Modern Greek words easily confused with English look-alikes, plus common grammar slip-ups, explained so learners avoid the trap. Front: the Greek word or phrase with romanization in parentheses. Back: explanation of the correct meaning or usage.
35 cards · basic cards · AI-written, checked twice. Edit anything.
- εμπάθεια (empátheia)
- Means 'hostility, malice, spite' in Modern Greek, NOT 'empathy'. Empathy is 'ενσυναίσθηση' (ensynaísthisi). One of the trickiest false friends for English speakers.
- ιδιωτικός (idiotikós)
- Means 'private', unrelated to the English insult 'idiot' despite the similar-looking root.
- ιδιώτης (idiótis)
- Means 'a private citizen, civilian'. This word is the actual historical root of English 'idiot', which originally meant someone who held no public office.
- ηλίθιος (ilíthios)
- This is the Modern Greek word that actually means 'stupid, idiotic', distinct from 'ιδιώτης' above.
- τράπεζα (trápeza)
- Means 'bank' (the financial institution), originally 'table'. It is the true root of the English word 'trapeze', named after the table-like shape of the apparatus.
- σχολείο (scholeío)
- Means 'school'. It comes from ancient Greek 'schole', which originally meant 'leisure', since study was seen as a leisure activity for the privileged.
- συμπαθώ (sympathó)
- Means 'to like, to find likeable', not 'to sympathize' in the sense of feeling sorry for someone. That's 'συμπονώ' (symponó).
- δράμα (dráma)
- Means 'drama' as a theater genre, but in everyday speech strongly implies exaggerated overreaction, much like the English phrase 'don't be so dramatic'.
- οικονομία (oikonomía)
- Means 'economy', but also broadly 'savings, thrift'; 'κάνω οικονομία' means 'to economize, to save money'.
- εκτίμηση (ektímisi)
- Means 'an estimate' or 'appreciation, respect', not a negative judgment the way English 'estimation' can sometimes imply.
- νευρικός (nevrikós)
- Means 'nervous', but leans more toward 'irritable, on edge' than the purely anxious sense common in English.
- συμπόσιο (symposio)
- Means an academic 'symposium' or a 'banquet', but its ancient root literally meant 'a drinking party'.
- πάθος (páthos)
- Means 'passion' (strong emotion or desire), related to English 'pathos' but used far more broadly in everyday Greek.
- κράτος (krátos)
- Means 'state, government, nation', unrelated to the English word 'crate'.
- χαρακτήρας (charaktíras)
- Means 'character, personality', but also literally 'a letter of the alphabet', since the word originally meant 'an engraved mark'.
FlashKeepers