First impressions always matter and introducing yourself is probably the first thing you do when meeting new people. Whether you’re visiting Greece for vacation or for business, learning how to introduce yourself in Greek is something you’ll definitely need to do.
Don’t worry though, GreekPod101.com is here to help! In this article, we’ll present to you all the basic phrases for introducing yourself and much more. You’ll learn how to state your name, your age, your nationality, as well as your hobbies and interests. You’ll also learn how to share basic information about your family, your studies, and your profession.
Now, let’s dig into some of the most common Greek introductory phrases!
Table of Contents
- Identifying Yourself
- Placing Yourself within the Society
- Sharing Interests and Hobbies
- Cultural Insights, Customs, and Common Behaviors when Meeting New People
- Conclusion
1. Identifying Yourself
1- Stating Your Name
What’s the first step for a proper introduction? Yes, you guessed right! Saying “hello” and your name. In Greek, there are three alternatives that are used as shown in the examples below. Each one has pretty much the same meaning. There are only slight differences, which are demonstrated below.
Example 1: Με λένε… (Me léne…)
Greek: Με λένε Μαρία.
Romanization: Me léne María.
Translation: “They call me Maria.”
Example 2: Είμαι ο / η… (Íme o / i…)
Greek: Είμαι η Μαρία.
Romanization: Íme i María.
Translation: “I’m Maria.”
Both casual greetings in Greek, Με λένε… (Me léne…) and Είμαι ο/η… (Íme o / i…), are commonly used in everyday life and they can be used in both formal and informal occasions. However, they’re a bit more informal, as they’re preferred in common everyday and friendly encounters. Note that in Example 2, the article is subject to change, with ο used for men and η used for women. However, you can always use Με λένε… (Me léne…) in order to stay on the safe side. In both cases, you can also add your last name at the end.
Example 3: Ονομάζομαι… (Onomázome…)
Greek: Ονομάζομαι Μαρία Παπαδοπούλου.
Romanization: Onomázome María Papadopúlu.
Translation: “My name is Maria Papadopoulou.”
Example 4: Το όνομά μου είναι… (To ónomá mu íne…)
Greek: Το όνομά μου είναι Μαρία.
Romanization: To ónomá mu íne María.
Translation: “My name is Maria.”
Ονομάζομαι… (Onomázome…) and Το όνομά μου είναι… (To ónomá mu íne…) have the same purpose and meaning. Nevertheless, they’re preferred in more formal environments, such as business encounters, interviews, and the like. Ονομάζομαι… (Onomázome…) is the most common phrase and it can be accompanied by your first and last name. Please note that in Greek, it’s common in formal occasions to state your first name and then your last name.
If you don’t know how to write your name in Greek, ask our teachers on our Greek Names page!
2- Stating Your Age
Stating your age is another part of a proper introduction worldwide. However, when talking about your age in Greek, people state their age only if asked or when it’s required (e.g. during a job interview). In order to be able to state your age properly, you’ll also need to learn the numbers in Greek.
Example 1: Είμαι… χρονών. (Íme… hronón.)
Greek: Είμαι 25 χρονών.
Romanization: Íme íkosi pénde hronón.
Translation: “I am 25 years old.”
Example 2: Είμαι… ετών. (Íme… etón.)
Greek: Είμαι 25 ετών.
Romanization: Íme íkosi pénde etón.
Translation: “I am 25 years old.”
Both expressions have the same meaning, with the latter preferred in formal occasions.
3- Stating Your Nationality
To begin, you need to learn the name of your country in Greek. The rest is really simple. Just pick any of the following phrases when talking about your nationality in Greek.
Example 1: Είμαι από τον/την/το… (Íme apó ton/tin/to…)
Greek: Είμαι από τον Καναδά.
Romanization: Íme apó ton Kanadá.
Translation: “I am from Canada.”
Example 2: Κατάγομαι από τον/την/το… (Katágome apó ton/tin/to… )
Greek: Κατάγομαι από την Ελλάδα.
Romanization: Katágome apó tin Eláda.
Translation: “I come from Greece.”
Example 3: Έρχομαι από τον/την/το… (Érhome apó ton/tin/to…)
Greek: Έρχομαι από την Αγγλία.
Romanization: Érhome apó tin Anglía.
Translation: “I come from England.”
Please note that each country should be accompanied by the appropriate definite article, using τον (ton) for masculine names, την (tin) for feminine names, and το (to) for neutral names.
2. Placing Yourself within the Society
1- Stating Your Major / Profession
Another important component of a self-introduction is your major if you’re a student, or your profession. Again, in this case it’s not common in Greece to state your major or your profession right away. However, it can still be a good conversation starter. Here are a few examples of what to say or expect when talking about your major or profession in Greek.
Example 1: Σπουδάζω… (Spudázo…)
Greek: Σπουδάζω πληροφορική.
Romanization: Spudázo pliroforikí.
Translation: “I am studying informatics.”
For stating your major, you can simply use the verb Σπουδάζω (Spudázo) and add your field of study.
Example 2: Εργάζομαι / Δουλεύω ως… (Ergázome / Dulévo os…)
Greek: Εργάζομαι / Δουλεύω ως γραμματέας.
Romanization: Ergázome / Dulévo os gramatéas.
Translation: “I am working as a secretary.”
