From my experience, positively. I tend to disclaim up front my Greek isn’t good or that I’m still learning. You might not want to waste a busy servers time if your Greek is bad, just say what you need to say in English if they speak well. But generally I find Greeks in Greece very accommodating to you practicing with them. There will be people you come across who you will have no option but to speak broken Greek as your Greek will be better then their English. Have fun
Thanks so much. I really appreciate the insight. I'm excited, just nervous. I definitely think I can interact well at restaurants or shops, but more in-depth conversation is daunting.
If your trouble is only deep conversation then that’s a good problem to have, Greeks will be patient with you and help you out when you can’t think of the right words. Just let them know you want to practice :)
They love it when "those lost to stranger lands" "come back to see the motherland".
As long as you're not a prick, you will be welcomed well enough.
Speakin greek is brownie points. Speaking it fluently is "marry my child" level points
I'm so excited. My son has never been yet and he's named for my papou. Of course, I married an Irish girl, and he gets his complexion from his mom haha.
Dw about it. Both my parents are greek and im as pale as the irish and everyone's alright. I was once called "galaktompoureko" by an old man, but now i laugh about it.
Lmao galaktompoureko, yeah that's a phrase I have also heard being used to describe someone pale white.
But it's not something that is being said negatively or meant to offend. Just that you are as white as milk (gala)
I know, i'm greek dw.
I was more upset about people making any comments on appearances that are from birth and non changeable. It doesn't add anything more to the conversation than "wow you're very white for a greek". That would even be preferable to being compared to a food product, imo, but w/e.
Old dogs, new tricks and all that
Haha I've had to learn this lesson with my wife and son. I'm pretty tan throughout the year so I never sunburn, but my wife is of Irish decent and pale as a ghost, so we always have to keep the sunscreen nearby
They will love it! Seriously, unless you speak to someone who is very busy, they will be thrilled if they see you making an effort!
I hope you dont mind them correcting your Greek, though, because they will do that, with the intention of trying to help you. If you say something wrong and they laugh, don't get discouraged, because they laugh at/with their friends all the time, that is their reflex and the way they show they are close to somebody. My point is that modern greeks are mocking everything, so dont take it personally, if they do that, even though most of the times they restrain that urge when they speak to foreigners! :)
I certainly don't mind being corrected. I'd like to eventually be fluent and that's going to take lots of correction and practice. I want to speak to my family in their most comfortable language.
If you are meeting family there, you will have a great time! I am very happy for you! Younger Greeks will speak good English, so you will need to restrain the urge to fall back to English, when things get more difficult. Good luck! Have a great time and do try some Greek food!!
Thanks so much! I'll do my best with it. And yes, I'm deeply excited for having greek food in Greece. We regularly do "greek" food at home, buy somehow I don't believe Ohio greek food is the same as it would be over there.
I always say to my non Greek friends when they visit Greece to make sure and go to bakery shops and dessert shops (ζαχαροπλαστείο). There are so many things to try there that non Greeks have never seen before! (But, as you are Greek, maybe you know all about it, so not sure). Make sure you try mpougatsa with cream! But, really, try anything that catches your eye!
I mean, everyone will understand that it's not your main language. Don't get discouraged, speak as much Greek as you can. And if you can't most of us speak English fluently, as a backup.
When I went back to Yiayia's village, everyone was surprised and proud that I knew some Greek. I don't know enough to have a conversation but I know the basics.
I’m not Greek, but studied abroad there when I was in college and had an excellent language teacher at the time who drilled the basics. I’ve tried to keep it up but I’m sorry to say 20 years later I haven’t advanced beyond simple conversation. My efforts are always met with a lot of warmth and encouragement when I’ve been back to visit, though.
Everytime I hear a foreigner speaking Greek I am in awe. It's not very usual . It's a nice surprice and I find it impressive to be honest. Greek is not an easy language and Greece (and Cyprus) is not a countrly with a super high population (like France, Spain, Uk etc). Sometimes I might mistake a Greek speaking tourist for a local or a foreign resident. Two days ago while vocationing in Santorini, a lady spoke to us in fluent Greek outside of a church. I figured she was a resident living many years in Greece (I caught a bit of an accident). She told us she was just visiting Greece from France and spoke Greek due to her love for the country. I was extremely surprised as she used phrases and way of speaking that is not taught in GFL e.g. (θέλω να ανάψω ένα **κεράκι** στην εκκλησία= I want to light a candle in the chruch) .
