In Greek lesson 10, you will learn how to introduce yourself in Greek effectively.
When you initiate a conversation with someone, it is customary to provide your name, where you’re from, and some personal details such as your career and hobbies or interests. Additionally, you can mention why you are in Greece, perhaps for a vacation.
To perfect your pronunciation and learn to speak Greek fluently, practice speaking the blue and red text out loud as an English speaker would. The red and blue versions are slightly different to assist in correct pronunciation.
Speaking the words and phrases aloud is an efficient way to master the art of introducing yourself in Greek quickly.
How to Introduce Yourself in Greek
When meeting someone new, you will probably want to know their name and give them your name as well.
Here are a few different ways to ask for a person’s name in Greek, shown in bold lettering under the following heading.
What is your name? (How to ask in Greek)
What’s your name? Pos se le-ne? (informal/casual way of asking) This is the most common phrase used when asking someone’s name.
What’s your name? Pos sas le-ne? (formal way of asking.)
What’s your name? Pi-yor ee-neh tor onor-mar sou? (another way – informal)
What’s your name? Pi-yor ee-ne tor orn-or-mar sas? (another way – formal)
You can answer this question in a few different ways. An easy way to tell someone your name is the very first way shown below.
You may also want to use one of the Greek greetings mentioned in Greek lesson 1 before telling someone your name — something like Ya (Hi) or Kalimera (Good morning).
How to tell people your name in Greek
There is a casual and formal way when telling someone your name in Greek.
My name is, John (casual/informal)
Meh-len-eh, John
Meh-len-eh, John
Saying this in Greek is also the equivalent of saying: They call me John.
This is the most common way in Greek to tell someone your name.
You can still introduce yourself in the above way in formal situations.
I am, John / I am Olivia (casual/informal)
Im-meh o, John / Im-eh i, Olivia
Ee-meh or, John / Eem-eh i Olivia
Here is another way to introduce yourself.
Note: “o” is used for males and “i” is used for females.
Note: If you want to say “I am” or “I’m” in Greek, it’s said in the exact same way.
Introducing yourself in the above way can still be used in formal situations, but it is more suited for informal/casual introductions.
I’m, John / I’m Olivia (casual/informal)
Eg-or im-meh o, John / Eg-or im-meh i, Olivia
Eh-goh ee-meh or, John / Eh-goh eem-eh i, Olivia
Note: “o” is used for males and “i” is used for females.
Introducing yourself in the above way can still be used in formal situations.
and, you?
ke, es-see
keh, ess-ee
Hi, I’m, John. Pleased to meet you. (informal)
Ya, meh-len-eh, John. Har-rika
Ya, mel-len-e, John. Har-rik-a
Har-rika is the most common way to say: Pleased to meet you.
nice to meet you (informal and formal)
hyeh-ror poli
h-yeh-ror por-li
The above “nice to meet you” reply can also be used in both informal/casual and formal situations.
My name is, John Lastname (formal)
On-or-marz-oum-meh, John Lastname
Onor-marz-ou-meh, John Lastname
Introducing yourself in the above manner can be used in formal situations like business meetings and interviews. Keep in mind, in formal situations, it is customary to state both your first and last name.
My name is, John Lastname (formal)
Tor on-or-ma mou in-ne, John Lastname
Tor or-norma mouh in-ne, John Lastname
The above way is another formal way of telling someone your name in a formal situation.
I’m, John Lastname. Pleased, to make your, acquaintance. (formal)
Leh-gor-meh, John Lastname. Hyeh-ror pol-ee, ya ti, gnor-ri-mia
Legor-meh, John Lastname. Hyeh-ror por-lee, ya tee gno-ri-mee-ah
This is also suitable for very formal situations.
Where are you from? (in Greek)
When meeting someone, you may want to know where they are from. Another person may also want to know where you are from, so you may hear one of these questions in Greek. Here are several different ways to ask a person where they are from.
Where are you from? Arpor pu ee-seh? (informal/casual way of asking)
Where are you from? Arpor pu ee-steh? (formal way of asking)
Where do you come from? Arpor pou kar-tar-yeh-seh? (informal/casual way of asking)
Where do you come from? Arpor pu kar-tar-yeh-steh? (formal way of asking)
Telling someone where you are from in Greek
You can tell someone the country you are from in a few different ways.
I’m from, (Australia / Greece)
Im-meh apor tin (arf-strail-ee-a / El-lartha)
Ee-meh ar-por tin (arf-stray-lia /El-la-tha)
Note: When saying “I’m” and “I am” in Greek, it is said in the same way.
