Good afternoon in Greek
καλησπέρα
kalispera — good afternoon
Hear καλησπέρα
Greek does not divide the day the way English does. There is no separate "good afternoon": καλημέρα stretches comfortably past noon, and at around one o'clock people switch to καλησπέρα (kalispera), literally "good evening", and stay with it until they say goodnight. Stress it ka-li-SPE-ra.
The handover is loose and nobody polices it. Midday to one is the grey zone, and you will hear both. A safe rule: if lunch has been and gone, καλησπέρα is the natural choice. Shops and offices tend to switch earlier than friends do.
Καλό απόγευμα (kalo apogevma) does exist and does mean "good afternoon", but Greeks use it on parting rather than meeting, the way English uses "have a good afternoon". Greeting someone with it will be understood and will also mark you as a learner.
Example sentences
Καλησπέρα σας, τι κάνετε;
Kalispera sas, ti kanete?
Good afternoon, how are you?
Καλησπέρα, ένα τραπέζι για δύο.
Kalispera, ena trapezi gia dio.
Good afternoon, a table for two.
Related forms
- καλημέρα (kalimera) — good morning, until around one
- καλό απόγευμα (kalo apogevma) — have a good afternoon — said on parting
Common questions
- Do Greeks say good afternoon?
- Not as a greeting. Greek runs καλημέρα in the morning and καλησπέρα for everything after it, so the afternoon is covered by the word that translates as "good evening".
- Can you say καλημέρα all day?
- It lasts longer than English "good morning" does — anything up to about one o'clock is fine. Past that it starts to sound off, and Greeks switch to καλησπέρα.
Quick check
Pick the Greek word that matches.
How do you say "good afternoon" in Greek?
Related words
Keep reading
Greet someone, then keep the conversation going
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