So I just got back from Athens last week and I can speak very little Greek but do know some, maybe like a toddler equivalent. I would occasionally speak to the people there in Greek, and the reaction was pretty universal.
They would immediately assume I was fluent in Greek and speak to me as such. After I said I don’t speak greek well, they immediately switched to English, but were curious how/why I know some Greek and I am not Greek. Some people told me, it confused them because when I said kali mera or nase kala, they didn’t hear an accent, so assumed I was Greek speaking.
One guy I was speaking Greek to switched to English ince he realized my Greek was bad and was like “oh, I graduated from the university of Michigan a couple years ago”
I guess it doesn’t really make sense for me to speak to them in bad Greek when they can speak to me in perfect English. The reality is, a huge percentage of Greeks are fluent in English especially younger people in the service industry.
Very similar experience over the past few weeks in Athens, Peloponnese and Sporades. I’d start in Greek and they’d assume I was fluent, then we’d switch to Greeklish when it got hard. I appreciated how many folks were willing to let me try. 😊
People are great about it. Some might switch to English (in fact, a lot will), mostly because they're trying to be helpful to you. It's easy to get discouraged by that ("is my Greek that bad?" I had this thought many times when talking to people in Greece), but keep pushing through, it almost always comes from a good place. Usually they'll be very impressed you even try, they'll ask if your family is from Greece, and it ends up being a good conversation starter, even if you have to switch to English eventually.
And my experience is from visiting for short periods - Athens, Corfu, and my family's village in Epiros - as well as most recently staying in Athens for 2 months, in a more residential area where not as many people speak English as the center.
Over the 2 months, I think I encountered one person that kind of rubbed me the wrong way, and that was because she couldn't understand me so her boss came to help me, we got to talking and I mentioned my family was from Epiros (my Yiayia and Pappou and all my extended family are from there, but my cousins still in Greece mostly live in Athens and Corfu now) and she said in Greek something like "no wonder why I couldn't understand him, he's from Epiros." Which...at least she thought I was a native speaker? But if that's the worse I got from 2 months living there and interacting with people daily, you'll be more than okay.
That's awesome to hear. My family is from greece. Er, parts that used to be greece at least for many. My papou was born in tenedos and escaping the turks is actually what took him to america.
That's an awesome lot if experience. I hope I get to spend that much time in greece eventually.
Any opportunity you get, take it. I was lucky that a relative let me and my family stay in his apartment (he lives in the US) for free, that I work remotely, and that my wife doesn't work. It gave us the flexibility to almost instantly say yes and now we're trying to figure out how to stay that long more regularly. It was a really life-changing experience, even though it wasn't my first time there.
Man that's awesome. I'm a high school math teacher, so I'm hoping to eventually teach in Greece. My wife's a lawyer though, so thatd require she find a remote job to pull off.
I have a very similar story. I ended up spending 6 months in Greece and went to visit my family that we lost touch with 30 years ago.
Everyone is very friendly and loves when you try to speak Greek. In Athens (as with most large cities) they will usually switch to English pretty quickly but it’s still appreciated. In smaller towns and villages I find people tend to be more patient and willing to speak to you in Greek.
As another poster mentioned, there is generally a positive mentality of ethnic Greeks returning to the motherland and reconnecting with our heritage. This is also reflected politically - the current government administration has prioritized involving the diaspora politically.
Also don’t be surprised if they respond to you in English even if you speak some Greek. Don’t take offense to this, it is just them wanting to speak English and trying to make it easier for you to communicate. But respond in Greek again and practice your Greek!!
You know how people in Paris react when you try to speak French? Or speak in general? Well, the exactly opposite of that. Pretty much everyone here understands at least basic English and we love it when people try to speak Greek,even if it's just to say "good morning how are you malaka"
I'm a second generation Greek American who only speaks very basic Greek. Based on my experiences, most Greeks will be happy to hear you try to speak Greek and will be welcoming to your wife and son. They won't treat you as a foreigner, but as someone who has come home.
I'm in a similar situation. All 4 of my grandparents were born in Greece, moved to Australia in the 50s and my parents were born in Australia.
