Palabra Lexi · common words in Greek
How to say "to sleep" in Greek
"To sleep" in Greek is κοιμάμαι (kimáme), pronounced ki-MA-me (stress on the syllable in capitals).
| Greek | κοιμάμαι |
|---|---|
| Transliteration | kimáme |
| Pronunciation | ki-MA-me |
| Meaning | to sleep |
| Part of speech | verb |
| Frequency | #92 in the Palabra list of common Greek words |
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.
How to pronounce κοιμάμαι
Κοιμάμαι is pronounced ki-MA-me, in IPA /ciˈma.me/. The stress falls on MA, the syllable in capitals. Greek shows this in writing: the accent mark sits on the stressed vowel.
- Αι is e as in "met".
- Ει and οι both sound like ee in "see".
Listen: normal and slow speed, in your browser's Greek voice. IPA: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
Example sentences
Το μωρό κοιμάται ήσυχα
The baby sleeps quietly
Κοιμάμαι νωρίς
I sleep early
"To sleep" in Greek: everyday use and word roots
Cemetery comes from κοιμητήριον, a place for sleeping.
Useful phrases
- Καληνύχτα, κοιμήσου καλά.
Good night, sleep well.
Word roots
- English words from the same root: cemetery
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 κοιμάμαι
κοιμάμαι [ki-MA-me] sounds like the English “key, mama”. Picture this:
«Key, mama!» — mother turns a tiny key in your back and you fall asleep like a wind-up toy.
A sound-alike plus a vivid scene is the keyword method, a well-studied way to learn vocabulary. How it works.
Practice κοιμάμαι
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