Greeks consider most names of countries to be feminine including Greece. Nearly all of the European countries are feminine. So you can consider feminine as the default gender of a country in Greek. Canada stands out as an exception as it is masculine.
- use “tin” for feminine names: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Island, Australia, Greece.
- use “ton” for masculine names: Canada
- use “to” for neutral names (for neuter – meaning neither): UK, Belgium
I am from the, United States
Im-meh apor, een-norm-men-ess pol-ee-tee-ess
Im-meh apor, in-norm-en-ess poly-tee-ess
People from America could say “Apo tis Inomenes Polities” which means from the United States. However, it’s very rare and old-fashioned.
The better thing to say is “I am American.”
I’m from the, UK
Im-meh apor toh, in-nor-meno varsil-ee-or
Im-meh ap-por tor, in-nor-menor vars-ilio
Saying “UK” and “United Kingdom” is said in the same way in Greek.
According to George: When you want to be more formal, we just translate: Inomeno Vassilio. However, people would often say…England, which is wrong, of course. The people coming from England are called Agglee (English). Oddly enough, sounds exactly like…”ugly.”
If somebody is from Scotland or Ireland, we will say Skotsezos or Irlanthos. We won’t say UK. Inomeno Vassilio will only be associated with the territory, regarding nationalities we will stick to the exact county (Skotia, Irlanthia, Oualia).
How to tell someone your nationality in Greek
When you tell someone your nationality or country of origin, how you say it depends on whether you are male or female. Here are a few examples.
I am (American / Australian / Canadian) – Male saying it
Im-meh arp-or (Ah-meh-ree-kah-noss / Af-strarl-oss / Kanath-oss)
Im-meh apor (Ameri-kar-noss / Af-strar-los / Kanath-oss)
I am (American / Australian / Canadian) – Female saying it
Eh-gor im-meh (Ameri-ka-nee-tha / Arf-strar-leza / Kah-nah-thee-see)
Eh-goh ee-meh (Ah-meh-ree-kah-nee-tha / Arf-stra-lez-a / Kana-thee-see)
Note: You could also say (as shown above): Eh-gor im-meh… (followed by your Nationality)
According to George: Greeks call people from the United States Americans. So, they use the word “Amerikani” (accent in the bold “a”). It’s rare to hear other variations, but one could say “Apo tis Inomenes Polities” which means from the United States. It’s very rare and old-fashioned, I never used it. Sometimes they call them “IPA” (Inomenes Polities Amerikis – United States of America), but this is more in the written language. I’d stick to Amerikani.
I am, Greek, (Australian / American) – Male saying it
Im-meh, Ell-lin-or, (Af-strarl-oss / Ameri-karn-oss)
Ee-meh, Ell-lin-oh, (Af-strar-loss / Ah-mer-ree-kah-noss)
I am, Greek, (Australian / American) – Female saying it
Im-meh, Ell-lin-itha, (Af-strarl-ez-a / Ameri-karn-eeth-a)
Ee-meh, Ell-lin-itha, (Af-strar-leza / Ah-mer-ree-kah-nee-thar)
Where do you live?
If you want to know where someone lives you can ask someone this question.
Where do you live? Pou men-ees? (Bothe males and females can ask in this way.)
Where do you live? Pou ess-see enka-testi-men-oss? (Males would say this. It is the equivalent of saying where are you based?)
Where do you live? Pou ess-see enka-testi-meni? (Females would say this. It is the equivalent of saying where are you based?)
I live in, Athens
Men-or stin, Ath-ina
Meno stin, Ath-eena
“stin” is used for Athens. Both males and females would say this.
“ston” is used for many other cities/places.
I live in, (London / Berlin)
Zo sto, (Lon-theen-or / Veh-ror-leen-or)
Zoh stor, (Lonth-een-or / Veror-leen-or)
Here is another way to say it.
Both males and females would say this.
I am from (Athens / New York)
Im-meh apor tin (Ath-ina / Nay-a Yorr-ki)
Ee-meh apo tin (Ath-een-a / Ney-a Yorr-kee)
Both males and females would say this.
I am from, London
Im-meh apor toh, Lon-veen-o
Ee-meh apo tor, Lon-veen-or
Both males and females would say this.
Telling someone your age in Greek
When meeting someone, the person speaking to you may want to know your name. Here are a few ways they could ask for your name in Greek (bold lettering).
