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Greek for Gringos — Greek For Gringos Lesson 3 Yes No And Getting By 2026 10 06
Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:49:00 GMT · 3:15
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# Greek for Gringos — Lesson 3: Yes, No and Getting By

Maya: Yiasou, and welcome back to Greek for Gringos, where two gringos teach you the Greek you actually need for Greece. I am Maya.
Devon: And I am Devon. Lesson three: yes, no, and getting by. Today you learn how to agree, disagree, and dither like a pro.
Maya: Seven little words today, starting with the two you will use constantly. Yes is neh.
Devon: Neh. (ναι)
Maya: Neh. One short syllable, just like it looks. And here is the part that will save you from total confusion: in Greek, neh means yes. It sounds exactly like the English no, but it means the opposite.
Devon: And no is oh-hee.
Maya: OH-hee. (όχι)
Devon: That was OH-hee. Stress the first syllable, the oh, then hee. Say it firmly, with a smile, and nobody will think you mean yes.
Maya: Maybe is EE-sohs.
Devon: EE-sohs. (ίσως)
Maya: EE-sohs. Rhymes with Jesus, the Texas way. Perfect for when a taverna owner asks if you want more wine and you are thinking about tomorrow morning.
Devon: OK is ehn-dahk-see.
Maya: Ehn-dahk-see. (εντάξει)
Devon: Ehn-DAHK-see, stress the dahk in the middle. It works exactly like OK in English, for everything from restaurant service to fixing the Wi-Fi in your hotel room.
Maya: Three more, because getting by means more than yes and no. Kahl-ah means good, well, fine.
Devon: Kahl-ah. (καλά)
Maya: Kahl-AH, stress the ah. How are you? Kahl-ah. How is the food? Kahl-ah. It is the Swiss army knife of Greek adjectives.
Devon: Oh-reh-ah means nice, great, beautiful.
Maya: Oh-reh-ah. (ωραία)
Devon: Oh-REH-ah, stress the reh. Say it when the ferry pulls into a harbor at sunset, or when the waiter sets down a plate of something amazing.
Maya: And tee-poh-teh means nothing.
Devon: Tee-poh-teh. (τίποτε)
Maya: Tee-POH-teh, stress the poh. The shopkeeper asks what you are looking for, you are just browsing, you answer tee-poh-teh, just looking, no pressure at all.
Devon: Quick cultural note. In Greece, no is not always said out loud. Many Greeks signal no with a quick upward tilt of the head, sometimes with a little click of the tongue. Tourists often read it as a nod, meaning yes, and walk straight into confusion.
Maya: So if a waiter tilts his head up at you when you ask for extra napkins, he is not agreeing with you. He is saying no, politely, with his face. Listen for the words too: oh-hee means no, neh means yes. Your ears beat your eyes here.
Devon: Time for a demo. I am a tourist buying olives at a market stall, and Maya is the vendor.
Maya: Kahl-ah. Do you want a taste?
Devon: Neh. (ναι)
Maya: She said yes. Want some more?
Devon: Neh. Neh. (ναι)
Maya: Do you want a whole kilo?
Devon: EE-sohs. (ίσως)
Maya: Maybe. She is thinking about her suitcase. Are we done?
Devon: Ehn-dahk-see. (εντάξει)
Maya: OK, deal. Now the recap drill. Say them back to me. Number one: yes.
Devon: Neh. (ναι)
Maya: Two: no.
Devon: OH-hee. (όχι)
Maya: Three: maybe.
Devon: EE-sohs. (ίσως)
Maya: Perfect. Seven new words, and you already sound like someone who belongs in a Greek market. See you tomorrow for numbers one to ten.
Devon: Kahl-ah.