What Does Yamas Mean? The Rule Most Get Wrong

Sit at a Greek table where glasses are raised and you’ll hear it almost instantly: yamas! It’s one of the first words a visitor learns and one worth understanding properly, because inside it is a small piece of how Greek works, and it’s connected to a word you already know.

What does yamas mean?

Yamas, written γεια μας in Greek, is the standard Greek toast, the equivalent of “cheers”. It literally means “our health”: it’s the short form of στην υγειά μας (stin ygeiá mas), “to our health”. Say it as you raise or touch glasses: YAH-mas, with the stress on the first syllable.

In English you’ll see the phrase written yamas, ya mas, yia mas, gia mas, or yiamas. They’re all the same γεια μας; γεια has no settled Latin spelling, so every menu and travel blog picks its own.

Where the word comes from

The γεια in γεια μας descends from the Ancient Greek word for health, ὑγίεια (hygíeia), the same root English borrowed for “hygiene”. Over centuries the word wore down to γεια, and μας means “our”. So a Greek toast is, word for word, a wish for collective health.

This is the same γεια as in γεια σου (ya sou) and γεια σας (ya sas), the everyday Greek greetings. When a Greek says hello, they’re literally saying “your health”; when they toast, “our health”.

Yamas, stin ygeia sou, or stin ygeia sas?

All three are toasts to health; they differ only in whose health is being toasted.

Toast	Literally	When to use it
γεια μας (yamas)	our health	The default. Everyone at the table, including you.
στην υγειά σου (stin ygeiá sou)	to your health	Toasting one person: a birthday, a bit of good news.
στην υγειά σας (stin ygeiá sas)	to your health (plural/formal)	Toasting your hosts or a group you’re not part of.

You can also hear the full στην υγειά μας, which is a fancier γεια μας. As a visitor you’ll never be wrong with plain γεια μας.

The other toasts you’ll hear

εβίβα (eviva): “cheers!”, borrowed from Italian evviva (“long live”). You’ll hear it from older speakers and at celebrations, sometimes shortened to βίβα. Respond with εβίβα or just γεια μας; they mix freely.

άσπρο πάτο (aspro pato): “bottoms up”, literally “white bottom”. Drain the glass so its base shows. This one is an invitation rather than a toast proper, and nobody at a Greek table will hold you to it.

And around the same table you’ll hear όπα as the music picks up, a different word doing a different job, covered in what does opa mean.

Using it without overthinking

A few practical notes from how the word actually behaves:

• You don’t need alcohol. γεια μας works over coffee, water, or a soft drink. The toast is about the company, not the contents. (If you’re in a café, the coffee-ordering guide covers the rest of the table talk.)
• What do you say back? γεια μας. It already includes everyone, so the reply is the same word.
• When in doubt, wait a beat. Glasses go up, someone says it first, you join in. Nobody is grading you, and at a taverna dinner you’ll get a dozen chances a night to practise.

If you’re weighing up ways to learn Greek, we compared Speak Greek with Duolingo and several other platforms.

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FAQ

What does yamas mean literally?

“Our health.” γεια comes from the Ancient Greek ὑγίεια (health), and μας means “our”. It’s the short form of στην υγειά μας, “to our health”.

Is it yamas, ya mas, or yia mas?

All romanisations of the same Greek phrase, γεια μας, along with gia mas and yiamas. It’s two words in Greek, usually written as one (“yamas”) in English. Pronounce it YAH-mas, stress on the first syllable.

What’s the difference between yamas and yassas?

One letter in Greek and a whole situation in practice. γεια μας (“our health”) is the toast; γεια σας (“your health”) is the polite or plural hello and goodbye. Raise a glass with yamas; greet the shopkeeper with yassas.

What do you say back when someone says yamas?

γεια μας, the same word back. It means “our health”, so it already includes the person who said it first. εβίβα works too.

Do Greeks say yamas with coffee or only with alcohol?

The toast belongs to any shared drink. It’s most at home around wine, beer, or tsipouro, but nobody will blink if glasses of anything touch to a γεια μας.

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References

• γεια — Wiktionary. Etymology from Ancient Greek ὑγίεια (“health”); senses as greeting, farewell, and toast; the forms γεια σου, γεια σας, and γεια μας (drinking toast).
• στην υγειά σου — Wiktionary. “To your health! cheers!” with the related forms στην υγειά μας and στην υγειά σας.
• εβίβα — Wiktionary. “Cheers!” (toast before drinking), borrowed from Italian evviva, with the shortened form βίβα.
• άσπρο πάτο — Wiktionary. “Bottoms up” — a toast used when drinking alcohol; literally “white bottom”.