How old are you? Por-sor hro-norn iss-seh? (informal/casual way of asking)
I am, 21, years old
Im-meh , ik-ors-see en-nos, hro-norn
Ee-meh, ik-orss-ee en-oss, hror-norn
Note: 21 in Greek is ik-or-see ena. But when saying 21 when responding with your age, you say ik-ors-see en-nos. Remember you don’t have to add “years old” at the end when giving this detail. In Greek, just as in English, you can say “I am 21.”
What brings you to Greece?
What brings you to Greece? Ti seh fern-ni stin El-larth-a?
holiday
thee-a-ko-pes
thee-a-kor-pez
Note: “Holiday” in Greek is “διακοπές” (diakopés). It is the same word as “holidays,” pronounced as “thi-a-ko-pes.” So “holiday” and “holidays” is the same word in Greek.
The time period has to be defined if you want to be more precise. For example, “Easter Holidays” is “Thiakopes Pascha” while the summer ones are “Thiakopes Kalokeriou” or “Kalokairines Thiakopes.”
I am in, Greece, for a, (holiday / vacation)
Im-meh stin, El-latha, ya, thee-a-ko-pes
Ee-meh stin, El-ar-tha, ya, thee-a-kor-pez
Both males and females would say this.
Note: “Holiday” and “Vacation” are the same in Greek.
I am in Greece for a one week holiday
Im-meh stin El-arth-ar ya, mia, ev-dor-marth-a, thee-a-koh-pes
Ee-meh stin El-arth-a ya, mia ev-dor-marth-a, thee-a-kor-pes
The above phrase would be said by both genders, male and female.
I am in, Greece, for, two, weeks, holiday
Im-meh stin, El-arth-ar, ya, thee-or, ev-dor-marth-ess, thee-a-koh-pes
Ee-meh stin, El-arth-a, ya, thee-o, ev-dor-marth-ess, thee-a-kor-pes
This above Greek phrase is said in the same way by both genders, male and female.
(I / We) have, three, weeks, vacation
(Ek-hor / Ek-houm), tr-ies, ev-dor-marth-ess, thee-a-koh-pes
(Ek-hor / Ek-houm), tris, ev-dor-marth-ess, thee-a-kor-pez
This above Greek phrase is said in the same way by both genders, male and female.
The number 3 in Greek is pronounced as thee-o, however because 3 is plural in this case, it becomes tr-ees.
honeymoon
min-nass tou meli-tos
mea-narss tou mel-i-toss
Honeymoon describes in Greek both the period after the wedding and also the journey the newlyweds usually take to celebrate the wedding.
The period is “Minas tu Melitos” (Month of Honey), and the journey is “Taxidi tu Melitos.” However, both 99% of the time refer to the journey of the newlyweds. One common question is:
“Pou Tha Pate Mina Tu Melitos?” – Where will you go in…
or “Pou Tha Pate Taxidi tu Melitos?” – Where will you travel to in…
What places are you going to visit in Greece?
When introducing yourself in Greek, you may also want to mention a place in Greece where you plan to visit. Here is what you can say.
I am going, to, visit, Santorini
Pih-geh-nor, nah, eh-pee-skeft-or, tee San-doh-ree-nee
(Pih-geh-nor / Pih-geh-mouh ), na, eh-pee-skeft-oh, ti San-doh-ree-nee
You could also say: “Tha” instead of “Pih-geh-nor na.”
“Tha” is Will. It means that sometime in the future, you will do something. “Pigeno Na” is for something that will happen shortly.
Somebody asks: Thiakopes kalokairiou? Tha pao stin Anafi (sometime in the future).
But, if you meet somebody accidentally on the street: Pou pas? Pigaino na paro kafe.
Visit: Episkepsi – which is where “eh-pee-skefti” comes from.
Both males and females would say the same thing.
We are going, to, visit, Santorini
Pih-geh-mouh, nah, eh-pee-skeft-oum-meh, tee San-doh-ree-nee
Pih-geh-mouh, na, epi-skef-toum-meh, ti San-doh-ree-nee
Both males and females would say the same thing.
You can also say, “Pame stin Santorini.” It’s a shortcut, it doesn’t change the meaning. Both are fine.
Introducing your Job/Career in Greek
Many people want to know what you do for work. So you may hear the following question in Greece.
What job do you do? Ti thou-lia karn-eis? (informal/casual way of asking)
There are thousands of different jobs, so I will only give one example in this Greek lesson so that you get an idea.
