Ancient Greek Words & Phrases with audio
Here are some useful phrases in the Ancient Greek language spoken in Greece and the Hellenic World from before 400 BC to the early centuries AD. The sound files and IPA represent two pronunciation systems: the reconstructed Ancient pronunciation of Attic Greek (Ancient Athens) and the Byzantine pronunciation of Greek (Greek Orthodoxy and traditional Eastern scholarship).
| Greek word / phrase | Transliteration | Ancient pronunciation (IPA) | Byzantine pronunciation (IPA) | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| χαῖρε | khaîre | [kháìre] | ['çere] | hello! / goodbye! (to one person) |
| χαίρετε | khaírete | [khaírete] | ['çerete] | hi! / bye! (to multiple people) |
| εἰ δοκεῖ | ei dokeî | [e: dokê:] | [i ðo'ki] | please |
| συγγνῶθι μοι | sungnôthi moi | [syŋgnɔ̂:thi moi] | [siŋ'ɣnoθi mi] | excuse me |
| τὸ ὅνομα | tò ónoma | [toónoma] | [to 'onoma] | the name |
| τὸ ὅνομά σου | tò ónomá sou | [toónomáso:] | [to 'ono'ma su] | your name |
| τί ἐστι | tí esti | [tíesti] | ['ti es'ti] | what is |
| τί ἐστι τὸ ὄνομά σου; | tí esti tò ónomá sou | [tíesti toónomáso:] | ['ti esti to 'ono'ma su] | What's your name? |
| τὸ ὄνομά μου | tò ónomá mou | [toónomámo:] | [to 'ono'ma mu] | my name |
| εἶ | eî | [ê:] | ['i] | you are |
| εἰμί | eimí | [e:mí] | [i'mi] | I am |
| λέγω | légo | [légɔ:] | ['lego] | I speak |
| λέγεις | légeis | [lége:s] | ['lejis] | you speak |
| ἀναγινώσκω | anaginósko | [anaginɔ:skɔ:] | [anaji'nosko] | I'm reading |
| ἀναγινώσκωμεν | anaginóskomen | [anaginɔ́:skɔmen] | [anaji'noskomen] | let's read |
| τί ζητεῖς; | tí zeteîs | [tí zdɛ:tê:s] | ['ti zi'tis] | What are you looking for? |
| ζητῶ... | zetô | [zdɛ:tɔ̂:] | [zi'to] | I'm looking for... |
| τί ἐγένετο; | tí egéneto | [tí egéneto] | ['ti e'jeneto] | What happened? |
| μοι δεῖ | moi deî | [moi dê:] | [mi 'ði] | I have to |
| σοι δεῖ | soi deî | [soi dê:] | [si 'ði] | you have to |
| εὖγε | eûge | [éùge] | ['evje] | okay! / good! |
| τίς; | tís | [tís] | ['tis] | Who? |
| τί; | tí | [tí] | ['ti] | What? |
| πῶς; | pôs | [pɔ̂:s] | ['pos] | How? |
| πότε; | póte | [póte] | ['pote] | When? |
| αὖθις | aûthis | [áùthis] | ['afθis] | again |
| εὐθύς | euthús | [euthýs] | [e'fθis] | truly, honestly |
| τάχα | tákha | [tákha] | ['taχa] | quickly |
| βραδύς | bradús | [bradýs] | [vra'ðis] | slowly |
| (οὐκ) οἶδα | (ouk) oîda | [o:kóìda] | [u'ciða] | I (don't) know |
| σκόπει | skópei | [skópe:] | ['skopi] | see to it (to one person) |
| σκοπεῖτε | skopeîte | [skopéìte] | [sko'pite] | see to it (to multiple people) |
| πεινῶ | peinô | [pe:nɔ̂:] | [pi'no] | I'm hungry |
| διψῶ | dipsô | [dipsɔ̂:] | [ði'pso] | I'm thirsty |
| ἀποκάμνω | apokámno | [apokámnɔ̂:] | [apo'kamno] | I'm tired |
| ἀλλὰ... | allà... | [allà] | [a'la] | but... |
| καὶ... | kaì... | [kaì] | [ce] | and... |
| πεινῶ καὶ διψῶ. | peinô kaì dipsô | [pe:nɔ̂: kaì dipsɔ̂:] | [pi'no ce ði'pso] | I'm hungry and thirsty. |
| πόσον δίδως; | póson dídos | [póson dídɔ:s] | ['poson 'ðidos] | How much? |
| ναί | naí | [naí] | ['ne] | yes |
| οὔ | oú | [ó:] | ['u] | no |
| ἔστι | ésti | [ésti] | ['esti] | maybe |
| ἄπαγε | ápage | [ápage] | ['apaje] | Go away! |
| τοτοτοῖ | tototoî | [tototóì] | [toto'ti] | Oh, wow! |