Palabra Lexi · common words in Greek

How to say "sea" in Greek

"Sea" in Greek is θάλασσα (thálassa), pronounced THA-la-sa (stress on the syllable in capitals). It is a feminine noun (η θάλασσα, plural οι θάλασσες).

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 θάλασσα

Θάλασσα is pronounced THA-la-sa. The stress falls on THA, the syllable in capitals. Greek shows this in writing: the accent mark sits on the stressed vowel.

• Θ is th as in "think".

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Is θάλασσα masculine, feminine or neuter?

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

Example sentences

Η θάλασσα είναι ζεστή
the sea is warm

η θάλασσα είναι γαλάζια
the sea is blue

Η θάλασσα είναι μπλε.
The sea is blue.

"Sea" in Greek: everyday use and word roots

Θάλασσα is feminine. Πέλαγος is the open sea, as in archipelago.

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 θάλασσα

θάλασσα [THA-la-sa] sounds like the English “the lasso”. Picture this:

A cowboy spins the lasso over the sea, ropes a wave and rides it to the beach.

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

Practice θάλασσα

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Word web: θάλασσα

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