Ancient Greek Words & Phrases

The following phrases reflect the Ancient Greek language (Attic & Koine dialects) spoken in Greece and the Hellenic World from before 400 BC to the early centuries AD/CE.

Greek word / phrase Transliteration Translation
χαῖρε khaîre hello! / goodbye!
(to one person)
χαίρετε khaírete hi! / bye!
(to multiple people)
εἰ δοκεῖ ei dokeî please
συγγνῶθι μοι sungnôthi moi excuse me
τὸ ὅνομα tò ónoma the name
τὸ ὅνομά σου tò ónoma sou your name
τί ἐστί tí estí what is
τί ἐστὶ τὸ ὄνομά σου; tí estì tò ónomá sou What's your name?
τὸ ὄνομά μου tò ónomá mou my name
εἶ you are
εἰμί eimí I am
λέγω légo I speak
λέγεις légeis you speak
ἀναγινώσκω anaginósko I'm reading
ἀναγινώσκωμεν anaginóskomen let's read
τί ζητεῖς; tí zeteîs What are you looking for?
ζητῶ... zetô I'm looking for...
τί ἐγένετο; tí egéneto What happened?
μοι δεῖ moi deî I have to
σοι δεῖ soi deî you have to
εὖγε eûge okay / good
τίς; tís Who?
τί; What?
πῶς; pôs How?
πότε; póte When?
αὖθις aûthis again
εὐθύς euthús truly, honestly
τάχα tákha quickly
βραδύς bradús slowly
(οὐκ) οἶδα (ouk) oîda I (don't) know
σκόπει skópei see to it
(to one person)
σκοπεῖτε skopeîte see to it
(to multiple people)
πεινῶ peinô I'm hungry
διψῶ dipsô I'm thirsty
ἀποκάμνω apokámno I'm tired
ἀλλὰ... allà... but...
καὶ... kaì... and...
πεινῶ καὶ διψῶ. peinô kaì dipsô I'm hungry and thirsty.
πόσον τοῦτο δίδως; póson toûto dídos How much does this cost?
ἔστι. ésti Maybe.
ἴθι ἐκποδῶν. íthi ekpodôn Go away.
τοτοτοῖ tototoî oh, wow