How to say “Welcome” in Greek. Lesson 23.

How to say “Welcome” in Greek. Lesson 23.

            There are two different ways to say “welcome” in Greek.

            First way : We can informally say to one visitor Καλώς ήρθες (well you

came/welcome).

            The word καλώς is the archaic form of the modern greek word καλά,

            which means “well”.

            The word ήρθες is the second singular person  of the verb έρχομαι (I come)

            in Simple Past.

            Αόριστος (Simple Past)

            εγώ ήρθα (I came)

            εσύ ήρθες (you came)

            αυτός / αυτή / αυτό ήρθε (he/she/it came)

            εμείς ήρθαμε (we came)

            εσείς ήρθατε (you came)

            αυτοί / αυτές/ αυτά ήρθαν (they came)

            If we want to be polite or if we talk to many people we can say

            Καλώς ήρθατε.

Second way: We can informally say to one visitor Καλώς όρισες and if we want to be polite or if we have many visitors we can say Καλώς ορίσατε.

It means “well you commanded”, but we use it like welcome.

Αόριστος (Simple Past)

εγώ όρισα

εσύ όρισες

αυτός / αυτή / αυτό όρισε

εμείς ορίσαμε

εσείς ορίσατε

αυτοί / αυτές/ αυτά όρισαν

Answers:

The visitor, one person, can answer to one host Καλώς σε βρήκα (well I have

found you).

Τhe word βρήκα is the first singular person of the verb βρίσκω (I find) in

Simple Past.

Αόριστος (Simple Past)

εγώ βρήκα

εσύ βρήκες

αυτός / αυτή/ αυτό βρήκε

εμείς βρήκαμε

εσείς βρήκατε

αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά βρήκαν

Ιf there are two or more visitors and one only host, then they can answer

Καλώς σε βρήκαμε (well we have found you).

If there is one visitor and two or more hosts, the visitor can answer

Καλώς σας βρήκα.

And if there are two or more visitors and two or more hosts, the visitors can

answer Καλώς σας βρήκαμε.