100 Essential Greek Words for Beginners (with Pronunciation)

Greetings & basics

16 words

English	Greek	Pronunciation	Type
hello	γεια	geia	interjection
goodbye	αντίο	antio	interjection
yes	ναι	nai	interjection
no	όχι	ochi	interjection
please	παρακαλώ	parakalo	interjection
thank you	ευχαριστώ	efcharisto	interjection
sorry	λυπάμαι	lypamai	interjection
and	και	kai	conjunction
but	αλλά	alla	conjunction
or	ή	i	conjunction
because	επειδή	epeidi	conjunction
here	εδώ	edo	adverb
there	εκεί	ekei	adverb
always	πάντοτε	pantote	adverb
never	ποτέ	pote	adverb
together	μαζί	mazi	adverb

People & family

14 words

English	Greek	Pronunciation	Type
man	άντρας	antras	noun
woman	γυναίκα	gynaika	noun
boy	αγόρι	agori	noun
girl	κορίτσι	koritsi	noun
friend	φίλος	filos	noun
mother	μητέρα	mitera	noun
father	πατέρας	pateras	noun
brother	αδελφός	adelfos	noun
sister	αδελφή	adelfi	noun
son	γιος	gios	noun
daughter	κόρη	kori	noun
child	παιδί	paidi	noun
husband	σύζυγος	syzygos	noun
parent	γονέας	goneas	noun

Everyday verbs

16 words

English	Greek	Pronunciation	Type
to be	να είναι	na einai	verb
to have	να έχει	na echei	verb
to do	να κάνει	na kanei	verb
to go	να πάει	na paei	verb
to come	να έρθει	na erthei	verb
to eat	τρώω	troo	verb
to drink	πίνω	pino	verb
to want	θέλω	thelo	verb
to need	χρειάζομαι	chreiazomai	verb
to know	ξέρω	xero	verb
to speak	μιλώ	milo	verb
to read	διαβάζω	diavazo	verb
to write	γράφω	grafo	verb
to listen	ακούω	akouo	verb
to work	εργάζομαι	ergazomai	verb
to buy	αγοράζω	agorazo	verb

Describing words

10 words

English	Greek	Pronunciation	Type
good	καλός	kalos	adjective
bad	κακός	kakos	adjective
new	νέος	neos	adjective
old	ηλικιωμένος	ilikiomenos	adjective
tall	ψηλός	psilos	adjective
short	κοντός	kontos	adjective
nice	συμπαθητικός	sympathitikos	adjective
kind	ευγενικός	evgenikos	adjective
shy	ντροπαλός	ntropalos	adjective
healthy	υγιής	ygiis	adjective

Colors

8 words

English	Greek	Pronunciation	Type
red	κόκκινο	kokkino	adjective
blue	μπλε	mple	adjective
green	πράσινο	prasino	adjective
yellow	κίτρινο	kitrino	adjective
black	μαύρο	mavro	adjective
white	άσπρο	aspro	adjective
orange	πορτοκαλί	portokali	adjective
purple	μωβ	mov	adjective

Numbers

12 words

English	Greek	Pronunciation	Type
one	ένα	ena	number
two	δύο	dyo	number
three	τρία	tria	number
four	τέσσερα	tessera	number
five	πέντε	pente	number
six	έξι	exi	number
seven	επτά	epta	number
eight	οκτώ	okto	number
nine	εννέα	ennea	number
ten	δέκα	deka	number
zero	μηδέν	miden	number
twenty	είκοσι	eikosi	number

Time

10 words

English	Greek	Pronunciation	Type
today	σήμερα	simera	adverb
tomorrow	αύριο	avrio	adverb
yesterday	χθες	chthes	adverb
morning	πρωί	proi	noun
afternoon	απόγευμα	apogevma	noun
evening	βράδυ	vrady	noun
night	νύχτα	nychta	noun
day	ημέρα	imera	noun
week	εβδομάδα	evdomada	noun
month	μήνας	minas	noun

Food & drink

10 words

English	Greek	Pronunciation	Type
water	νερό	nero	noun
coffee	καφές	kafes	noun
tea	τσάι	tsai	noun
milk	γάλα	gala	noun
bread	ψωμί	psomi	noun
cheese	τυρί	tyri	noun
fruit	φρούτο	frouto	noun
apple	μήλο	milo	noun
egg	αυγό	avgo	noun
rice	ρύζι	ryzi	noun

Home

4 words

English	Greek	Pronunciation	Type
house	σπίτι	spiti	noun
door	πόρτα	porta	noun
window	παράθυρο	parathyro	noun
bed	κρεβάτι	krevati	noun

Emoji: Twemoji, CC-BY 4.0

Greek for beginners questions

What are the first Greek words to learn?

Start with the words you use every day: greetings, numbers, the days and times, food, family and a handful of verbs. For Greek that means words like γεια (hello), ευχαριστώ (thank you), νερό (water) and τρώω (to eat). The list above groups 100 of them by topic.

Do I need to learn the Greek script before these words?

You can start without it: Greek is written in the Greek alphabet, and every word here has a pronunciation in Latin letters beside it so you can sound it out. Learning the script soon after is still worth it, because real signs, menus and messages are not romanised. Treat the Latin-letter pronunciation as a guide to the sound, and listen to the language as well.

Is 100 words enough to speak Greek?

No. This is a starting set: enough to greet people, count, talk about time, name food and family, and say what you want or need. Conversation needs more words, and above all hearing and using them. Treat the list as the first step, then add words from topics you care about.

How do I remember these Greek words?

Read a few at a time, say them out loud, and come back to them on a schedule rather than once. Watch Your Language puts words like these in a widget on your iPhone Lock Screen and on your Apple Watch face, and brings back the ones you keep forgetting more often.

100 Essential Greek Words for Beginners

Greetings & basics

People & family

Everyday verbs

Describing words

Colors

Numbers

Time

Food & drink

Home

Learn these Greek words for good

Keep going with Greek

Greek for beginners questions

What are the first Greek words to learn?

Do I need to learn the Greek script before these words?

Is 100 words enough to speak Greek?

How do I remember these Greek words?