Ever wondered about Greece weather (Athens, Greece or elsewhere)?
Are you planning on visiting Santorini and don’t know what to pack?
Do you want to engage in small-talk with your new Greek friends?
GreekPod101.com has all the answers you need.
Generally, the weather in Greece, even in December, is quite mild and it isn’t much colder than Greek weather in October. Indeed, in many islands such as Santorini, the weather is characterized by much warmth and sun all year long.
Talking about the weather in Greek is a must-know topic. From weather conditions to weather changes during the different seasons, this article will help you figure this all out.
Table of Contents
- Vocabulary for Weather Conditions in Greek
- Talking about Temperatures in Greece
- Greek Phrases to Talk about the Weather in Different Seasons
- How to Comment on the Weather in Greek
- Popular Greek Sayings about the Weather and the Seasons
- How GreekPod101 Can Help You Master Greek Conversation
1. Vocabulary for Weather Conditions in Greek
First things first, below you can find a list of basic, yet useful Greek weather-related words and phrases to practice with. Using these, you can make general statements about the Greece climate or weather.
- Greek: ήλιος
- Romanization: ílios
- Translation: “sun”
- Greek: λιακάδα
- Romanization: liakáda
- Translation: “sunny (weather)”
- Greek: σύννεφο (singular) / σύννεφα (plural)
- Romanization: sínefo / sínefa
- Translation: “cloud / clouds”
- Greek: βροχή
- Romanization: vrohí
- Translation: “rain” (noun)
- Greek: αέρας
- Romanization: aéras
- Translation: “wind”
- Greek: χιόνι
- Romanization: hióni
- Translation: “snow”
- Greek: χιονίζει
- Romanization: hionízi
- Translation: “it’s snowing”
- Greek: ψιλόβροχο
- Romanization: psilóvroho
- Translation: “drizzle rain”
- Greek: καταιγίδα
- Romanization: kateyída
- Translation: “storm”
- Greek: κεραυνός (singular) / κεραυνοί (plural)
- Romanization: keravnós / keravní
- Translation: “thunder” / “thunders”
- Greek: αστραπή (singular) / αστραπές (plural)
- Romanization: astrapí / astrapés
- Translation: “lightning” / “lightnings”
- Greek: βρέχει
- Romanization: vrehí
- Translation: “it’s raining”
- Greek: φυσάει
- Romanization: fisái
- Translation: “it’s windy”
- Greek: ψιχαλίζει
- Romanization: psihalízi
- Translation: “it’s drizzling”
- Greek: υγρασία
- Romanization: ígrasía
- Translation: “humidity”
2. Talking about Temperatures in Greece
Talking about the temperature is really easy in Greek. Here’s some basic vocabulary to get you started:
- Greek: κρύο
- Romanization: krío
- Translation: “cold (weather)”
- Greek: ζέστη
- Romanization: zésti
- Translation: “warm / hot (weather)”
- Greek: καύσωνας (singular) / καύσωνες (plural)
- Romanization: káfsonas / káfsones
- Translation: “heat wave” / “heat waves”
Now that you’ve learned the basics, let’s have a look at how to construct a full sentence about the current temperature.
- Greek: Σήμερα κάνει κρύο.
- Romanization: Símera káni krío.
- Translation: “Today, it’s cold.” (Literal Translation: Today, it does cold.)
- Greek: Σήμερα κάνει ζέστη.
- Romanization: Símera káni zésti.
- Translation: “Today, it’s warm / hot.” (Literal Translation: Today it does warm / hot.)
Alternatively, you might want to mention how cold or warm it is by giving the exact temperature. Here’s an example of how to do so:
- Greek: Σήμερα έχουμε [number] βαθμούς Κελσίου.
- Romanization: Símera éhume [number] vathmús Kelsíu.
- Translation: “Today, it’s [number] degrees Celsius.”
Of course, in order to say the temperature correctly, you might need to learn how to say the numbers in Greek.
3. Greek Phrases to Talk about the Weather in Different Seasons
Different seasons come with different weather conditions. Before we proceed to describing what the weather’s like in Greece, you might want to refresh yourself on how to say the different seasons in Greek:
- Greek: καλοκαίρι
- Romanization: kalokéri
- Translation: “summer”
- Greek: φθινόπωρο
- Romanization: fthinóporo
- Translation: “autumn”
- Greek: χειμώνας
- Romanization: himónas
- Translation: “winter”
- Greek: άνοιξη
- Romanization: ánixi
- Translation: “spring”
Greece is famous for its temperate climate, like most of the countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Ever wondered what the weather’s like in Greece during different seasons of the year? Here’s your answer:
- Greek: Στην Ελλάδα το καλοκαίρι έχουμε λιακάδα και κάνει πολλή ζέστη.
- Romanization: Stin Eláda to kalokéri éhume liakáda ke káni polí zésti.
- Translation: “In Greece, during the summer, it’s sunny and very hot.”
- Greek: Στην Ελλάδα το φθινόπωρο φυσάει και μερικές φορές βρέχει.
- Romanization: Stin Eláda to fthinóporo fisái ke merikés forés vréhi.
- Translation: “In Greece, during the autumn, it’s windy and sometimes it rains.”
