Table of Contents
The moment a carafe of wine arrives at a Greek taverna table, or a small glass of ouzo, or anything drinkable at all, there is a beat before anyone drinks. Someone raises their glass. Eyes go around the table. Glasses tap. The word is said. Then everyone drinks.
This ritual is so embedded in Greek social culture that skipping it — picking up your glass and drinking without toasting — is noticed. Not dramatically, and nobody will say anything, but the beat exists and is felt. Understanding how it works makes every meal in Greece better.
For the broader context of drinking in Greece, the Greek drinks guide covers ouzo, tsipouro, raki, and the full picture. For ouzo specifically — the drink most closely associated with yamas at a seafront table — the ouzo guide covers everything from production to the correct way to dilute it.
What Does Yamas Mean in Greek?
The word yamas (γεια μας) is a contraction of the full phrase στην υγειά μας (stin iyia mas) — "to our health." It derives from γεια (ya), meaning health, and μας (mas), meaning "us" or "our."
So yamas, in the Greek language, literally means "our health" — a toast to the wellbeing of everyone at the table. It is the same underlying wish as the French à votre santé, the Italian salute, the German prost: all variations of the same Mediterranean and European tradition of raising a glass to health rather than simply to good times.
The word is also closely related to the Greek hello. Γεια σου (ya su) — hello — and γεια μας (ya mas) — cheers — share the same root. When a Greek greets you, they are wishing you health. When they raise a glass, they are wishing everyone at the table health collectively. The same philosophy of expressed goodwill runs through both.
How to say cheers in Greek:
Greek | Romanisation | Pronunciation
Γεια μας | Yamas | YA-mas
Στην υγειά μας | Stin iyia mas | STEEN ee-YAH mas
Yamas: stress on the first syllable — YA-mas. Short, bright, upward in tone.
Stin iyia mas: the stress falls on iyia — steen ee-YAH mas. More deliberate, more resonant, used when making a proper toast.
The Full Family of Greek Toasts
Yamas — Γεια μας
The default. Casual, warm, immediate. Said when glasses are raised among friends, at the start of a meal, after the first pour. This is the cheers in Greek language that everyone learns and uses. The word that fills every Greek taverna at 10pm on a summer evening.
Stin Iyia Mas — Στην υγειά μας
The full, slightly formal version — "to our health." Used when someone wants to mark a moment: a reunion, a birthday, a significant celebration. Has weight without being stiff.
Stin Iyia Sou / Sas — Στην υγειά σου / σας
"To your health" — directed at one person (sou, informal) or at a group or in formal address (sas). Used when you want to toast a specific person: the birthday person, someone who has done something worth celebrating, the host who made the meal. More personal than yamas.
Aspro Pato — Άσπρο Πάτο
Literally "white bottom" — the instruction to empty your glass until the base (colourless when empty) is visible. The Greek bottoms up. Reserved for moments of genuine celebration, proposed by someone with enough standing at the table to call for it. Not used lightly.
Eviva — Εβίβα
A toast with a Venetian ring to it, common in parts of Greece historically influenced by Venetian rule — particularly the Ionian islands (Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos). Warm, slightly theatrical, and will produce a smile of recognition on any of those islands.
Na Zisete — Να ζήσετε
"May you live long" — a formal toast at weddings and significant occasions, said to the couple or the person being honoured. Not an everyday taverna toast but one worth knowing if you attend a Greek celebration.
How to Toast in Greek: The Ritual
Knowing how to say cheers in Greek is one part. Executing the ritual correctly is the other.
Raise your glass. When the toast is called, everyone at the table picks up their glass.
Make eye contact with each person. This is the rule that matters most. As you clink glasses around the table, you make direct eye contact with the person whose glass you are touching — each one individually, not a general sweep. At a table of six, that is five separate moments of connection. This takes seconds but is the difference between a genuine Greek toast and a reflexive one.
Say the word. Yamas, stin iyia mas, or whatever the specific toast is. Said clearly.
Drink. After the toast, everyone drinks. A sip is sufficient in normal toasting; aspro pato is the instruction to empty the glass.
Do not clink empty glasses. An empty glass is not part of the toast — clinking it is considered bad luck. Wait until it is refilled or acknowledge the person verbally without the physical clink.
At a large table: If reaching someone across the table requires an awkward stretch that risks spilling, it is acceptable to raise the glass in their direction with a nod rather than a tap. The eye contact and the gesture are what matter; the physical clink is secondary.
Yamas in Context: When and Where You'll Hear It
At a taverna with ouzo or tsipouro: The primary context. The moment the first glass is poured, yamas is said before the first sip. It sets the tone for the entire meal. The drinking and meze culture that surrounds this ritual is covered in full in the meze culture guide.
At a family table: Greek family meals — Sunday lunch, Easter, Christmas, name days — involve multiple toasts throughout, not just at the start. Each significant moment in the evening is marked with raised glasses.
At a wedding: Greek weddings involve elaborate toasting throughout the evening. Formal toasts (stin iyia sas, na zisete) appear alongside casual ones. If you attend a Greek wedding, the glasses go up frequently — the toasting is continuous rather than a single event.
At a bar: The same ritual applies, though compressed — yamas said quickly, glasses tapped before the first drink. No less genuine for being brief.
Plan Your Greece Trip
- Greek Drinks Guide — ouzo, tsipouro, raki and the drinks you'll be toasting with
- Ouzo Guide — everything about Greece's most famous spirit
- Meze Culture in Greece — the drinking and shared-plate culture that surrounds yamas
- How to Eat at a Greek Taverna — the full guide to taverna culture and etiquette
- Hello in Greek — the greeting that shares its root with yamas
- Thank You in Greek — efharisto and the essential gratitude phrases
- How to Plan a Trip to Greece — the full planning framework
🥂 Planning a trip to Greece? Use our AI Trip Planner to build your itinerary — or take our quiz to find the right Greek destination for your travel style. Yamas!
Written by
Athens-born engineer · Coordinates a 5-expert Greek team · 50+ years combined field experience
I write every article on this site drawing on real, first-hand expertise — mine and that of four colleagues who live and work across Greece daily: a Peloponnese tour operator, a transfer specialist across Athens, Mykonos & Santorini, a Cretan hotel owner, and a Northern Greece hotel supplier. Nothing here comes from a single visit or desk research.
Informed by 5 Greek experts
Every destination we cover has been visited and vetted by at least one team member — not for a review, but as part of their daily work in Greek tourism.