Translate English to Greek
Greek is the official language of Greece and Cyprus and is spoken by about 13 million people worldwide. With its roots stretching back over 3,400 years, Greek has one of the longest documented histories of any living language. Whether you are planning a trip to Athens, communicating with a Greek business partner, or studying ancient texts in their original form, paste your English text above for a quick Greek translation.
Common English to Greek translations
| English | Greek | Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hello | Γεια σας | YAH sahs | ||
| Good morning | Καλημέρα | kah-lee-MEH-rah | ||
| Thank you | Ευχαριστώ | ef-khah-ree-STOH | ||
| Please | Παρακαλώ | pah-rah-kah-LOH | ||
| How much does this cost? | Πόσο κάνει; | POH-soh KAH-nee | ||
| Where is the hotel? | Πού είναι το ξενοδοχείο; | poo EE-neh toh kseh-noh-doh-HEE-oh | ||
| I do not understand | Δεν καταλαβαίνω | den kah-tah-lah-VEH-noh | ||
| Can you help me? | Μπορείτε να με βοηθήσετε; | boh-REE-teh nah meh voh-ee-THEE-seh-teh | ||
| I would like a coffee | Θα ήθελα έναν καφέ | thah EE-theh-lah EH-nan kah-FEH | ||
| The bill, please | Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ | ton loh-ghah-ryaz-MOH pah-rah-kah-LOH | ||
| Nice to meet you | Χαίρω πολύ | KHEH-roh poh-LEE | ||
| Goodbye | Αντίο | ah-DEE-oh | ||
| I need a doctor | Χρειάζομαι γιατρό | khree-AH-zoh-meh yah-TROH | ||
| Excuse me | Συγγνώμη | see-GHNO-mee |
Tips for English to Greek translation
Greek uses its own alphabet with 24 letters, some of which resemble Latin letters but represent different sounds. The Greek ρ looks like a P but sounds like R. The Greek ν looks like a V but sounds like N. The Greek χ looks like X but sounds like a guttural “kh.” Learning to read the Greek alphabet takes only a few days of practice and makes verifying translations much easier.
Modern Greek pronunciation differs significantly from Ancient Greek. The letter combinations αι, ει, and οι all sound like “ee” in Modern Greek, while they had distinct sounds in ancient times. The letter β is now pronounced like V (not B), and δ sounds like the “th” in “that.” If you are familiar with Ancient Greek from academic study, be prepared for modern pronunciation to sound quite different.
Greek has a complex verb system with aspect and tense distinctions similar to Slavic languages. The present tense γράφω (I write/I am writing) and the aorist έγραψα (I wrote, completed) convey different kinds of information. English uses continuous and simple forms for similar purposes, but the mapping is not always one-to-one. If a translation seems ambiguous about whether an action is ongoing or completed, this is likely the reason.
Greek uses the semicolon (;) as a question mark and a raised dot (·) as a semicolon. A sentence ending with ; in Greek is a question, not a list-joiner. If you see what looks like a semicolon at the end of a translated sentence, the original was a question. The translator handles this conversion, but it helps to know when checking the source text.
About the Greek language
Greek has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, with records spanning from the Mycenaean period (around 1400 BC) through Classical Athens, the Hellenistic world, the Byzantine Empire, and into the modern era. It gave the Western world much of its scientific, philosophical, and political vocabulary: democracy, philosophy, biology, and thousands of other English words trace directly to Greek roots.
Modern Greek (Demotic) became the official language of Greece in 1976, replacing the formal Katharevousa that had been used in government and education. Today, Greek is the sole official language of Greece and one of the official languages of Cyprus and the European Union. The Greek diaspora communities in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Germany maintain active Greek-language media, schools, and cultural institutions.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. No sign-up required, no fees, and no daily word limits.
Modern Greek (Demotic). Ancient Greek has different grammar and vocabulary and would require a specialized tool.
Yes. Click the speaker icon next to any phrase. Greek pronunciation is quite regular once you learn the alphabet.
Not really. It has 24 letters, many of which overlap with Latin letters. Most people can learn to read Greek in a few days of focused practice. Writing takes a bit longer.
For routine emails and messages, it works well. For official documents, legal texts, or marketing materials targeting Greek audiences, have a native speaker review the output.
They share a common ancestor (Phoenician script) but developed separately. Some letters look the same but represent different sounds. Greek Π is “P” (not pi in the English sense), Ρ is “R” (not P).
This page handles English to Greek. Visit our Greek to English translation page for the reverse.
Yes. Modern Greek uses a single accent mark (tonos) to indicate the stressed syllable. Accents are mandatory in written Greek and affect pronunciation.
Yes. No data is stored. Everything is processed in real time.
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