Greek2Me staff · Vocab
Greek Love Words
The Greek vocabulary of love, from the first crush to a long marriage, with the endearments Greeks really use for their partners, children, and best friends. Warm, tender, and everywhere in daily life.
| Greek | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| The core words | |||
| αγάπη | love (steady, deep) | ||
| έρωτας | romantic passion / being in love | ||
| σ' αγαπώ | I love youfor family and partners | ||
| σ' αγαπάω | I love you (alternative form) | ||
| μ' αρέσεις | I like you / I fancy youthe crush verb | ||
| είμαι ερωτευμένος | I'm in love (m) | ||
| είμαι ερωτευμένη | I'm in love (f) | ||
| Endearments (mou = 'of mine') | |||
| μωρό μου | my babyeveryday endearment for partners | ||
| καρδιά μου | my heartvery common for partners and children | ||
| ψυχή μου | my souldeep affection; for partners and family | ||
| αγάπη μου | my lovethe standard tender address | ||
| ζωή μου | my life | ||
| χρυσό μου | my golden one | ||
| μάτια μου | my eyeswarm endearment for close family | ||
| καλή μου | my dear (to a woman) | ||
| καλέ μου | my dear (to a man) | ||
| Phrases that carry the feeling | |||
| μου λείπεις | I miss you | ||
| με λες; | will you marry me?old-school but still used | ||
| θα με παντρευτείς; | will you marry me? | ||
| φίλησέ με | kiss me | ||
Two Greek words for love: αγάπη vs έρωτας
English has one word. Greek has several, and the two big ones do very different jobs.
- Αγάπη is the steady, chosen love. Love of family, deep friendship, the settled love of a long marriage. When you say σ' αγαπώ (I love you), this is the love you're naming.
- Έρωτας is romantic passion. Falling in love, the electric early stage, the physical pull. Είμαι ερωτευμένος / ερωτευμένη means 'I'm in love' in this heart-racing sense.
Greek has more still (φιλία for friendship, στοργή for tenderness), but αγάπη and έρωτας cover most of what English packs into 'love'.
How to say 'I love you' in Greek
Two things to know:
- Σ' αγαπώ (s'agapó) is the standard 'I love you'. Used for family, close friends, and partners.
- Σ' αγαπάω (s'agapáo) is a slightly longer, warmer variant, sometimes used to soften or emphasise.
A few near-misses learners run into:
- Μ' αρέσεις (m'aréseis) means 'I like you / I fancy you'. Great for a crush, wrong for a serious 'I love you'.
- Μου αρέσει (mou arési) means 'I like it', which is the shape people first learn and then over-apply.
Lin sent σ' αγαπώ to her Greek partner on their second week, meaning to send μ' αρέσεις, and got a very confused reply. Worth getting the difference straight early.
The 'mou' endearments (my heart, my soul, my eyes)
Almost every Greek term of endearment ends in μου (mou), which means 'of mine'. The formula is: [warm noun] + μου.
- αγάπη μου: my love
- καρδιά μου: my heart
- ψυχή μου: my soul
- ζωή μου: my life
- μωρό μου: my baby
- μάτια μου: my eyes
- χρυσό μου: my golden one
These aren't reserved for grand romantic moments. Parents use them with children hourly. Grandparents pile several into one sentence: έλα εδώ, καρδιά μου, ψυχή μου, μάτια μου. If you want to sound Greek, get comfortable stacking endearments.
Endearments for friends and family, not only partners
Greek uses tender language more widely than English does. Καρδιά μου and ψυχή μου are not restricted to romantic partners, a mum will call her son ψυχή μου, a grandmother will call her granddaughter χρυσό μου, and close friends will call each other μωρό μου casually.
Gender endings matter for a couple of these. Καλή μου / καλέ μου (my dear) changes: καλή for a woman, καλέ for a man. Same for αγαπημένη μου / αγαπημένε μου (my beloved). Yusuf worked out the pattern by watching his host grandparents and copied their exact phrasing back at his host mother, to her visible delight.
Wedding, marriage, and the big questions
A short kit of romantic milestones:
- Είμαστε μαζί.: We're together.
- Είναι το αγόρι μου / το κορίτσι μου.: He's my boyfriend / she's my girlfriend.
- Θα με παντρευτείς;: Will you marry me? (modern)
- Με λες;: Will you marry me? (older, poetic, still used)
- Παντρευτήκαμε.: We got married.
- Είμαστε αρραβωνιασμένοι.: We're engaged.
And once married, the word σύζυγος (súzigos) means spouse, and works for both husband and wife.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say I love you in Greek?+
Σ' αγαπώ (s'agapó). This is the standard 'I love you' and works for partners, family, and very close friends. Σ' αγαπάω (s'agapáo) is a slightly longer, warmer variant. Be careful not to confuse it with μ' αρέσεις (I like / fancy you), which is a crush phrase and lands very differently.
What's the difference between αγάπη and έρωτας?+
Αγάπη is the steady, chosen love, of family, close friends, and long-term partners. Έρωτας is romantic passion, the electric early stage of falling in love. When Greeks say σ' αγαπώ they mean αγάπη. When they say είμαι ερωτευμένος they mean έρωτας. English packs both into one word, Greek keeps them separate.
What are common Greek terms of endearment?+
Αγάπη μου (my love), καρδιά μου (my heart), ψυχή μου (my soul), ζωή μου (my life), μωρό μου (my baby), and μάτια μου (my eyes) are the everyday warm ones. Stack a couple in a sentence and you sound properly Greek. They're used with partners, children, and close family, not reserved for romance only.
How do you call someone your girlfriend or boyfriend in Greek?+
Το αγόρι μου (my boyfriend, literally 'my boy') and το κορίτσι μου (my girlfriend, literally 'my girl') are the everyday terms. In casual speech you'll also hear γκόμενος / γκόμενα, though those are much more informal and not for meeting parents. For a spouse, use ο άντρας μου (my husband) or η γυναίκα μου (my wife).
How do you say I miss you in Greek?+
Μου λείπεις (mou lípis). Literally 'you are missing to me', the grammar flips compared to English. For 'I missed you' use μου έλειψες (mou élipses). Add πολύ (a lot) to intensify: μου λείπεις πολύ, I miss you a lot.
Practise this in the app
Say it properly in the app
Audio for every endearment, drills on αγάπη vs έρωτας, and quizzes on the phrases you'll really want to send.
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