Palabra Lexi · common words in Greek

How to say "joy" in Greek

"Joy" in Greek is χαρά (chará), pronounced ha-RA (stress on the syllable in capitals). It is a feminine noun (η χαρά, plural οι χαρές).

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 χαρά

Χαρά is pronounced ha-RA, in IPA /xaˈɾa/. The stress falls on RA, the syllable in capitals. Greek shows this in writing: the accent mark sits on the stressed vowel.

• Χ is a rough h, like the ch in Scottish "loch".

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

Is χαρά masculine, feminine or neuter?

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

Example sentences

Με μεγάλη χαρά
with great joy

Τι χαρά!
What joy!

"Joy" in Greek: everyday use and word roots

Χαρά is also a woman's name. The same root gives χαίρετε, a formal "hello", and χάρηκα, "nice to meet you".

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 χαρά

χαρά [ha-RA] sounds like the English “hurrah”. Picture this:

«Hurrah!» — joy bursts like confetti from a cannon and settles on everyone's shoulders.

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

Practice χαρά

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

Word web: χαρά

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