Palabra Lexi · common words in Greek

How to say "friend" in Greek

"Friend" in Greek is φίλος (fílos), pronounced FI-los (stress on the syllable in capitals). It is a masculine noun (ο φίλος, plural οι φίλοι). Also: φίλη, a female friend.

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 φίλος

Φίλος is pronounced FI-los, in IPA /ˈfi.los/. The stress falls on FI, the syllable in capitals. Greek shows this in writing: the accent mark sits on the stressed vowel.

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

Is φίλος masculine, feminine or neuter?

Φίλος is masculine, so it takes the article ο: ο φίλος. The plural is οι φίλοι. That fits the usual pattern: most nouns ending in -ος are masculine.

Example sentences

Ο καλός μου φίλος
my good friend

Ο φίλος μου παίζει κιθάρα.
My friend plays the guitar.

Ο Νίκος είναι ο καλύτερός μου φίλος.
Nikos is my best friend.

"Friend" in Greek: everyday use and word roots

The root φιλ- (to love, be fond of) is the "philo-" in philosophy, the love of wisdom.

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 φίλος

φίλος [FI-los] sounds like the English “fill us”. Picture this:

Your friend arrives with two huge pizzas shouting «fill us up!» and you both eat till you roll.

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

Practice φίλος

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Other ways to say "friend" in Greek

Word web: φίλος

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