When you need to state your profession, you can either choose the phrase Εργάζομαι ως… (Ergázome os…) or Δουλεύω ως… (Dulévo os…) interchangeably and without any difference in the meaning or in the formality. Learn what popular occupations are called in Greek.
Example 3: Εργάζομαι / Δουλεύω στην εταιρεία… (Ergázome / Dulévo stin etería…)
Greek: Εργάζομαι / Δουλεύω στην εταιρεία Google.
Romanization: Ergázome / Dulévo stin etería ‘Google.’
Translation: “I am working in Google company.”
Alternatively, you might want to state the company you’re working for, like in Example 3. The only difference in this case, as you can see in the example above, is the addition of στην εταιρεία… (stin etería…), followed by the name of the company.
2- Sharing Information about Your Family
Although sharing information about your family isn’t a common part of a proper introduction in Greek, it might come in handy when meeting new people. You might need to refresh your knowledge on numbers in Greek in order to refer to the number of siblings you have when talking about your family in Greek.
Example 1: Έχω …… αδέρφια. (Ého …… adérfia.)
Greek: Έχω δύο αδέρφια.
Romanization: Ého dío adérfia.
Translation: “I have two siblings.”
By using the phrase Έχω …. αδέρφια. (Ého …. adérfia.) you can declare the number of siblings you have regardless of their gender. In the gap, the number of siblings is placed. Alternatively, if you don’t have any siblings, you can say Δεν έχω αδέρφια. (Den ého adérfia.), meaning that you don’t have any siblings.
Example 2: Έχω …. αδερφό/αδερφούς. (Ého… aderfó/aderfús.)
Greek: Έχω έναν αδερφό.
Romanization: Ého énan aderfó.
Translation: “I have one brother.”
Example 3: Έχω…. αδερφή/αδερφές. (Ého…. aderfí/aderfés.)
Greek: Έχω μία αδερφή.
Romanization: Ého mía aderfí.
Translation: “I have one sister.”
The Greek words for brother/-s in this sentence structure is αδερφό/-ούς (aderfó/ aderfús), and the corresponding Greek words for sister/-s is αδερφή/-ές (aderfí/aderfés). Examples 2 and 3 show how to say that you have one brother or one sister, which is quite common. Nevertheless, if you have more brothers or sisters you should fill in the gap with the correct number.
3. Sharing Interests and Hobbies
1- Describing Hobbies
Example 1: Μου αρέσει ο / η / το…. (Mu arési o / i / to… )
Greek: Μου αρέσει η μουσική / o κινηματογράφος / το τρέξιμο.
Romanization: Mu arési i musikí / o kinimatográfos / to tréximo.
Translation: “I like music / cinema / jogging.”
When you like something, just say it! It’s pretty easy in Greek: Just use the phrase μου αρέσει… (mu arési…) and fill in your hobby. The only thing you should be careful with when talking about your hobbies in Greek is the gender of each Greek word. As you can see in the above example, μουσική (musikí) meaning “music” is feminine in Greek, so it’s accompanied by the definite article η (i). Accordingly, κινηματογράφος (kinimatográfos) meaning “cinema” is masculine, so it’s accompanied by the Greek masculine definite article ο (o), and τρέξιμο (tréximo) meaning “jogging” is neutral, therefore the neutral definite article το (to) is used.
Example 2: Παίζω… (Pézo…) | For sports
Greek: Παίζω μπάσκετ / ποδόσφαιρο / τένις.
Romanization: Pézo básket / podósfero / ténis.
Translation: “I play basketball / football / tennis.”
Example 3: Παίζω… (Pézo…) | For musical instruments
Greek: Παίζω κιθάρα / πιάνο.
Romanization: Pézo kithára / piáno.
Translation: “I play the guitar / the piano.”
Simply share your interests by using the verb παίζω (pézo) meaning “play” and adding your favorite sport or musical instrument.
2- Pets
Love your pets? That’s awesome! In the example below, you’ll learn how to tell someone that you have dogs or cats. Do you have another pet or even a farm? No problem! Find out what the rest of the animals are called in Greek on our website. Now let’s see how to talk about your pets in Greek.
Example: Έχω …. γάτα / γάτες. (Ého …gáta / gátes.) | Έχω… σκύλο / σκύλους. (Ého … skílo / skílus.)
Greek: Έχω μια γάτα / έναν σκύλο.
Romanization: Ého mia gáta / énan skílo.
Translation: “I have a cat / a dog.”
If you own a dog or a cat, you can use the example above. In case you have more dogs or more cats, you can use the expression Έχω… σκύλους. (Ého… skílus.) or Έχω… γάτες. (Ého… gátes.) and just fill the gap with the number of dogs or cats you own.
4. Cultural Insights, Customs, and Common Behaviors when Meeting New People
Meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, and being in new places is always exciting. In Greece, the most common way to greet a person is by shaking hands and stating your name. This behavior is highly respected in formal and business environments, as well as in informal occasions. As in English, after stating your names it’s suggested that you add the expression Χαίρω πολύ! (Héro polí!) meaning “Nice to meet you!”
5. Conclusion
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In the meantime, continue to study up and practice your Greek greeting skills! Once you have these useful contextual Greek phrases and other useful Greek introductory phrases down, you’ll be one step closer to mastery. Good luck!
