From Day to Night: How to Greet in Greek
Learning how to say hello—and goodbye—is one of the first steps in speaking any language. In Greek, greetings change depending on the time of day. Let’s walk through a Greek day and learn how to greet people the local way!
Greek Greetings by Time of Day
- Καλημέρα (Kaliméra) – Good morning
- Καλησπέρα (Kalispéra) – Good evening
- Καληνύχτα (Kaliníkhta) – Good night
- Γειά σου (Yiá sou) – Hi / Hello (casual)
- Χαίρετε (Chérete) – Hello (formal)
Kids can greet family members, friends, or teachers with the right word depending on the hour!
How Greetings Sound and Feel
Greek greetings are often said with a smile and a warm tone. Some are used only once a day, while others can be repeated often.
Try this mini-dialogue:
Child: Καλημέρα! (Good morning!)
Parent: Καλημέρα, πώς είσαι; (Good morning, how are you?)
Activities: Greet Around the Clock
“Greeting Match”
Make a clock face and match greeting phrases to different times—morning, afternoon, night.
“Hello Hop”
Play a game where each time of day is a spot on the floor. Call out a greeting, and kids hop to the correct one!
Dinolingo introduces greetings early through video, audio, and repeat-after-me games, so kids get confident saying them out loud.
Final Thoughts
With just a few greetings, kids can start speaking Greek naturally—morning, noon, or night. It’s a small step that makes a big difference in language learning.
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