Ελληνικά
Greek
Hellenic
Also known as: Greek, Hellenic
Modern Greek (Νέα Ελληνικά Néa Elliniká) is a Hellenic language with ~13M speakers — sole official language of Greece and co-official in Cyprus. Direct descendant of Ancient Greek through Koine (4c. BCE-4c. CE) and Byzantine Greek (4-15c.), one of the oldest continuously-attested literary traditions (3,000+ years). Earlier diglossia between katharevousa (formal) and demotic (colloquial) was resolved 1976 in favor of demotic as standard. Greek alphabet (24 letters) since 8c. BCE. Famous for retained polytonic-system spelling (replaced by monotonic 1982).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Greek
Water
νερό
/neˈɾo/
Fire
φωτιά
/foˈtʲa/
Sun
ήλιος
/ˈiʎos/
Moon
φεγγάρι
/feˈŋɡaɾi/
Star
αστέρι
/aˈsteri/
Mother
μητέρα
/miˈteɾa/
Father
πατέρας
/paˈteɾas/
I
εγώ
/eˈɣo/
You
εσύ
/eˈsi/
Name
όνομα
/ˈonoma/
Eye
μάτι
/ˈmati/
Hand
χέρι
/ˈçeɾi/
Heart
καρδιά
/kaɾˈðʲa/
Love
αγάπη
/aˈɣapi/
Tree
δέντρο
/ˈðendɾo/
House
σπίτι
/ˈspiti/
Dog
σκύλος
/ˈscilos/
Cat
γάτα
/ˈɣata/
Eat
τρώω
/ˈtɾo.o/
Drink
πίνω
/ˈpino/
One
ένα
/ˈena/
Two
δύο
/ˈðio/
Hello
γεια σου
/ˈʝa su/
Thank you
ευχαριστώ
/efxaɾiˈsto/
Good
καλό
/kaˈlo/
Cuckoo
κούκος
/ˈkukos/
Woof
γαβ γαβ
/ɣav ɣav/
Computer
υπολογιστής
/ipoloʝiˈstis/
Sushi
σούσι
/ˈsusi/
Dopamine
ντοπαμίνη
/dopaˈmini/
At sign (@)
παπάκι
/paˈpaci/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Hellenic languages
| Meaning | Greek | Pontic Greek | Greek (Katharevousa) | Spanish | Esperanto | Asturian | Betawi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | νερό /neˈɾo/ | νερόν /neˈron/ | ὕδωρ /ˈiðor/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | akvo /ˈakvo/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | aèr /aɛr/ |
| Fire | φωτιά /foˈtʲa/ | φωτία /foˈtia/ | πῦρ /pir/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fajro /ˈfajro/ | fueu /ˈfweu/ | api /ˈapi/ |
| Sun | ήλιος /ˈiʎos/ | ήλιον /ˈilion/ | ἥλιος /ˈilios/ | sol /sol/ | suno /ˈsuno/ | sol /sol/ | mataari /mataˈari/ |
| Moon | φεγγάρι /feˈŋɡaɾi/ | φέγγον /ˈfeŋɡon/ | σελήνη /seˈlini/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luno /ˈluno/ | lluna /ˈʎuna/ | bulan /ˈbulan/ |
| Star | αστέρι /aˈsteri/ | άστρον /ˈastron/ | ἀστήρ /asˈtir/ | estrella /esˈtɾeʎa/ | stelo /ˈstelo/ | estrella /esˈtɾeʎa/ | bintang /ˈbintaŋ/ |
| Mother | μητέρα /miˈteɾa/ | μάνα /ˈmana/ | μήτηρ /ˈmitir/ | madre /ˈmaðɾe/ | patrino /paˈtrino/ | ma /ma/ | enya' /əˈɲaʔ/ |
| Father | πατέρας /paˈteɾas/ | κύρης /ˈciɾis/ | πατήρ /paˈtir/ | padre /ˈpaðɾe/ | patro /ˈpatro/ | pa /pa/ | babè /baˈbɛ/ |
| I | εγώ /eˈɣo/ | εγώ /eˈɣo/ | ἐγώ /eˈɣo/ | yo /ʝo/ | mi /mi/ | yo /ʝo/ | guè /ɡuˈwɛ/ |
| You | εσύ /eˈsi/ | εσύ /eˈsi/ | σύ /si/ | tú /tu/ | vi /vi/ | tu /tu/ | lu /lu/ |
| Name | όνομα /ˈonoma/ | όνεμαν /ˈoneman/ | ὄνομα /ˈonoma/ | nombre /ˈnombɾe/ | nomo /ˈnomo/ | nome /ˈnome/ | nama /ˈnama/ |
| Eye | μάτι /ˈmati/ | ομμάτιν /omˈmatin/ | ὀφθαλμός /ofθalˈmos/ | ojo /ˈoxo/ | okulo /oˈkulo/ | güeyu /ˈɡweʝu/ | mata /ˈmata/ |
| Hand | χέρι /ˈçeɾi/ | χέρ /xer/ | χείρ /çir/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | tangan /ˈtaŋan/ |
