Palabra Lexi · common words in Greek

How to say "grandfather" in Greek

"Grandfather" in Greek is παππούς (pappoús), pronounced pa-POOS (stress on the syllable in capitals). It is a masculine noun (ο παππούς, plural οι παππούδες).

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 παππούς

Παππούς is pronounced pa-POOS, in IPA /paˈpus/. The stress falls on POOS, the syllable in capitals. Greek shows this in writing: the accent mark sits on the stressed vowel.

• Ου is oo as in "food".

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

Is παππούς masculine, feminine or neuter?

Παππούς is masculine, so it takes the article ο: ο παππούς. The plural is οι παππούδες. That fits the pattern: nouns ending in a stressed -ές or -ούς are masculine.

Example sentences

Ο παππούς μου
my grandpa

Ο παππούς αγαπάει τα εγγόνια του.
Grandfather loves his grandchildren.

Ο παππούς διαβάζει εφημερίδα.
Grandpa reads the newspaper.

"Grandfather" in Greek: everyday use and word roots

In English often spelled papou or pappou. The grandparents are ο παππούς και η γιαγιά.

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 παππούς

παππούς [pa-POOS] sounds like the English “papoose”. Picture this:

Grandpa carries the cat in a papoose on his chest and calls it his deputy.

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

Practice παππούς

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Word web: παππούς

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