Nuance of the word “Χαιρετίσματα”

Hello friends,

I am wondering if the word “Χαιρετίσματα” can be used at the beginning of a letter to convey “Greetings”?

For example, if one wants to start a letter with “Dear So and So, Greetings from the United States” could one say “Αγαπητέ Γιάννη, Χαιρετίσματα από την Αμερική” or does «Χαιρετίσματα» mean “Good bye”?

Thank you.

Cosmas

Your first choice is correct "Greetings from America" is the translation for "Χαιρετίσματα από την Αμερική".

cosmasad said:

For example, if one wants to start a letter with “Dear So and So, Greetings from the United States” could one say “Αγαπητέ Γιάννη, Χαιρετίσματα από την Αμερική” ?

Click to expand...

Yes, you can do this.

«Χαιρετίσματα» does not mean “Good bye”. It is mostly used in the phrase «Χαιρετίσματα από ...» (Greetings from...) followed by a name or place, i.e. "Χαιρετίσματα από τον Κώστα" (="Greetings from Costas" or "Costas says hello", meaning you are with Costas and he asked you to say hello), or "Χαιρετίσματα από Αθήνα" ("Greetings from Athens", meaning you are in Athens and are sending greetings from there).

The other word you're probably thinking of is αποχαιρετισμός (=farewell, goodbye), as in the translation of these books:

Αποχαιρετισμός στα όπλα, Έρνεστ Χέμινγουεϊ
http://www.biblionet.gr/book/85564/Hemingway,_Ernest,_1899-1961/Αποχαιρετισμός_στα_όπλα

Ο μεγάλος αποχαιρετισμός, Raymond Chandler
http://www.biblionet.gr/book/136069/Chandler,_Raymond,_1888-1959/Ο_μεγάλος_αποχαιρετισμός