I only have one παππού left, my other grandparents passed away many years ago. We all speak English, so my Greek is average, but I can read and write fine and understand enough to get by with basics. Keep in mind I look VERY Greek and was always mistaken for a local by tourists and locals alike.
I recently returned from 3 weeks in Greece. In restaurants etc, where they're busy they'll usually see you know the basics, and will keep it short and sweet in Greek but still very friendly.
In more casual settings, shops, or if the cafe is not busy, I was always asked where I'm from and how I know Greek, once I start speaking. They were always very interested where I'm from, if I have family in Greece, why I'm here etc.
I only had one experience where I felt like I was a hindrance, and it was in a yiros shop where the guy working just wanted to go home or have a smoke, who knows. But even then he was nice enough.
So, use the trip as a way to improve your language skills like I did. It all came back to me, and now that I've returned I'm learning more and more, so when I go back next year I can speak even better, and talk with my older family members.
I went to Athens with the family this Easter, just to show them (wife and kids) my ‘motherland’. We had a great time. We speak an unintelligible form of Belgian Dutch only spoken by approx 1 mil people worldwide. So everyone (even tourists) were like ‘where the hell they from?’.
Can you imagine the response I get (even from waiters in Athens) when I pop up some perfect Greek in between? Priceless…
Pro tip : sometimes you wait telling them you know the language (You could be missing out some perks) and get into hilarious situations when they describe your table to give out your food (who’s this for? For the baldy at table 4. Sir, that’s me the baldy! Ow, excuse me) or see your beautiful/hot kids/wife.
I had great reactions from the locals throughout the trip so you needn’t worry.
Anyways, have a great time (I’m sure you’re gonna gain some weight).
It depends how fluent you are. If you're fluent, there is barely a reaction. If you're not, it ranges from switching to English, to congratulating you on your Greek
Two interesting contexts:
People who have access to an official document of yours, like a passport (think, airport personnel), in the case where it's a foreign passport (even if the name hints at Greek ancestry/heritage), might seem a bit reluctant to engage with you in any language other than English, even if you respond in fluent Greek. I would think it's a matter of efficiency, if not for the fact that these interactions always end with a surprised "Oh, you speak Greek!" at the end, so maybe they switch to some sort of mental auto-pilot due to the mundane nature of their work.
If you're the only person speaking Greek in your group, be prepared to be treated as the designated point of contact by any people that you might be encountering often during your stay (e.g. hotel personnel, restaurant staff). We never fail to mention that Greeks speak English relatively well, especially in the tourism sector, but that doesn't mean that they do it enthusiastically, and will eagerly switch to the more convenient Greek if possible.
No one will deride you for trying, though, but, if you wish to get something done and you don't feel very confident with your Greek, stick to English to avoid lapses in communication. Even in these cases, a "kaliméra" to start and an "efcharistó" to end the conversation with go a long way!
Depends where you are. Busy staff in tourist areas or resort towns will find it easier for you to speak English. If you are somewhere more remote, then locals will appreciate attempts at Greek.
I have conversations everyday where I’m speaking Greek and they (Greek native speakers) just talk English to me. It’s absurd and hilarious and makes me feel a bit shat on. Not that anyone is! It’s just me and self doubt. Remind yourself you can do it and just ask nicely Μπορούμε να μιλήσουμε στα ελληνικά; Και θα σου πουν ναι φυσικά μωρέ! 😂
I went last year and spoke Greek to everyone! They loved it, always asked where I’m from because they could tell but they were so happy that I spoke it as an Australian.
Depends on the ppl you deal with.
Generally, they will all laugh at you. Don't take it personally that's the first step.
If you are serious about practicing your Greek with them, then they will be too.
Remember until they get used to it don't get frustrated or offended.
Godspeed
In my experience they are generally incredibly friendly when you reveal your Greek skills, even at a basic level. Many were thankful for it. In other countries I have seen people react negatively. Not in Greece.
My Greek is just barely conversational and a lot of what I know I can speak very correctly. My family is Greek and my in-laws grew up in Greece but now live in the states so much of our everyday conversation here in the USA is in some Greek.
