Palabra Lexi · common words in Greek

How to say "bread" in Greek

"Bread" in Greek is ψωμί (psomí), pronounced pso-MI (stress on the syllable in capitals). It is a neuter noun (το ψωμί, plural τα ψωμιά).

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 ψωμί

Ψωμί is pronounced pso-MI, in IPA /psoˈmi/. The stress falls on MI, the syllable in capitals. Greek shows this in writing: the accent mark sits on the stressed vowel.

• Ψ is ps, with both sounds pronounced.

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

Is ψωμί masculine, feminine or neuter?

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

Example sentences

Θέλουμε λίγο ψωμί.
We want some bread.

Το ψωμί είναι φρέσκο.
The bread is fresh.

Φρέσκο ψωμί
fresh bread

"Bread" in Greek: everyday use and word roots

Ψωμί is everyday bread. Άρτος is the ancient and church word, still seen in αρτοποιείο (bakery). Πίτα is a pie or a flatbread, not bread in general.

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 ψωμί

ψωμί [pso-MI] sounds like the English “salami”. Picture this:

You bite the sandwich and the salami shoots out, leaving just warm bread in your hands.

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

Practice ψωμί

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Word web: ψωμί

Words that live next to ψωμί in the Palabra word web, each with its own English sound-alike and scene. Learning them together makes each one easier to recall.