- Greek: Στην Ελλάδα τον χειμώνα δεν κάνει πολύ κρύο.
- Romanization: Stin Eláda ton himóna den káni polí krío.
- Translation: “In Greece, during the winter, it’s not that cold.”
- Greek: Στην Ελλάδα την άνοιξη κάνει αρκετή ζέστη.
- Romanization: Stin Eláda tin ánixi káni arketí zésti.
- Translation: “In Greece, during the spring, it’s pretty warm.”
As noted earlier, Greek weather in winter isn’t that much colder than summer in Greece, just more mild and nice. 🙂
4. How to Comment on the Weather in Greek
Talking about the weather in Greek is a great conversation starter, and the best ice-breaker. While engaging in small-talk about the weather, the following ready-to-use examples will certainly come in handy.
- Greek: Τι καιρό θα κάνει αύριο;
- Romanization: Ti keró tha káni ávrio?
- Translation: “What’s the weather going to be like tomorrow?”
- Greek: Άκουσα ότι θα κάνει κρύο αύριο. Να ντυθείς καλά.
- Romanization: Ákusa óti tha káni krío ávrio. Na dithís kalá.
- Translation: “I heard it’s going to be cold tomorrow. Wear warm clothes.”
- Greek: Βρέχει καρεκλοπόδαρα.
- Romanization: Vréhi kareklopódara.
- Translation: “It’s raining cats and dogs.” (Literal Translation: It’s raining chair legs.)
- Greek: Πώς σου φαίνεται ο καιρός σήμερα;
- Romanization: Pós su fénete o kerós símera?
- Translation: “What do you think about the weather today?”
5. Popular Greek Sayings about the Weather and the Seasons
The different weather conditions have a huge impact on Greek culture. Interestingly, there are plenty of Greek sayings related to the weather. These weather expressions in Greek are often used as allegories during everyday conversations, and using them correctly will totally impress your new Greek friends!
- Greek: Στην αναβροχιά καλό είναι και το χαλάζι.
- Romanization: Stin anavrohiá, kaló íne ke to halázi.
- Translation: “When it hasn’t rained for a long time, it’s good to at least have some hail.”
As we’ve already mentioned, these phrases have a deeper meaning. Indeed, when saying στην αναβροχιά καλό είναι και το χαλάζι, it doesn’t actually mean that it hasn’t rained in quite some time. This phrase is often used when someone is expecting something to happen in the best way possible, but things turn out to be moderate.
For example, let’s say you’re starving and desperately want to eat some delicious pizza. Instead, your mother has prepared some baked beans, which is not your favorite. But you’re starving, remember? And you have to eat. In this case, go ahead and use this phrase!
- Greek: Όπου αστραπές και βροντές, περίμενε λίγες βροχές.
- Romanization: Ópu astrapés ke vrondés, perímene líyes vrohés.
- Translation: “Where there is lightning and thunder, expect little rain.”
This phrase intends to highlight that in some cases when you see or hear something that seems to indicate what will happen, things most likely won’t turn out the way you imagined.
For example, imagine hearing from a friend that he found the perfect job to apply for. It offers an awesome salary, few hours of work, and over fifty days of vacation per year. This seems too good to be true, right? Some good advice to this friend could be this phrase.
- Greek: Ο βρεγμένος τη βροχή δεν τη φοβάται.
- Romanization: O vregménos ti vrohí den ti fováte.
- Translation: “A wet man isn’t afraid of the rain.”
Standing in the rain isn’t always as romantic as it seems. When someone is already wet, a little more rain won’t make any difference.
So, when you’re already heartbroken and another person rejects you—it is sad, we know—but you can totally use this phrase to demonstrate that you’re used to it and stronger because of it.
- Greek: Μαθημένα τα βουνά στα χιόνια.
- Romanization: Mathiména ta vuná sta hiónia.
- Translation: “Mountains are used to snow.”
Snowing at the top of a mountain is normal. There hides the whole metaphorical meaning of this phrase.
For example, when a whole load of unfortunate events has already happened, and then another one happens, it’s perfectly suitable to use this phrase.
- Greek: Καθαρός ουρανός αστραπές δεν φοβάται.
- Romanization: Katharós uranós astrapés den fováte.
- Translation: “A clear sky is not afraid of lightning.”
Did you know you could hear a weather-related phrase in the court of justice? Well, this is the best example, since it aims to highlight that if you’re innocent and your conscience is clean—like a clear sky—you’re not afraid of anything, even lightning!
6. How GreekPod101 Can Help You Master Greek Conversation
Feeling overwhelmed? We know, all of this information might seem a bit too much. Understanding, reading, and writing about the weather in Greek might seem hard for a novice learner. However, if you break it down to the basics, then you can really master this chapter.
For more practice on learning the weather conditions in Greek, we suggest listening to a Greek weather forecast, reading through a real-life Greek dialogue on the weather, or studying the Top 15 Weather Conditions in Greek.
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At GreekPod101.com, we aim to provide you with everything you need to know about the Greek language in a fun and interesting way. Stay tuned for more articles like this one, word lists, grammar tips, and even YouTube videos, which are waiting for you to discover them!
In the meantime, do let us know if weather talk and the seasons in your own country are similar (or different) than in Greece. We’re curious. 😉
