The Foreign Language That 'Befuddles' Rick Steves And Some Key Phrases To Know For Your Travels

With the amount of Greek-derived words in the English language, you'd think it'd be one of the easier European tongues to learn. It was the Greeks that gave us anatomy (anatomē), character (charaktēr), comedy (kōmōidia), cosmos (kosmos), enthusiasm (enthousiasmós), mystery (mystḗrion), narcissism (Narcissus), and much else besides. But of course words are one thing, and the grammar and syntax used to stitch them together — what we call language — is another. And even Rick Steves, the guru of European travel, has conceded in a Facebook post, "The Greek language really befuddles me."

Steves isn't alone in his struggles with Greek. It's one of the most challenging European languages for English speakers to learn, falling into Category IV on the difficulty scale, per the Foreign Service Institute. "Easy" languages like French, Spanish, and Italian are Category I (requiring 24 weeks/600 hours of instruction), while the most difficult languages, including Mandarin and Japanese, are Category V (requiring 88 weeks/2,200 hours of instruction). Because it's a Category IV language, you'd likely need to study Greek for 44 weeks/1,100 hours to have some practical facility with the language. These are guidelines, though; if you have a natural aptitude for picking up foreign tongues or already have a second or third language, you can probably expedite your learning of Greek.

Despite our apparent familiarity with Greek, it has changed much over the years. For example, the ancient Greek "ύδωρ" (pronounced "ýdor" or "húdōr"), meaning "water," is known to English speakers as "hydro," a prefix used in words like hydrogen. But the modern Greek for water, "νερό" (pronounced "neró"), is comparatively alien. The point being, associating a word with the Greek language and it actually being understood in modern Greek are not the same thing.

Fluency might take years to achieve but there are some Greek words to know before embarking on your trip. Hello is "γεια σου" ("yah-soo") or "γεια σας" ("yah-sas"), the latter used when speaking to multiple people or to be polite. You'll hear Greeks using other phrases to greet or part ways from each other, depending on the time of day. "Καλημέρα" ("kah-lee-mer-ah"): "Good morning." "Καλησπέρα" ("kah-lee-sper-ah): "Good afternoon." "Καλό βράδυ" ("kah-loh-vrah-thee"): "Good evening." "Καληνύχτα" ("kah-lee-nee-tah"): "Good night."

"How are you?" is "Τι κάνεις;" ("tee-kah-nis"), or the more formal "Τι κάνετε;" ("tee-kah-ne-te"). In response, you might hear, "Είμαι καλά, εσύ;" ("ee-meh-kah-lah, eh-see"), meaning, "I'm good, and you?" Note the semi-colon (;), which is a quirk of Greek punctuation, equivalent to the English question mark (?). "Παρακαλώ" ("para-kah-loh") means "please" or "you're welcome," but can also be used to say "here you are," "excuse me," or when answering the phone, where it translates to "please go ahead." "Thank you" is "Ευχαριστώ" ("eff-kha-ri-stoh"), which shares an etymological root with "Eucharist," a ritualized form of thanksgiving. "No" is "Όχι" ("oh-hee") and "yes," somewhat counterintuitively, is "Ναι" ("neh"). "Συγνώμη" ("see-ghno-mee") means "sorry," and can be used to get someone's attention. And if you want to pay the bill in a restaurant, say "Το λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ" ("to log-a-ri-as-moh, para-kah-loh").

An inability to speak Greek hasn't stopped Rick Steves from traveling here — see his Greece destinations you can't skip — and nor should you apply such restrictions to yourself. But as with traveling in any non-English-speaking country, a few phrases, however mispronounced, can help endear you to the locals. If all else fails, Rick Steves also has tips for overcoming a language barrier.