In Greece, words are optional. Really. You can say “hello” without opening your mouth, warn someone off without touching them, and communicate your entire emotional spectrum with a single eyebrow raise. Foreigners? Good luck.
If you’ve ever felt confused by gestures, stares, or the sheer theater of Greek hand movements, keep reading.
Learning Greek is like trying to decode a secret society… where everyone insists you already know the rules. Even after a few months, you’ll realize that Greeks don’t just speak Greek — they perform it. And often, the same phrase can mean completely different things depending on the eyebrow raise, the hand gesture, or the angle of the sun.
🗣️ “Ti kanis?” – The Multi-Tool Question
“Ti kanis?” literally means “How are you?”Translation 1: casual greeting.Translation 2: “You can tell me your life story because I am going for a coffee and I have 5 hours to kill.”Translation 3: rhetorical trap — the only correct answer is “Kalimera!” if you want to escape.
✋ The Moutza: The Original Face-Palm
That open palm thrust toward someone’s face? That’s the moutza.
Meaning: “You are an idiot. Or worse.”
Context: Traffic arguments, cheating at tavli, or anyone who dares ask for feta in a salad without permission.
Pro tip: Do NOT try this gesture back. It’s like bringing a bazooka to a pillow fight.
🤷 Shoulder Shrugs & Hand Waves
Shrug + one hand up: “I have no idea, but I will discuss this passionately for 20 minutes.”
Two-handed wave: “I see you, I hear you, I will now ignore you.”
Chin point: Directions, emphasis, or subtle threats. Foreigners usually end up pointing their chin at the nearest tree.
😂 “Ela re!” and Its Friends
Not just a spoken phrase — it’s a gesture too. Accompanied by a hand swing, a slight head tilt, and sometimes a foot tap, “Ela re!” could mean:
Come on!
Really?!
What are you doing?!
I am mildly offended but mostly amused.
Shock, disbelief, or mild anger.
Approval, encouragement, or amusement.
Confusion, exasperation, or all of the above at the same time.
Context is everything. Tone, facial expression, and even proximity matter. Foreigners often think it’s a personal insult. Nope — just a Greek way of living.
👀 Eyebrows Do the Talking
Greek eyebrows are like animated punctuation:
One raised = skepticism
Both raised = “Are you serious right now?”
Furrowed = “You have no idea what you just started.”
Combine with hand gestures, and you’ve got an entire sentence without saying a single word.
🍽️ Food Talk is Serious Business
Ordering food is a full-contact sport:
“Kali orexi!” — literally “good appetite”, but often accompanied by a five-minute lecture on how the dish should be eaten.
“Pame gia kafe?” — sounds like a casual invitation, actually a two-hour debate session waiting to happen.
💬 Words That Don’t Translate
Filotimo — pride, honor, doing the right thing, generosity… basically everything good in life wrapped in one word. Good luck translating that.
Kefi — joy, liveliness, the spirit of the party, often contagious. You’ll catch it whether you want to or not.
Malakas — varies from affectionate friend to serious insult, sometimes in the same sentence. Context is key. Is it “giasou re malaka”? That’s playful and a fitting greeting of a friend like “hey bro". “Ti kanis re malaaaakaaaa!” with an emphasis on “ti kanis”? Apologize and walk away. You screwed up.
🥄 A True Story
Walking in Kalamata, my wife once asked for directions using her best Greek. The woman paused, squinted, raised one eyebrow, flapped both hands, and pointed vaguely in three directions at once.Translation: unknown. Interpretation: optional. Outcome: She ended up having coffee with her instead.Lesson learned: When in doubt, follow the gestures… and expect an unexpected coffee invitation.
Greek body language isn’t just communication — it’s performance art. Expressive, confusing, and hilarious if you’re watching from the sidelines.
Next time you visit, don’t stress about learning Greek. Learn to read the gestures. You’ll survive. You might even thrive. And if all else fails, just smile and nod — it’s universally understood.
