Palabra Lexi · common words in Greek

How to say "grandmother" in Greek

"Grandmother" in Greek is γιαγιά (yiayá), pronounced ya-YA (stress on the syllable in capitals). It is a feminine noun (η γιαγιά, plural οι γιαγιάδες).

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 γιαγιά

Γιαγιά is pronounced ya-YA, in IPA /ʝaˈʝa/. The stress falls on YA, the syllable in capitals. Greek shows this in writing: the accent mark sits on the stressed vowel.

• Γ before an e or i sound is like the y in "yes".

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

Is γιαγιά masculine, feminine or neuter?

Γιαγιά is feminine, so it takes the article η: η γιαγιά. The plural is οι γιαγιάδες. That fits the usual pattern: most nouns ending in -α and -η are feminine.

Example sentences

Η γιαγιά μου
my grandma

Η γιαγιά μαγειρεύει σούπα.
Grandmother is cooking soup.

"Grandmother" in Greek: everyday use and word roots

In English it is spelled yiayia, yia yia, yaya or ya-ya; they are all the same Greek word, γιαγιά, said roughly "ya-YA".

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 γιαγιά

γιαγιά [ya-YA] sounds like the English “ya-ya!”. Picture this:

Grandma agrees to everything: «ya, ya!» — and puts a third pie on your plate.

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

Practice γιαγιά

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

Word web: γιαγιά

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