greek Words - August 19, 2022

Learn The Most Common Greek Words

For almost all conversations in Greek, except perhaps non-verbal communication, a basic knowledge of Greek vocabulary is necessary. You will still use basic Greek words, nouns, verbs and adjectives in your everyday interactions with friends, neighbors, and coworkers.

For fluency in any language, it is essential to master the most basic vocabulary first. Research has shown that 92% of Greek spoken language is composed of 2500 words. 82% of all Greek texts you will ever see are made up of the top 2500 Greek words. This is remarkable, considering there are about 150,000 words in modern usage. Learning by frequency is an excellent method to quickly increase your knowledge of common words in Greek.

Common Greek words are a great way to communicate quickly and open up doors. Even if your grammar and verb conjugation are not perfect, you can still "get by" with enough words. It is much easier to read, write, and understand Greek if you have sufficient vocabulary. You'll be no Pulitzer Prize winner, but are able to go about your daily life well enough.

For building a strong foundational vocabulary, it is crucial to be familiar with the common words of the language. Learn the most common words first, then expand your vocabulary by learning more relevant terms to your situation. Example: You will go surfing in Greece? The first step is to build your vocabulary. Then, look for or make a vocabulary list that covers surfing terminologies.

The MostUsedWords Lists of Common Greek Words

Frequency dictionaries are a way to quickly learn Greek vocabulary. Our Greek series provides a well-organized list of the most common Greek words. These books can be downloaded as e-books on our website or as paperbacks through Amazon.

Our books are organized by a general frequency list, as frequency as part of speech, and by alphabet. Each entry has IPA phonetic spelling, so you know how to pronounce the Greek word right. Because you learn vocabulary in chunks, all entries come with a Greek to English sample sentence.

Below are the links to the paperbacks on Amazon. They are affiliate links. That means we might get a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking these links.

Two sets of our Greek Frequency Dictionaries will help you get the most out of your Greek studies. It's available on our website! You can communicate confidently in different situations thanks to the top 5000 Greek words.

Greek Words for Beginners

Here are some common sentences and words from Greek to help you get started with learning it. These are a great method to get your basic Greek vocab started.

Common Greek Greetings

It is impossible to communicate with small groups of people without knowing Greek greetings first. Here are some:

“Καλημέρα” which means “Good morning”

“Καλό απόγευμα” which means “Good afternoon”

“Καλό απόγευμα” which also means “Good evening”

“Καληνυχτα” which means “Good night”

“Πώς είσαι;?” which means “How are you?”

“Πώς πάει?” which means “How’s it going?”

“Τι κάνεις?” which means “What are you doing?”

“Τι συμβαίνει?” which means “What’s happening?”

You can use these following conversational Greek phrases as a reply if someone asks you those questions:

“Καλά ευχαριστώ”, meaning: Good, thank you

“Πολύ καλά”, meaning: Very well

“Ετσι κι έτσι”, meaning: So, so

“Οπως πάντα”, meaning: As always

“Και εσύ?”, meaning: And you?

How to Introduce Yourself in Greek

You can say these to introduce yourself:

“Το όνομά μου είναι” - My name is

“Είμαι” - I am

You can ask for the name of the person you are talking to by saying:

“Πως σε λένε?” - What is your name?

And you can answer them by saying:

“Ευχαρίστηση” which means “pleasure”

“Χαίρομαι που σε γνωρίζω” which means “nice to meet you”

Common Polite Words and Expressions in Greek

These Greek phrases are sure to come in handy to avoid offending anyone during a conversation. Being polite can take you anywhere! Try it by saying:

“Ευχαριστώ!” - Thank you!

“Ευχαριστώ πολύ!” - Thank you very much!

“Παρακαλώ!” - You’re welcome!

“Κανένα πρόβλημα!” - No problem!

“Σας παρακαλούμε” - Please

“Συγνώμη!” - Sorry!

“Με συγχωρείς!” - Excuse me!

Common Question Words in Greek

To make your conversations with people more effective, you need to be able to ask questions. Here are some Greek question words that you can learn immediately:

“Τι?” - What?

“ΠΟΥ?” - Who?

“Πότε?” - When?

“Οπου?” - Where?

“Γιατί;” - Why?

“Οι οποίες?” - Which?

“Πως?” - How?

Here are more useful questions you might like to know:

Saying “τι ώρα είναι?” is how you ask what time is it

Saying “από που είσαι?” is how you ask where they are from

Saying “που μένεις?” is how you ask where they live

Saying “Μπορείς να με βοηθήσεις?” is how you ask if they can help you

Saying “Μπορώ να σε βοηθήσω?” is how you ask if you can help them

Saying “Πόσο κοστίζει?” is how you ask how much it cost

Saying “Καταλαβαίνεις?” is how you ask if they understand

Saying “Μιλάς αγγλικά?” is how you ask if they speak English

Saying “¿Qué significa [word]?” is how you ask what [word] means

Saying “Μπορείς να μιλήσεις αργά?” is how you ask them if they can speak slowly

Saying “Πού μπορώ να βρω ταξί;” is how you ask where to find a taxi

And you should know what to answer:

“Ναί” means: Yes

“Οχι” means: No

“Μπορεί” means: Maybe

“Πάντα” means: Always

“Ποτέ” means: Never

“Φυσικά” means: Of course

“Κανένα πρόβλημα!” means: No problem!

“Δεν καταλαβαίνω!” means: I don’t understand!

“Δεν γνωρίζω!” means: I don’t know!

“Δεν έχω ιδέα!” means: I have no idea!

“Δεν μιλάω ελληνικά” means: I don’t speak Greek

“Εχω χαθεί” means: I’m lost

“Τα ελληνικά μου είναι κακά” means: My Greek is bad

Celebrate in Greek

Greek has many expressions that can be used to celebrate special occasions. These phrases are ideal for events such as birthdays or parties with friends:

“Χαρούμενα γενέθλια!” to say “Happy Birthday!”

“Συγχαρητήρια!” to say “Congratulations!”

“Καλα να περνατε!” to say “Have fun!”

“Καλή όρεξη” to say “Have a good meal!”

“Καλως ΗΡΘΑΤΕ!” to say “Welcome!”

“Στην υγειά σας!” to say “Cheers!”

Saying goodbye in Greek

It's difficult to say goodbye, especially if you don’t know how. Here are some Greek phrases you can use to end a conversation and leave:

“Αντιο σας” means “Goodbye”

“Τα λέμε αργότερα” means “See you later”

“Τα λέμε αύριο” means “See you tomorrow”

“Τα λέμε” means “See you”

“Να προσέχεις!” means “Take care!”

“Να εχεις μια ωραια μερα!” means “Have a nice day!”

“Τα λέμε σύντομα!” means “See you soon!”

“Καλό ταξίδι!” means “Have a good trip!”

This list of common Greek words will make it easy to communicate with a native speaker for the first time. It is easy to learn the vocabulary and phrases by practicing them repeatedly. Your progress will lead you to fluency in the language. This will make it easy to remember the words, and you'll be able to speak them naturally in no time.

Resources for Adding More Greek Words to Your Vocabulary

You can't put all the Greek words in one article. A reliable and useful source is essential if you truly want to learn Greek. The Greek frequency dictionaries are made specifically for those who wish to improve their Greek. They can be used by students at all levels:

MostUsedWords created these books for learners who are aiming to reach a certain language fluency. We made sure that each book can accommodate you, even with varying levels of fluency. With a total of 10,000 Greek words divided into these, we help you reach your goal. The frequency dictionaries can either be used alone or together with other language learning programs, apps, or books. You can get them as e-books from our website, or as paperbacks from Amazon.

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