Greek2Me staff · Vocab
Greek Family Words
Every Greek family word from parents to cousins to in-laws, with the masculine and feminine forms so you can talk about your own family or ask about someone else's. Family talk is a huge part of Greek small talk, so this vocabulary pays back fast.
| Greek | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Family in general | |||
| οικογένεια | family | ||
| συγγενείς | relatives | ||
| Parents | |||
| μητέρα | mother (formal) | ||
| μαμά | mum | ||
| πατέρας | father (formal) | ||
| μπαμπάς | dad | ||
| γονείς | parents | ||
| Siblings and children | |||
| αδελφός | brotheralso written αδερφός in casual usage | ||
| αδελφή | sister | ||
| αδέλφια | siblings | ||
| γιος | son | ||
| κόρη | daughter | ||
| παιδί / παιδιά | child / children | ||
| Grandparents and grandchildren | |||
| παππούς | grandfather | ||
| γιαγιά | grandmother | ||
| εγγονός | grandson | ||
| εγγονή | granddaughter | ||
| Aunts, uncles, cousins | |||
| θείος | uncle | ||
| θεία | aunt | ||
| ξάδελφος | cousin (m) | ||
| ξαδέλφη | cousin (f) | ||
| ανιψιός | nephew | ||
| ανιψιά | niece | ||
| Spouses and in-laws | |||
| άντρας | husband / man | ||
| γυναίκα | wife / woman | ||
| πεθερός | father-in-law | ||
| πεθερά | mother-in-law | ||
| γαμπρός | son-in-law / groom | ||
| νύφη | daughter-in-law / bride | ||
Formal vs everyday family words
Most Greek family relationships have a formal word and an affectionate everyday word. Both are correct, they just sit at different registers.
- μητέρα (formal) / μαμά (mum)
- πατέρας (formal) / μπαμπάς (dad)
- αδελφός / αδελφή (formal) / αδερφός / αδερφή (relaxed spelling used in speech)
Inside the family, everyone uses μαμά and μπαμπάς. On official forms and formal writing, μητέρα and πατέρας are the norm. When Aisha filled out a school form for her host family, she used the formal words, but at the dinner table it was always μαμά.
The gender pattern (-ος and -α)
Most family words come in a masculine / feminine pair:
- θείος / θεία: uncle / aunt
- ξάδελφος / ξαδέλφη: cousin (m / f)
- ανιψιός / ανιψιά: nephew / niece
- εγγονός / εγγονή: grandson / granddaughter
- πεθερός / πεθερά: father-in-law / mother-in-law
The pattern is usually -ος → -α (or -η) for the feminine. Once you know it, half the vocabulary predicts itself.
Family is a common opening topic
Greeks tend to ask about family early. Some phrases you'll hear and use:
- Έχεις αδέλφια;: Do you have siblings?
- Πόσα παιδιά έχεις;: How many children do you have?
- Πώς είναι η μαμά σου;: How's your mum?
- Ζουν οι γονείς σου;: Are your parents still around?
- Είσαι παντρεμένος / παντρεμένη;: Are you married?
Answering back with a couple of family words invites more conversation and warms up any first meeting.
Extended family matters more here
Extended family is often woven tighter in Greek life than in a lot of Western contexts. Θεία and θείος aren't limited to blood relatives, the closest family friends often get called this too, and children grow up with a cluster of aunts and uncles who aren't strictly related.
Νονός / νονά (godfather / godmother) are also serious family roles, with real gift-giving, name-day celebrating obligations across a lifetime. If you're introduced to someone's νονά, that's family.
Name days: bigger than birthdays
Family calendars in Greece revolve around γιορτή (yiortí), the name day. Every saint has a day, and everyone named after that saint celebrates on it. So all the Marías celebrate on 15 August (Panayía), all the Yánnises on 7 January, and so on.
The standard greeting is χρόνια πολλά (hrónia polá), 'many years'. Kwame's host family celebrated four name days in three months and he ended up knowing the calendar better than the birthdays. If in doubt, add χρόνια πολλά to any name-day text.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say mum in Greek?+
Μαμά (mamá) for the everyday word, μητέρα (mitéra) for the formal or written form. Same as English mum vs mother. At the dinner table it's always μαμά, on official paperwork it's μητέρα.
What's the Greek word for cousin?+
Ξάδελφος (xádelfos) for a male cousin, ξαδέλφη (xadélfi) for a female cousin. Some speakers spell it ξάδερφος / ξαδέρφη in casual writing. Both are correct. The plural for a mixed group is ξαδέλφια.
How do you say grandmother and grandfather in Greek?+
Γιαγιά (yayá) for grandmother and παππούς (papoús) for grandfather. Both are the everyday words and both stay warm and familiar even in formal contexts, Greek doesn't really have a stiffer alternative you'd swap in.
What's a Greek name day?+
A γιορτή (yiortí, name day) is the feast day of the saint you were named after, and in Greek culture it's often celebrated more than a birthday. Everyone named María celebrates on 15 August, all the Yiánnises on 7 January, and so on. The greeting is χρόνια πολλά (many years).
How do you talk about in-laws in Greek?+
Πεθερός is father-in-law and πεθερά is mother-in-law. Γαμπρός covers both son-in-law and groom, νύφη covers both daughter-in-law and bride. The extended-family lesson in the A2 course walks through the full set with drills.
Practise this in the app
Talk about family in the app
Quizzes on every family word, audio for the tricky ones, and a full extended-family lesson with drills.
Start the family vocabulary lesson