| Heart | καρδιά /kaɾˈðʲa/ | καρδί /karˈði/ | καρδία /karˈði.a/ | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ | koro /ˈkoro/ | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ | ati /ˈati/ |
| Love | αγάπη /aˈɣapi/ | αγάπην /aˈɣapin/ | ἀγάπη /aɣaˈpi/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amo /ˈamo/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | cinta /ˈtʃinta/ |
| Tree | δέντρο /ˈðendɾo/ | δέντρον /ˈðendron/ | δένδρον /ˈðenðron/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | arbo /ˈarbo/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | pu'un /puˈʔun/ |
| House | σπίτι /ˈspiti/ | σπίτ /spit/ | οἶκος /ˈikos/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | domo /ˈdomo/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | ruma /ˈruma/ |
| Dog | σκύλος /ˈscilos/ | σκύλος /ˈskilos/ | κύων /ˈkion/ | perro /ˈpero/ | hundo /ˈhundo/ | perru /ˈperu/ | anjing /ˈandʒiŋ/ |
| Cat | γάτα /ˈɣata/ | γάτα /ˈɣata/ | αἴλουρος /ˈeluros/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | kato /ˈkato/ | gatu /ˈɡatu/ | kucing /ˈkutʃiŋ/ |
| Eat | τρώω /ˈtɾo.o/ | τρώγω /ˈtɾoɣo/ | ἐσθίω /esˈθio/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | manĝi /ˈmandʒi/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | makan /ˈmakan/ |
| Drink | πίνω /ˈpino/ | πίνειν /ˈpinin/ | πίνω /ˈpino/ | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | trinki /ˈtrinki/ | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | minum /ˈminum/ |
| One | ένα /ˈena/ | εν /en/ | εἷς /is/ | uno /ˈuno/ | unu /ˈunu/ | ún /un/ | atu /ˈatu/ |
| Two | δύο /ˈðio/ | δύο /ˈði.o/ | δύο /ˈðio/ | dos /dos/ | du /du/ | dos /dos/ | dua /ˈduwa/ |
| Hello | γεια σου /ˈʝa su/ | καλημέρα /kaliˈmera/ | χαῖρε /ˈçere/ | hola /ˈola/ | saluton /saˈluton/ | hola /ˈola/ | salamalékum /salamaˈlekum/ |
| Thank you | ευχαριστώ /efxaɾiˈsto/ | ευχαριστώ /efxariˈsto/ | εὐχαριστῶ /efxariˈsto/ | gracias /ˈɡɾaθjas/ | dankon /ˈdankon/ | gracies /ˈɡɾaθjes/ | makasi /maˈkasi/ |
| Good | καλό /kaˈlo/ | καλό /kaˈlo/ | ἀγαθόν /aɣaˈθon/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bona /ˈbona/ | bonu /ˈbonu/ | baèk /baˈɛʔ/ |
| Cuckoo | κούκος /ˈkukos/ | κούκος /ˈkukos/ | κόκκυξ /ˈko.ciks/ | cuco /ˈkuko/ | kukolo /kuˈkolo/ | cuquiellu /kuˈkjeʎu/ | — |
| Woof | γαβ γαβ /ɣav ɣav/ | — | — | guau guau /ɡwau ɡwau/ | boj boj /boj boj/ | — | — |
| Computer | υπολογιστής /ipoloʝiˈstis/ | υπολογιστής /ipoloʝiˈstis/ | ὑπολογιστής /ipoloʝiˈstis/ | ordenador /oɾðenaˈðoɾ/ | komputilo /kompuˈtilo/ | ordenador /oɾðenaˈðoɾ/ | komputer /kɔmˈputər/ |
| Sushi | σούσι /ˈsusi/ | σούσι /ˈsusi/ | τάριχος /ˈtarixos/ | sushi /ˈsusi/ | suŝio /suˈʃio/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ |
| Dopamine | ντοπαμίνη /dopaˈmini/ | — | — | dopamina /dopaˈmina/ | — | dopamina /dopaˈmina/ | — |
| At sign (@) | παπάκι /paˈpaci/ | — | — | arroba /aˈroβa/ | heliko /heˈliko/ | — | — |
Word order compared
Compare with major world languages
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.