Palabra Lexi · common words in Greek

How to say "book" in Greek

"Book" in Greek is βιβλίο (vivlío), pronounced vi-VLI-o (stress on the syllable in capitals). It is a neuter noun (το βιβλίο, plural τα βιβλία).

Pronunciation is spelled out in English, one syllable at a time, with the stressed syllable in capitals; Greek marks that syllable with an accent in writing too. The speaker button uses your browser's built-in Greek voice. Gender and plural: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

How to pronounce βιβλίο

Βιβλίο is pronounced vi-VLI-o, in IPA /viˈvli.o/. The stress falls on VLI, the syllable in capitals. Greek shows this in writing: the accent mark sits on the stressed vowel.

• Β is v, not b.

Listen: normal and slow speed, in your browser's Greek voice. IPA: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Is βιβλίο masculine, feminine or neuter?

Βιβλίο is neuter, so it takes the article το: το βιβλίο. The plural is τα βιβλία. That fits the pattern: nouns ending in -ο and -ι are neuter.

Example sentences

Διαβάζω ένα βιβλίο
I'm reading a book

ένα καλό βιβλίο
a good book

Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι ωραίο.
This book is nice.

"Book" in Greek: everyday use and word roots

The Bible is named from Greek τὰ βιβλία, "the books".

Regional words and roots: Wiktionary and the Liddell–Scott Greek lexicon. Greek varies by region, so treat these as the most common patterns, not strict rules.

How to remember βιβλίο

βιβλίο [vi-VLI-o] sounds like the English “vivid Leo”. Picture this:

Vivid Leo the lion leaps off the book cover and reads the pages aloud to you.

A sound-alike plus a vivid scene is the keyword method, a well-studied way to learn vocabulary. How it works.

Practice βιβλίο

Two quick games, right here: no sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere.