Palabra Lexi · common words in Greek

How to say "snow" in Greek

"Snow" in Greek is χιόνι (chióni), pronounced HYO-ni (stress on the syllable in capitals). It is a neuter noun (το χιόνι, plural τα χιόνια).

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 χιόνι

Χιόνι is pronounced HYO-ni, in IPA /ˈço.ni/. The stress falls on HYO, 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 χιόνι masculine, feminine or neuter?

Χιόνι is neuter, so it takes the article το: το χιόνι. The plural is τα χιόνια. That fits the pattern: nouns ending in -ο and -ι are neuter.

Example sentences

Το χιόνι λιώνει
The snow is melting.

Πέφτει χιόνι
snow is falling

"Snow" in Greek: everyday use and word roots

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 χιόνι

χιόνι [HYO-ni] sounds like the English “showny”. Picture this:

Show-off snow («showny») falls in spotlight beams, each flake doing a pirouette.

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

Practice χιόνι

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