Palabra Lexi · common words in Greek

How to say "winter" in Greek

"Winter" in Greek is χειμώνας (chimónas), pronounced hi-MO-nas (stress on the syllable in capitals). It is a masculine noun (ο χειμώνας, plural οι χειμώνες).

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 χειμώνας

Χειμώνας is pronounced hi-MO-nas, in IPA /çiˈmo.nas/. The stress falls on MO, 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".
• 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.

Is χειμώνας masculine, feminine or neuter?

Χειμώνας is masculine, so it takes the article ο: ο χειμώνας. The plural is οι χειμώνες. That fits the pattern: nouns ending in -ας and -ης are masculine.

Example sentences

Τον χειμώνα χιονίζει
in winter it snows

Ο χειμώνας είναι κρύος.
Winter is cold.

"Winter" in Greek: everyday use and word roots

The seasons: η άνοιξη (spring), το καλοκαίρι (summer), το φθινόπωρο (autumn), ο χειμώνας (winter).

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 χειμώνας

χειμώνας [hi-MO-nas] sounds like the English “he moans”. Picture this:

Winter: the wind he-moans in the chimney and asks for cocoa.

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

Practice χειμώνας

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