I am an (Engineer / IT specialist)
Im-meh (mikani-kos / pliror-fori-karios)
Ee-meh (mih-kan-ik-oss / pliro-fori-kar-ios)
Both males and females would say the same thing.
Usually, you need the industry to describe more accurately. For example, the aeronautical engineer is “Michanikos Aeroskafon.”
The word for IT is “Pliroforiki.”
The weird word to tell someone you are an IT Specialist: “Pliroforikarios.”
I am a, digital nomad – Male saying it
Im-meh eh-nas, psif-ia-kos nom-arth-az
Ee-meh en-nas, psif-ee-a-kos nor-mar-thas
I am a, digital nomad – Female saying it
Im-meh mia, psifi-ark-i nom-arth-az
Eem-meh mia, psif-ee-a-ki nor-mar-thas
Note: Females would say “mia” instead of “enas” which males would say.
How to talk about University studies in Greek
I go to, University
Pee-yen-or stor, pan-ne-pisti-mee-or
Pee-yen-or stoh, pan-neh-pist-ee-mior
I am a University student – Male saying it
Im-meh fi-ti-tiss stor pan-ne-pisti-mee-or
Ee-meh fiti-tis pan-ne-pisti-mio
Univeristy: Panepistimio
I am a University student – Female saying it
Im-meh fi-ti-tria stor pan-ne-pisti-mee-or
Ee-meh fiti-tree-a stor pan-ne-pisti-mio
When females say the above statement, the word student is pronounced: “fititria.”
How to introduce family (+ friends) in Greek
You may want to introduce a partner or a friend when you are in Greece. Here is what you can say.
This is my (wife / girlfriend) – Male saying it
Afti in-ne, i, (yin-ek-a / koh-pela) mou
Arf-ti een-ne, i, (yin-eka / kop-ella) mou
- wife: yin-ek-a
- girlfriend koh-pela
- husband sizzy-goss
- boyfriend: arg-or-ri
- friend: fil-oss
This is my (husband / boyfriend) – Female saying it
Aftos in-ne, (or sizzy-goss / tor arg-or-ri) mou
Arf-tos een-ne, (or sizzy-goss / tor arg-ori) mou
- husband sizzy-goss
- boyfriend: arg-or-ri
A female needs to say “or” before saying husband in Greek, and “tor” before saying boyfriend in Greek.
This is my friend – Male saying it
Arf-tos in-ne, o, fil-loss mou
Arf-torss een-ne, or, filos mou
This is my friend – Female saying it
Arf-ti in-ne, i, fili mou
Arf-ti een-ne, i, fil-i mou
I am (married / single) – Male saying it
Im-meh (pan-trem-men-oss / elef-ther-oss)
Eee-meh (pan-tre-menos / elef-thair-os)
I am (married / single) – Female saying it
Im-meh (pan-trem-meni / elef-theri)
Eee-meh (pan-tre-men-i / elef-thair-i)
I have (1 child / 2 children / 3 children)
Eh-hor (ena peth-i / thee-or ped-ia / tria ped-ee-a)
Eh-hor (ena pethi / thee-o pedi-ya / tree-a pedi-ya)
Introducing interests in Greek conversation
Here are some things you could say if someone asks you about your hobbies and interests.
What are your hobbies? Po-ya ee-nai ta hompi sou?
I like, hiking
Mou ar-res-si, i pez-or-por-ee-a
Mou ah-res-i, i pezor-poria
I love to, travel
Arg-arp-or, na tarxi-dev-or
Ah-garp-oh, na tarxi-dev-or
You can also say “Mou Aresei Na Taxidevo.” It doesn’t change the meaning.
Introduce Yourself in Greek – Conclusion
Greek lesson 10 (How to introduce yourself in Greek) is now complete.
Key Greek words/phrases/sentences taught in LESSON 10: 43
Now all you have to do is put it to the test in Greece by introducing yourself in Greek to someone in Greece.
Total number of key Greek words/phrases/sentences from all lessons so far: 291
Here are more Greek language lessons if you want to learn more Greek.
Greek Lesson – About the Reviewer
Thank you George for reviewing and improving Greek lesson 10: How to introduce yourself in Greek. George is the writer and photographer behind the travel blog Letters to Barbara. There are plenty of great articles on his website, so I encourage you to check it out.
Another great option is to read this fantastic interview with George Pavlopoulos on Greek Gods Paradise. It’s an excellent way to get to know George and learn more about his story.
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