But what happens to me is that, say at a taverna I can order quite easily. But then the server or sometimes the owner comes over and wants to engage you in deeper conversation and they speak quite fast. At some point I get lost and then I become self conscious because I’m guessing what they are saying and not always sure how to respond, but trying to converse. Then I get into words phrases which I only just barely know, or get tongue tied. Fortunately everyone I travel there with including my wife are completely fluent.
Greeks are very family oriented and if these relatives are like mine they will feed you till you die and the men will pour you a lot of ouzo or tsipiro. Meals last hours especially in summer and will happen after 9pm. Enjoy it!
They love it.
They are proud of someone trying to learn their language.
They will not judge at all because they think Greek is the most difficult in the world and they appreciate your efforts
This is from my experience! People I've spoken broken Greek with were very happy and excited and very nice to me! (They were not busy when I did talk to them, and we weren't in an urgent need to go somewhere.)
It's more obvious that I'm not Greek, though, because I look very Asian because I'm Asian.
I was just there for a month and everyone loved when you try to speak. If you talk to someone over 60 years old I realized they sometimes get annoyed but nothing crazy. Overall it was very good how they react
There's no way you'll look like a fool, don't worry. Do your best, try to speak as much as you can and make up a goal to talk a little bit better when you'll leave. All the best and have fun
In my experience in small cities, they loved it and will respond in Greek. In Athens, I noticed (few) would switch to English when I opened with Greek - so i started saying “can I try in Greek?” When I reached the counter. They nod, and then I start. Works every time!
You will never ever learn a language well if you're not willing to look like a fool. Embrace it! For every try new connections will form in your brain. This is how children learn to speak, they mimic, repeat and then simply gives it a go.
Scandinavians visit Greece a lot and it's common to find Greeks working in hotels and restaurants who will try and speak to you in one of the Scandinavian languages. Always eager to show off the words or sentences they know.
I don't think they'll judge you with an attitude like that.
I was at the island that I have roots from, poros. It's a really small island with not that many citizens. But in the summer it has a lot of tourists.
The biggest landmark on this island is a giant clock. If you search it you'll understand. I love right next to it.
One day I took my dog for a walk and on the rocks right next to the clock were 3 french girls that were talking with eachother. My dog is really social so she went to sniff them and let the girls pet her.
After getting a little petting my dog realized she had enough and just left hahaha. The one french girl told me " δεν με θέλει"/"she doesn't want me". I was so stunned that she spoke greek that for 2-3 seconds I couldn't do anything but smile. We had a conversation and went our separate ways.
After thinking about it later it was such an amazing moment because I girl from a totally different country without any background from Greece could speak greek really well. I was so happy, I love when people appreciate my countries culture even a little bit, and that was massive for me.
If they react at all it'll usually be positively. Every country has its knuckleheads that aren't pleasant though but I doubt you'll find any.
The only time I really had a negative reaction was when I insisted on speaking my (then) broken Greek to someone stressed or in a hurry in Athens (which in Athens is a lot of people) who wanted to use English instead. So as long as you're mindful you'll be fine, most people will react kindly.
In my experience it's overwhelmingly positive, but as another commenter said, just try to be aware of rhe setting.
IE, if you're in a busy restaurant in Athens maybe the server will prefer to use English so they can get their job done more efficiently.
But any situation that isn't time sensitive, I would genuinely be shocked if you're met with anything but positive.
I think that they would be surprised. But in general I think you shouldn’t care if they will mock you. You can tell the other person that you are learning Greek and you will be very respected . By speaking to the locals is the way to learn good Greek
From my experience, positively. I tend to disclaim up front my Greek isn’t good or that I’m still learning. You might not want to waste a busy servers time if your Greek is bad, just say what you need to say in English if they speak well. But generally I find Greeks in Greece very accommodating to you practicing with them. There will be people you come across who you will have no option but to speak broken Greek as your Greek will be better then their English. Have fun
Thanks so much. I really appreciate the insight. I'm excited, just nervous. I definitely think I can interact well at restaurants or shops, but more in-depth conversation is daunting.
If your trouble is only deep conversation then that’s a good problem to have, Greeks will be patient with you and help you out when you can’t think of the right words. Just let them know you want to practice :)
They love it when "those lost to stranger lands" "come back to see the motherland". As long as you're not a prick, you will be welcomed well enough. Speakin greek is brownie points. Speaking it fluently is "marry my child" level points
I'm so excited. My son has never been yet and he's named for my papou. Of course, I married an Irish girl, and he gets his complexion from his mom haha.
