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.
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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 οικογένειαee ee-ko-YEH-nee-ah | the family | Η οικογένειά μου είναι μεγάλη. (My family is big.) |
| ο πατέραςoh pah-TEH-rahs | the father | Ο πατέρας μου δουλεύει στην Αθήνα. (My father works in Athens.) |
| η μητέραee mee-TEH-rah | the mother | Η μητέρα μου μαγειρεύει υπέροχα. (My mother cooks wonderfully.) |
| ο αδερφόςoh ah-ther-FOHS | the brother | Έχω έναν αδερφό. (I have one brother.) |
| η αδερφήee ah-ther-FEE | the sister | Η αδερφή μου σπουδάζει ιατρική. (My sister studies medicine.) |
| ο γιοςoh yohs | the son | Ο γιος μας είναι δέκα χρονών. (Our son is ten years old.) |
| η κόρηee KOH-ree | the daughter | Η κόρη τους παντρεύτηκε πέρυσι. (Their daughter got married last year.) |
| ο παππούςoh pah-POOS | the grandfather | Ο παππούς μου ζει στο χωριό. (My grandfather lives in the village.) |
| η γιαγιάee yah-YAH | the grandmother | Η γιαγιά μου φτιάχνει τα καλύτερα γλυκά. (My grandmother makes the best sweets.) |
| το εγγόνιtoh en-GOH-nee | the grandchild | Έχουν τρία εγγόνια. (They have three grandchildren.) |
| ο θείοςoh THEE-ohs | the uncle | Ο θείος μου μένει στη Θεσσαλονίκη. (My uncle lives in Thessaloniki.) |
| η θείαee THEE-ah | the aunt | Η θεία μου είναι δασκάλα. (My aunt is a teacher.) |
| ο ξάδερφος / η ξαδέρφηoh KSAH-ther-fohs / ee ksah-THER-fee | the cousin (m/f) | Ο ξάδερφός μου έρχεται το καλοκαίρι. (My cousin is coming in summer.) |
| ο σύζυγοςoh SEE-zee-gohs | the husband | Ο σύζυγός μου είναι γιατρός. (My husband is a doctor.) |
| η σύζυγοςee SEE-zee-gohs | the wife | Η σύζυγός του είναι από την Κρήτη. (His wife is from Crete.) |
| τα παιδιάtah peh-THYAH | the children | Τα παιδιά παίζουν στην αυλή. (The children are playing in the yard.) |
| οι γονείςee 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.
| Phrase & Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|
| 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.