Asking questions is a key part of speaking any language, including Greek. Whether you’re a beginner or know a bit already, learning how to ask questions will help you talk to people more easily. When you ask questions, you can start a conversation and connect with others. In this guide, we’ll show you some common ways to ask questions in Greek, with examples to help you get started.

Yes/No Questions (Ερωτήσεις με Ναι ή Όχι)

In Greek, forming simple yes/no questions is straightforward. You don’t need to change the word order dramatically—just raise your tone at the end of the sentence. Let’s look at some examples:

• Είσαι καλά;
  (Íse kalá?) – Are you well?
• Έχεις αυτοκίνητο;
  (Éhis aftokínito?) – Do you have a car?
• Μιλάς ελληνικά;
  (Milás elliniká?) – Do you speak Greek?

As you can see, these questions use the same structure as statements, but with a rising intonation at the end.

Wh- Questions (Ερωτήσεις με Ερωτηματικές Λέξεις)

Just like in English, Greek has question words, such as who, what, where, when, and why. These words help you ask more specific questions. Here’s a list of common Greek question words and how to use them.

Ποιος/Ποια/Ποιο (Pios/Pia/Pio) – Who?

• Ποιος είναι αυτός;
  (Pios íne aftós?) – Who is he?
• Ποια είναι αυτή;
  (Pia íne aftí?) – Who is she?
• Ποιο είναι το όνομά σου;
  (Pio íne to ónomá sou?) – What is your name?

Τι (Ti) – What?

• Τι κάνεις;
  (Ti kánis?) – What are you doing?
• Τι είναι αυτό;
  (Ti íne aftó?) – What is this?
• Τι συμβαίνει;
  (Ti simvéni?) – What’s happening?

Πού (Pou) – Where?

• Πού μένεις;
  (Pou ménis?) – Where do you live?
• Πού είναι το σπίτι σου;
  (Pou íne to spíti sou?) – Where is your house?
• Πού πηγαίνεις;
  (Pou pigénis?) – Where are you going?

Πότε (Póte) – When?

• Πότε είναι τα γενέθλιά σου;
  (Póte íne ta genéthliá sou?) – When is your birthday?
• Πότε φτάνεις;
  (Póte ftánis?) – When are you arriving?

Γιατί (Giatí) – Why?

• Γιατί είσαι λυπημένος;
  (Giatí íse lipiménos?) – Why are you sad?
• Γιατί δεν ήρθες;
  (Giatí den írthes?) – Why didn’t you come?

Πώς (Pós) – How?

• Πώς σε λένε;
  (Pós se léne?) – What’s your name?
• Πώς πας στη δουλειά;
  (Pós pas sti doulia?) – How do you go to work?

Asking for Clarification

If you don’t understand something and need clarification, these phrases will come in handy:

• Μπορείς να επαναλάβεις;
  (Borís na epanalávis?) – Can you repeat that?
• Τι σημαίνει αυτό;
  (Ti siménei aftó?) – What does this mean?
• Πώς το λέτε αυτό στα ελληνικά;
  (Pós to léte aftó sta elliniká?) – How do you say this in Greek?

Polite Phrases When Asking Questions

Politeness is important in Greek culture, especially when speaking to strangers or in formal situations. You can make your questions more polite by adding phrases like:

• Μπορώ να ρωτήσω…
  (Boró na rotíso…) – May I ask…
• Μπορείτε να μου πείτε…
  (Boríte na mou píte…) – Can you tell me…

Example:

• Μπορείτε να μου πείτε πού είναι η στάση;
  (Boríte na mou píte pou íne i stási?) – Can you tell me where the bus stop is?

Asking questions in Greek is easy once you learn the structure and tone. Whether it’s a “yes/no” question or using “wh-” words, asking questions will help you communicate better and connect with others.

Try these in a Greek-speaking environment and enjoy the conversation!

Aaaand….if you truly want to start mastering Greek in style, we recommend starting with our Greek Crash Course.

To get a 20% discount use the coupon: GREEK20

See you in the next one,

Ta leme!