Dw about it. Both my parents are greek and im as pale as the irish and everyone's alright. I was once called "galaktompoureko" by an old man, but now i laugh about it.
Haha damn, glad to know mini man will at least be in good company.
Lmao galaktompoureko, yeah that's a phrase I have also heard being used to describe someone pale white. But it's not something that is being said negatively or meant to offend. Just that you are as white as milk (gala)
I know, i'm greek dw. I was more upset about people making any comments on appearances that are from birth and non changeable. It doesn't add anything more to the conversation than "wow you're very white for a greek". That would even be preferable to being compared to a food product, imo, but w/e. Old dogs, new tricks and all that
Galaktompoureko is awesome.
Damn, that old man didn't hold back 😅 I'm pale as fresh milk and kept being told I need to get some colour so I feel you.
🤣🤣🤣
Lots and lots of sunscreen. I am also Greek but very pale and the sunburns are no joke..
Haha I've had to learn this lesson with my wife and son. I'm pretty tan throughout the year so I never sunburn, but my wife is of Irish decent and pale as a ghost, so we always have to keep the sunscreen nearby
They will love it! Seriously, unless you speak to someone who is very busy, they will be thrilled if they see you making an effort! I hope you dont mind them correcting your Greek, though, because they will do that, with the intention of trying to help you. If you say something wrong and they laugh, don't get discouraged, because they laugh at/with their friends all the time, that is their reflex and the way they show they are close to somebody. My point is that modern greeks are mocking everything, so dont take it personally, if they do that, even though most of the times they restrain that urge when they speak to foreigners! :)
I certainly don't mind being corrected. I'd like to eventually be fluent and that's going to take lots of correction and practice. I want to speak to my family in their most comfortable language.
If you are meeting family there, you will have a great time! I am very happy for you! Younger Greeks will speak good English, so you will need to restrain the urge to fall back to English, when things get more difficult. Good luck! Have a great time and do try some Greek food!!
Thanks so much! I'll do my best with it. And yes, I'm deeply excited for having greek food in Greece. We regularly do "greek" food at home, buy somehow I don't believe Ohio greek food is the same as it would be over there.
I always say to my non Greek friends when they visit Greece to make sure and go to bakery shops and dessert shops (ζαχαροπλαστείο). There are so many things to try there that non Greeks have never seen before! (But, as you are Greek, maybe you know all about it, so not sure). Make sure you try mpougatsa with cream! But, really, try anything that catches your eye!
There's gonna be a lot I haven't seen still. I do go to panygyri in my city every year, but only so much makes it to those haha.
HAVE FUN!!!
I mean, everyone will understand that it's not your main language. Don't get discouraged, speak as much Greek as you can. And if you can't most of us speak English fluently, as a backup.
Thanks. I've been practicing as much as possible lately too. A regular at the dock I work at is also greek and that's been a huge help too.
When I went back to Yiayia's village, everyone was surprised and proud that I knew some Greek. I don't know enough to have a conversation but I know the basics.
That's really cool to hear. I'm glad you got that experience.
I’m not Greek, but studied abroad there when I was in college and had an excellent language teacher at the time who drilled the basics. I’ve tried to keep it up but I’m sorry to say 20 years later I haven’t advanced beyond simple conversation. My efforts are always met with a lot of warmth and encouragement when I’ve been back to visit, though.
Everytime I hear a foreigner speaking Greek I am in awe. It's not very usual . It's a nice surprice and I find it impressive to be honest. Greek is not an easy language and Greece (and Cyprus) is not a countrly with a super high population (like France, Spain, Uk etc). Sometimes I might mistake a Greek speaking tourist for a local or a foreign resident. Two days ago while vocationing in Santorini, a lady spoke to us in fluent Greek outside of a church. I figured she was a resident living many years in Greece (I caught a bit of an accident). She told us she was just visiting Greece from France and spoke Greek due to her love for the country. I was extremely surprised as she used phrases and way of speaking that is not taught in GFL e.g. (θέλω να ανάψω ένα **κεράκι** στην εκκλησία= I want to light a candle in the chruch) .
