Language Guide
Survival Greek for Cyprus: Essential Everyday Phrases (2026)
You do not need fluent Greek to be polite and capable in Cyprus. A handful of greetings, numbers and practical phrases will make daily life warmer, especially in villages, offices, bakeries, pharmacies and with older neighbours.
Pronunciation tip: learn Standard Greek phrases first. Locals may answer in English or Cypriot Greek, but the effort is noticed.
First Phrases
| English | Greek | Easy pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | ¦£¦Å¦É¦Á ¦Ò¦Á? | YAH sas |
| Good morning | ¦ª¦Á¦Ë¦Ç¦Ì?¦Ñ¦Á | ka-lee-ME-ra |
| Good evening | ¦ª¦Á¦Ë¦Ç¦Ò¦Ð?¦Ñ¦Á | ka-lee-SPE-ra |
| Thank you | ¦¥¦Ô¦Ö¦Á¦Ñ¦É¦Ò¦Ó? | ef-ha-ree-STO |
| Please / you are welcome | ¦°¦Á¦Ñ¦Á¦Ê¦Á¦Ë? | pa-ra-ka-LO |
| I do not speak Greek well | ¦¤¦Å¦Í ¦Ì¦É¦Ë?¦Ø ¦Ê¦Á¦Ë? ¦Å¦Ë¦Ë¦Ç¦Í¦É¦Ê? | then mee-LA-o ka-LA el-lee-nee-KA |
| Do you speak English? | ¦¬¦É¦Ë?¦Ó¦Å ¦Á¦Ã¦Ã¦Ë¦É¦Ê?; | mee-LA-te an-glee-KA? |
Useful Situations
- At a shop: "¦°?¦Ò¦Ï ¦Ê?¦Í¦Å¦É;" (PO-so KA-nee?) means "How much is it?"
- At a cafe: "?¦Í¦Á¦Í ¦Ê¦Á¦Õ?, ¦Ð¦Á¦Ñ¦Á¦Ê¦Á¦Ë?" means "One coffee, please."
- Directions: "¦°¦Ï? ¦Å?¦Í¦Á¦É...?" (POO EE-ne?) means "Where is...?"
- Help: "¦¶¦Ñ¦Å¦É?¦Æ¦Ï¦Ì¦Á¦É ¦Â¦Ï?¦È¦Å¦É¦Á" means "I need help."
- Pharmacy: "?¦Ö¦Å¦Ó¦Å...?" (E-he-te?) means "Do you have...?"
How to Learn Faster
- Use greetings every day, even when the conversation continues in English.
- Learn numbers, days and food words first; they appear everywhere.
- Keep a note of words from utility bills, rental contracts and road signs.
- Pair this page with the full Greek learning guide when you are ready for classes.
Related Guide: Learning Greek in Cyprus
Last reviewed: April 2026.