Greek2Me staff · Phrases
How to Say Beautiful in Greek
Όμορφος
(omorfos)
beautiful (masculine)
The word for beautiful in Greek is όμορφος (ómorfos) for a man, όμορφη (ómorfi) for a woman, and όμορφο (ómorfo) for a thing or child. Greek adjectives agree with the gender of the noun they describe, so the ending changes.
Common variations
| Όμορφος | Beautiful / handsome (masculine)describing a man or masculine noun | |
| Όμορφη | Beautiful (feminine)describing a woman or feminine noun | |
| Όμορφο | Beautiful (neuter)describing a child, thing, or neuter noun | |
| Ωραίος / ωραία / ωραίο | Lovely / nice-lookingeveryday, slightly less strong than όμορφος | |
| Πανέμορφος | Absolutely gorgeousemphatic, 'all-beautiful' | |
| Κούκλα | Doll (compliment for a woman)warm, informal, 'gorgeous' | |
| Κούκλος | Doll (compliment for a man)warm, informal, 'handsome' |
In context
Η Αϊσά έχει ένα όμορφο χαμόγελο.
i Aisha echi ena omorfo chamoyelo
Aisha has a beautiful smile.
Τι όμορφη μέρα!
ti omorfi mera!
What a beautiful day!
Ο Κβάμε είναι πολύ ωραίος στη φωτογραφία.
o Kwame ine poli oreos sti fotografia
Kwame looks really nice in the photo.
Πανέμορφη η θέα από εδώ.
panemorfi i thea apo edo
The view from here is absolutely gorgeous.
Είσαι κούκλα σήμερα, Λιν!
ise koukla simera, Lin!
You look gorgeous today, Lin!
The three endings you need
Greek adjectives change ending to match the gender of the noun they describe. For beautiful:
- Όμορφος (ómorfos), masculine: *ένας όμορφος άντρας* (a handsome man)
- Όμορφη (ómorfi), feminine: *μια όμορφη γυναίκα* (a beautiful woman)
- Όμορφο (ómorfo), neuter: *ένα όμορφο παιδί* (a beautiful child)
Every Greek noun has a gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter), and the adjective must agree. This looks fiddly at first but the pattern is completely consistent: -ος, -η, -ο. Once you've got it for όμορφος, you've got it for hundreds of other adjectives.
A quick tip: when in doubt, listen to the article. *Ο* = masculine, *η* = feminine, *το* = neuter. The adjective follows the article.
Όμορφος vs ωραίος
Both mean beautiful or good-looking, but they land slightly differently.
- Όμορφος / όμορφη / όμορφο is the more visual 'beautiful'. Faces, views, buildings, clothes
- Ωραίος / ωραία / ωραίο is broader and often means 'lovely / nice / good'. A meal can be ωραίο, a film can be ωραίο, a person can be ωραίος. It stretches
If you want to compliment someone's appearance, όμορφος is the safer word. If you want to say something is generally nice or enjoyable, ωραίος fits better.
Ωραία on its own is also just a filler word meaning 'nice, OK, sounds good', a bit like the English use of 'lovely'.
Warmer words: πανέμορφος and κούκλα
For extra warmth Greek has some lovely upgrades.
- Πανέμορφος (panémorfos), from *παν-* (all) + *όμορφος*. Absolutely gorgeous, stunning. Works for people, views, weddings
- Κούκλα (koúkla), literally 'doll', a warm compliment for a woman. *Είσαι κούκλα* = you look gorgeous
- Κούκλος (koúklos), the masculine version, used for men
- Χαριτωμένος (charitoménos), charming, sweet-looking. More about personality than pure looks
Careful with κούκλα in professional settings. Between friends it's warm and normal. In a work context it can land wrong.
Beautiful things beyond people
Όμορφος works for far more than faces. A few natural collocations:
- Όμορφη θέα (ómorfi théa), a beautiful view
- Όμορφη μέρα (ómorfi méra), a beautiful day
- Όμορφο σπίτι (ómorfo spíti), a beautiful house
- Όμορφη μουσική (ómorfi mousikí), beautiful music
- Όμορφα λόγια (ómorfa lóya), beautiful words (plural neuter)
At plural, the endings shift to -οι / -ες / -α: *όμορφοι άντρες, όμορφες γυναίκες, όμορφα παιδιά*. Same three-gender pattern, plural version.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce όμορφος?+
Three syllables: O-mor-fos, with the stress on the first syllable. The ο is a clean 'oh' sound and the endings shift by gender: όμορφος, όμορφη, όμορφο.
Why does the word for beautiful have three endings?+
Greek adjectives agree with the gender of the noun they describe. Masculine nouns take -ος, feminine take -η, neuter take -ο. Same pattern applies to hundreds of Greek adjectives once you learn it.
What's the difference between όμορφος and ωραίος?+
Όμορφος is more specifically 'beautiful / handsome', mostly about looks. Ωραίος is broader and often means 'lovely / nice / good', and stretches to food, films, plans. Both can describe people.
Is κούκλα a compliment or is it patronising?+
Between friends it's warm and normal, meaning 'you look gorgeous'. In a professional setting it can land wrong or feel over-familiar, so save it for social contexts.
How do I say 'beautiful day' in Greek?+
Όμορφη μέρα (ómorfi méra). Μέρα is feminine, so beautiful takes the -η ending. You can also say ωραία μέρα for 'lovely day'.
Practise this in the app
Get adjective endings drilled once and for all
The A1 Adjective Agreement lesson walks through -ος / -η / -ο and how to match them to any noun, with audio, drills and mini-quizzes.
Try the Adjective Agreement lesson