So I just got back from Athens last week and I can speak very little Greek but do know some, maybe like a toddler equivalent. I would occasionally speak to the people there in Greek, and the reaction was pretty universal. They would immediately assume I was fluent in Greek and speak to me as such. After I said I don’t speak greek well, they immediately switched to English, but were curious how/why I know some Greek and I am not Greek. Some people told me, it confused them because when I said kali mera or nase kala, they didn’t hear an accent, so assumed I was Greek speaking. One guy I was speaking Greek to switched to English ince he realized my Greek was bad and was like “oh, I graduated from the university of Michigan a couple years ago” I guess it doesn’t really make sense for me to speak to them in bad Greek when they can speak to me in perfect English. The reality is, a huge percentage of Greeks are fluent in English especially younger people in the service industry.
Very similar experience over the past few weeks in Athens, Peloponnese and Sporades. I’d start in Greek and they’d assume I was fluent, then we’d switch to Greeklish when it got hard. I appreciated how many folks were willing to let me try. 😊
People are great about it. Some might switch to English (in fact, a lot will), mostly because they're trying to be helpful to you. It's easy to get discouraged by that ("is my Greek that bad?" I had this thought many times when talking to people in Greece), but keep pushing through, it almost always comes from a good place. Usually they'll be very impressed you even try, they'll ask if your family is from Greece, and it ends up being a good conversation starter, even if you have to switch to English eventually. And my experience is from visiting for short periods - Athens, Corfu, and my family's village in Epiros - as well as most recently staying in Athens for 2 months, in a more residential area where not as many people speak English as the center. Over the 2 months, I think I encountered one person that kind of rubbed me the wrong way, and that was because she couldn't understand me so her boss came to help me, we got to talking and I mentioned my family was from Epiros (my Yiayia and Pappou and all my extended family are from there, but my cousins still in Greece mostly live in Athens and Corfu now) and she said in Greek something like "no wonder why I couldn't understand him, he's from Epiros." Which...at least she thought I was a native speaker? But if that's the worse I got from 2 months living there and interacting with people daily, you'll be more than okay.
That's awesome to hear. My family is from greece. Er, parts that used to be greece at least for many. My papou was born in tenedos and escaping the turks is actually what took him to america. That's an awesome lot if experience. I hope I get to spend that much time in greece eventually.
Any opportunity you get, take it. I was lucky that a relative let me and my family stay in his apartment (he lives in the US) for free, that I work remotely, and that my wife doesn't work. It gave us the flexibility to almost instantly say yes and now we're trying to figure out how to stay that long more regularly. It was a really life-changing experience, even though it wasn't my first time there.
Man that's awesome. I'm a high school math teacher, so I'm hoping to eventually teach in Greece. My wife's a lawyer though, so thatd require she find a remote job to pull off.
I have a very similar story. I ended up spending 6 months in Greece and went to visit my family that we lost touch with 30 years ago. Everyone is very friendly and loves when you try to speak Greek. In Athens (as with most large cities) they will usually switch to English pretty quickly but it’s still appreciated. In smaller towns and villages I find people tend to be more patient and willing to speak to you in Greek. As another poster mentioned, there is generally a positive mentality of ethnic Greeks returning to the motherland and reconnecting with our heritage. This is also reflected politically - the current government administration has prioritized involving the diaspora politically.
Yes they want them politically involved because they care about the greek diaspora 🤡🤡🤡
Also don’t be surprised if they respond to you in English even if you speak some Greek. Don’t take offense to this, it is just them wanting to speak English and trying to make it easier for you to communicate. But respond in Greek again and practice your Greek!!
You know how people in Paris react when you try to speak French? Or speak in general? Well, the exactly opposite of that. Pretty much everyone here understands at least basic English and we love it when people try to speak Greek,even if it's just to say "good morning how are you malaka"
Especially when it comes from foreigners of Greek ancestry.We tend to love the "foreign Greeks"
As a greek, we don't mind. We'll probably be positive about it and maybe find it a little funny
I've only visited, haven't lived there, but as long as you're not talking to someone who is super busy I've had nothing but good reactions.
That's really comforting to hear, thanks!
I'm a second generation Greek American who only speaks very basic Greek. Based on my experiences, most Greeks will be happy to hear you try to speak Greek and will be welcoming to your wife and son. They won't treat you as a foreigner, but as someone who has come home.
