Greek Words for Family: Complete Vocabulary Guide
Learning Greek words for family is one of the most rewarding steps in your language journey. Family plays a central role in Greek culture, and knowing how to talk about relatives will help you connect with native speakers on a personal level. This guide covers essential vocabulary, common phrases, and cultural insights to help you discuss family in Greek with confidence.
Essential Family Vocabulary
These core Greek words for family members form the foundation of any conversation about relatives. Master these terms first before moving on to extended family.
| Word | Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| η οικογένεια | ee ee-ko-YEH-nee-ah | the family | Η οικογένειά μου είναι μεγάλη. (My family is big.) |
| ο πατέρας | oh pah-TEH-rahs | the father | Ο πατέρας μου δουλεύει στην Αθήνα. (My father works in Athens.) |
| η μητέρα | ee mee-TEH-rah | the mother | Η μητέρα μου μαγειρεύει υπέροχα. (My mother cooks wonderfully.) |
| ο αδερφός | oh ah-ther-FOHS | the brother | Έχω έναν αδερφό. (I have one brother.) |
| η αδερφή | ee ah-ther-FEE | the sister | Η αδερφή μου σπουδάζει ιατρική. (My sister studies medicine.) |
| ο γιος | oh yohs | the son | Ο γιος μας είναι δέκα χρονών. (Our son is ten years old.) |
| η κόρη | ee KOH-ree | the daughter | Η κόρη τους παντρεύτηκε πέρυσι. (Their daughter got married last year.) |
| ο παππούς | oh pah-POOS | the grandfather | Ο παππούς μου ζει στο χωριό. (My grandfather lives in the village.) |
| η γιαγιά | ee yah-YAH | the grandmother | Η γιαγιά μου φτιάχνει τα καλύτερα γλυκά. (My grandmother makes the best sweets.) |
| το εγγόνι | toh en-GOH-nee | the grandchild | Έχουν τρία εγγόνια. (They have three grandchildren.) |
| ο θείος | oh THEE-ohs | the uncle | Ο θείος μου μένει στη Θεσσαλονίκη. (My uncle lives in Thessaloniki.) |
| η θεία | ee THEE-ah | the aunt | Η θεία μου είναι δασκάλα. (My aunt is a teacher.) |
| ο ξάδερφος / η ξαδέρφη | oh KSAH-ther-fohs / ee ksah-THER-fee | the cousin (m/f) | Ο ξάδερφός μου έρχεται το καλοκαίρι. (My cousin is coming in summer.) |
| ο σύζυγος | oh SEE-zee-gohs | the husband | Ο σύζυγός μου είναι γιατρός. (My husband is a doctor.) |
| η σύζυγος | ee SEE-zee-gohs | the wife | Η σύζυγός του είναι από την Κρήτη. (His wife is from Crete.) |
| τα παιδιά | tah peh-THYAH | the children | Τα παιδιά παίζουν στην αυλή. (The children are playing in the yard.) |
| οι γονείς | ee ghoh-NEES | the parents | Οι γονείς μου γιορτάζουν την επέτειό τους. (My parents are celebrating their anniversary.) |
Common Phrases
Beyond individual Greek words for family, you'll need useful phrases to discuss your relatives in everyday conversation.
- Πόσα αδέρφια έχεις; (POH-sah ah-THER-fyah EH-hees) – How many siblings do you have?
- Έχω δύο αδέρφια. (EH-hoh THEE-oh ah-THER-fyah) – I have two siblings.
- Είμαι παντρεμένος/παντρεμένη. (EE-meh pahn-treh-MEH-nohs/pahn-treh-MEH-nee) – I am married (m/f).
- Είμαι ανύπαντρος/ανύπαντρη. (EE-meh ah-NEE-pahn-trohs/ah-NEE-pahn-tree) – I am single (m/f).
- Πώς είναι η οικογένειά σου; (pohs EE-neh ee ee-ko-YEH-nee-ah soo) – How is your family?
- Μοιάζεις στη μητέρα σου. (mee-AH-zees stee mee-TEH-rah soo) – You look like your mother.
- Περιμένουμε παιδί. (peh-ree-MEH-noo-meh peh-THEE) – We're expecting a child.
- Είναι μονάκριβος γιος. (EE-neh moh-NAH-kree-vohs yohs) – He is an only son.
Usage Notes
Understanding cultural and grammatical nuances will help you use Greek words for family more naturally.
- Affectionate forms: Greeks often use diminutives or nicknames. Μπαμπάς (bah-BAHS) means "dad" and μαμά (mah-MAH) means "mom" – these are more common in casual speech than the formal πατέρας and μητέρα.
- Gender agreement: Greek nouns have grammatical gender. Notice that ο αδερφός (brother) is masculine while η αδερφή (sister) is feminine. Adjectives must match the gender of the family member you're describing.
- Possessive forms: To say "my," add μου (moo) after the noun: η μητέρα μου (my mother). For "your," use σου (soo): ο πατέρας σου (your father).
- Extended family importance: Greek culture places great emphasis on extended family. Don't be surprised if Greeks ask detailed questions about your relatives – this shows genuine interest and connection.
- Name days: In addition to birthdays, Greeks celebrate name days (ονομαστική γιορτή). Family gatherings for name days are common, so knowing relatives' names helps you participate in these traditions.
- In-laws: For in-laws, Greek uses specific terms: ο πεθερός (father-in-law), η πεθερά (mother-in-law), ο γαμπρός (son-in-law or brother-in-law), η νύφη (daughter-in-law or bride).
Practice Sentences
Use these example sentences to practice Greek words for family in context. Try reading them aloud and creating your own variations.
- Η οικογένειά μου μένει στην Ελλάδα. (ee ee-ko-YEH-nee-ah moo MEH-nee steen eh-LAH-thah) – My family lives in Greece.
- Ο μικρός μου αδερφός είναι φοιτητής. (oh mee-KROHS moo ah-ther-FOHS EE-neh fee-tee-TEES) – My younger brother is a student.
- Η γιαγιά και ο παππούς μας επισκέπτονται κάθε Κυριακή. (ee yah-YAH keh oh pah-POOS mahs eh-pee-SKEP-tohn-deh KAH-theh kee-ree-ah-KEE) – Our grandmother and grandfather visit us every Sunday.
- Τα παιδιά μου πηγαίνουν στο σχολείο με τα πόδια. (tah peh-THYAH moo pee-YEH-noon stoh skho-LEE-oh meh tah POH-thyah) – My children walk to school.
- Ο θείος μου και η θεία μου έχουν τέσσερα παιδιά. (oh THEE-ohs moo keh ee THEE-ah moo EH-hoon TEH-seh-rah peh-THYAH) – My uncle and aunt have four children.
- Η κόρη μου μοιάζει στον πατέρα της. (ee KOH-ree moo mee-AH-zee stohn pah-TEH-rah tees) – My daughter looks like her father.
- Οι γονείς μου γνωρίστηκαν στην Αθήνα. (ee ghoh-NEES moo gnoh-REES-tee-kahn steen ah-THEE-nah) – My parents met in Athens.
- Έχουμε πολλούς ξαδέρφους στην Κύπρο. (EH-hoo-meh poh-LOOS ksah-THER-foos steen KEE-proh) – We have many cousins in Cyprus.