Everyday life and routine in Greek
12 words Greek words on the topic “everyday life and routine”: δουλειά — job, δουλεύω — work, ξυπνάω — wake up, σηκώνομαι — get up. 12 words can be played from recordings.
12 words on the topic
- δουλειάduliájobou gives oo, ei gives ee: dul-YA. One root with doúlos, slave: in antiquity work was a slave occupation
- δουλεύωdulévoworkabout people and about things alike: den dulévi to asansér — the lift does not work
- ξυπνάωksipnáowake upfrom ípnos, sleep, with the prefix x-: I step out of sleep
- σηκώνομαιsikónomeget upmiddle voice from sikóno, to raise: I raise myself
- πλένομαιplénomewash upmiddle voice from pléno, to wash: I wash myself
- χτενίζομαιkhtenízomecomb one’s hairfrom khténa, a comb, in the middle-voice form
- ξυρίζομαιksirízomeshavefrom ksirafáki, a razor, in the middle-voice form
- ντύνομαιdínomeget dressedfrom endýo, to dress; the same stem in endimasía, work clothes
- γδύνομαιgdínomeget undressedthe prefix g- undoes what dínome does
- κάθομαι κάτωkáthome kátosit downthe same káthome as 'to sit'; káto separates the action from the state
- ξαπλώνω στο κρεβάτιksaplóno sto krevátilie downthe same xaplóno as 'to lie'; Greek does not split the two
- αναπαύομαιanapávomerestbookish; in speech xekurázome. The same word stands on gravestones
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- Γυρίζω αργά από τη δουλειάyirízo argá apó ti duliáI come back from work late
- Δεν δουλεύω το Σάββατοden dulévo to SávatoOn Saturdays I don't work
- Ξυπνάω στις επτάksipnáo stis eptáI wake up at seven
- Σηκώνομαι αμέσως μετάsikónome amésos metáI get up right after that
- Πλένομαι με κρύο νερόplénome me krío neróI wash up with cold water
- Χτενίζομαι μπροστά στον καθρέφτηkhtenízome brostá ston kathréftiI comb my hair in front of the mirror
What is worth knowing about these words
δουλειά (duliá) — job. ou gives oo, ei gives ee: dul-YA. One root with doúlos, slave: in antiquity work was a slave occupation
δουλεύω (dulévo) — work. about people and about things alike: den dulévi to asansér — the lift does not work
ξυπνάω (ksipnáo) — wake up. from ípnos, sleep, with the prefix x-: I step out of sleep
σηκώνομαι (sikónome) — get up. middle voice from sikóno, to raise: I raise myself
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is δουλειά (duliá) — job.
- What is this word?
It is ντύνομαι (dínome) — get dressed.
- What is this word?
It is ξυπνάω (ksipnáo) — wake up.
- What is this word?
It is κάθομαι κάτω (káthome káto) — sit down.
- What is this word?
It is πλένομαι (plénome) — wash up.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “job” in Greek?
ou gives oo, ei gives ee: dul-YA. One root with doúlos, slave: in antiquity work was a slave occupation
- How do you say “get dressed” in Greek?
from endýo, to dress; the same stem in endimasía, work clothes
- How do you say “wake up” in Greek?
from ípnos, sleep, with the prefix x-: I step out of sleep
- How do you say “sit down” in Greek?
the same káthome as 'to sit'; káto separates the action from the state
- How do you say “wash up” in Greek?
middle voice from pléno, to wash: I wash myself
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Work, home, rest, errands. The words the answer to “how are things?” is made of.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “job” in Greek?
«δουλειά», read “duliá”. ou gives oo, ei gives ee: dul-YA. One root with doúlos, slave: in antiquity work was a slave occupation. It is one of 12 words in the set “everyday life and routine” — the rest are in the table above.
How many everyday words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 12 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 12 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.