I'm in a similar situation. All 4 of my grandparents were born in Greece, moved to Australia in the 50s and my parents were born in Australia. I only have one παππού left, my other grandparents passed away many years ago. We all speak English, so my Greek is average, but I can read and write fine and understand enough to get by with basics. Keep in mind I look VERY Greek and was always mistaken for a local by tourists and locals alike. I recently returned from 3 weeks in Greece. In restaurants etc, where they're busy they'll usually see you know the basics, and will keep it short and sweet in Greek but still very friendly. In more casual settings, shops, or if the cafe is not busy, I was always asked where I'm from and how I know Greek, once I start speaking. They were always very interested where I'm from, if I have family in Greece, why I'm here etc. I only had one experience where I felt like I was a hindrance, and it was in a yiros shop where the guy working just wanted to go home or have a smoke, who knows. But even then he was nice enough. So, use the trip as a way to improve your language skills like I did. It all came back to me, and now that I've returned I'm learning more and more, so when I go back next year I can speak even better, and talk with my older family members.
I'm quite obviously not Greek and they are blown away/impressed when they hear im from Anglia
I went to Athens with the family this Easter, just to show them (wife and kids) my ‘motherland’. We had a great time. We speak an unintelligible form of Belgian Dutch only spoken by approx 1 mil people worldwide. So everyone (even tourists) were like ‘where the hell they from?’. Can you imagine the response I get (even from waiters in Athens) when I pop up some perfect Greek in between? Priceless… Pro tip : sometimes you wait telling them you know the language (You could be missing out some perks) and get into hilarious situations when they describe your table to give out your food (who’s this for? For the baldy at table 4. Sir, that’s me the baldy! Ow, excuse me) or see your beautiful/hot kids/wife. I had great reactions from the locals throughout the trip so you needn’t worry. Anyways, have a great time (I’m sure you’re gonna gain some weight).
It depends how fluent you are. If you're fluent, there is barely a reaction. If you're not, it ranges from switching to English, to congratulating you on your Greek
It’s very normal and common for Greek Americans tourists to use rudimentary Greek or just speak English.
Two interesting contexts: People who have access to an official document of yours, like a passport (think, airport personnel), in the case where it's a foreign passport (even if the name hints at Greek ancestry/heritage), might seem a bit reluctant to engage with you in any language other than English, even if you respond in fluent Greek. I would think it's a matter of efficiency, if not for the fact that these interactions always end with a surprised "Oh, you speak Greek!" at the end, so maybe they switch to some sort of mental auto-pilot due to the mundane nature of their work. If you're the only person speaking Greek in your group, be prepared to be treated as the designated point of contact by any people that you might be encountering often during your stay (e.g. hotel personnel, restaurant staff). We never fail to mention that Greeks speak English relatively well, especially in the tourism sector, but that doesn't mean that they do it enthusiastically, and will eagerly switch to the more convenient Greek if possible. No one will deride you for trying, though, but, if you wish to get something done and you don't feel very confident with your Greek, stick to English to avoid lapses in communication. Even in these cases, a "kaliméra" to start and an "efcharistó" to end the conversation with go a long way!
If you wanna impress people, get the intonation down
Depends where you are. Busy staff in tourist areas or resort towns will find it easier for you to speak English. If you are somewhere more remote, then locals will appreciate attempts at Greek.
I have conversations everyday where I’m speaking Greek and they (Greek native speakers) just talk English to me. It’s absurd and hilarious and makes me feel a bit shat on. Not that anyone is! It’s just me and self doubt. Remind yourself you can do it and just ask nicely Μπορούμε να μιλήσουμε στα ελληνικά; Και θα σου πουν ναι φυσικά μωρέ! 😂
I went last year and spoke Greek to everyone! They loved it, always asked where I’m from because they could tell but they were so happy that I spoke it as an Australian.
The standards are soooo low, haha. My Greek is middling (like B2) and people tell me it’s good. I assume “for an American” is implied. 😉
Depends on the ppl you deal with. Generally, they will all laugh at you. Don't take it personally that's the first step. If you are serious about practicing your Greek with them, then they will be too. Remember until they get used to it don't get frustrated or offended. Godspeed
In my experience they are generally incredibly friendly when you reveal your Greek skills, even at a basic level. Many were thankful for it. In other countries I have seen people react negatively. Not in Greece.
My Greek is just barely conversational and a lot of what I know I can speak very correctly. My family is Greek and my in-laws grew up in Greece but now live in the states so much of our everyday conversation here in the USA is in some Greek. But what happens to me is that, say at a taverna I can order quite easily. But then the server or sometimes the owner comes over and wants to engage you in deeper conversation and they speak quite fast. At some point I get lost and then I become self conscious because I’m guessing what they are saying and not always sure how to respond, but trying to converse. Then I get into words phrases which I only just barely know, or get tongue tied. Fortunately everyone I travel there with including my wife are completely fluent. Greeks are very family oriented and if these relatives are like mine they will feed you till you die and the men will pour you a lot of ouzo or tsipiro. Meals last hours especially in summer and will happen after 9pm. Enjoy it!
They love it. They are proud of someone trying to learn their language. They will not judge at all because they think Greek is the most difficult in the world and they appreciate your efforts
This is from my experience! People I've spoken broken Greek with were very happy and excited and very nice to me! (They were not busy when I did talk to them, and we weren't in an urgent need to go somewhere.) It's more obvious that I'm not Greek, though, because I look very Asian because I'm Asian.
I was just there for a month and everyone loved when you try to speak. If you talk to someone over 60 years old I realized they sometimes get annoyed but nothing crazy. Overall it was very good how they react
I would react the same way you would if i came to America and spoke you in English i wouldn't think much of it
There's no way you'll look like a fool, don't worry. Do your best, try to speak as much as you can and make up a goal to talk a little bit better when you'll leave. All the best and have fun
i will start doing quadruple backflips and scream at the top of my lungs, and keep them there until i have children for them to marry
In my experience in small cities, they loved it and will respond in Greek. In Athens, I noticed (few) would switch to English when I opened with Greek - so i started saying “can I try in Greek?” When I reached the counter. They nod, and then I start. Works every time!
You will never ever learn a language well if you're not willing to look like a fool. Embrace it! For every try new connections will form in your brain. This is how children learn to speak, they mimic, repeat and then simply gives it a go. Scandinavians visit Greece a lot and it's common to find Greeks working in hotels and restaurants who will try and speak to you in one of the Scandinavian languages. Always eager to show off the words or sentences they know. I don't think they'll judge you with an attitude like that.
Στα αρχιδια μας. Παμε παρακατω.
I was at the island that I have roots from, poros. It's a really small island with not that many citizens. But in the summer it has a lot of tourists. The biggest landmark on this island is a giant clock. If you search it you'll understand. I love right next to it. One day I took my dog for a walk and on the rocks right next to the clock were 3 french girls that were talking with eachother. My dog is really social so she went to sniff them and let the girls pet her. After getting a little petting my dog realized she had enough and just left hahaha. The one french girl told me " δεν με θέλει"/"she doesn't want me". I was so stunned that she spoke greek that for 2-3 seconds I couldn't do anything but smile. We had a conversation and went our separate ways. After thinking about it later it was such an amazing moment because I girl from a totally different country without any background from Greece could speak greek really well. I was so happy, I love when people appreciate my countries culture even a little bit, and that was massive for me.
If they react at all it'll usually be positively. Every country has its knuckleheads that aren't pleasant though but I doubt you'll find any. The only time I really had a negative reaction was when I insisted on speaking my (then) broken Greek to someone stressed or in a hurry in Athens (which in Athens is a lot of people) who wanted to use English instead. So as long as you're mindful you'll be fine, most people will react kindly.
In my experience it's overwhelmingly positive, but as another commenter said, just try to be aware of rhe setting. IE, if you're in a busy restaurant in Athens maybe the server will prefer to use English so they can get their job done more efficiently. But any situation that isn't time sensitive, I would genuinely be shocked if you're met with anything but positive.
I think that they would be surprised. But in general I think you shouldn’t care if they will mock you. You can tell the other person that you are learning Greek and you will be very respected . By speaking to the locals is the way to learn good Greek
We usually beat em up souvlaki malaka moussaka
The locals will never have a problem if you don't speak Greek fluently. Express yourself freely and enjoy speaking Greek!