Transport in Greek
24 words Greek words on the topic “transport”: σταθμός — station, μετρό — metro, λεωφορείο — bus, ταξί — taxi. 24 words can be played from recordings.
24 words on the topic
- σταθμόςstathmósstationthe same word serves the metro stop and the bus terminal: stathmós metró, stathmós leoforíon
- μετρόmetrómetrounchanged. The Athens metro doubles as a museum: the stations display what the dig brought up
- λεωφορείοleoforíobusleós — the people, féro — I carry: literally 'people-carrier'. Neuter: to leoforío
- ταξίtaksítaxithe ξ packs ks, stress at the end: ta-KSI. Unchanged
- το φανάριto fanáritraffic lightthe same word as a lantern. Sto fanári means at the traffic light
- το ποδήλατοto podílatobicyclepoús plus elaíno — 'moved by feet'. A Greek word through and through
- η στάση λεωφορείουi stási leoforíubus stopthe sign says simply STASI
- η μηνιαία κάρταi miniéa kártatransit passthere is also evdomadiéa — a weekly one: the pass is named by its term
- η διαδρομήi diadromíthe routefrom drómos, a way; the same word about a journey as a whole
- η διάβαση πεζώνi diávasi pezóncrosswalkpezós means on foot; the same root as pezodrómio, the sidewalk
- το μποτιλιάρισμαto botiliárizmatraffic jamfrom bukáli, a bottle: the road narrows like a bottleneck
- ο χώρος στάθμευσηςo khóros státhmefsisparking lotthe sign says PARKING in Latin letters; in ads it is this word
- το βενζινάδικοto venzinádikogas stationthe suffix -ádiko turns goods into a shop: psarádiko, psomádiko
- το δίπλωμα οδήγησηςto díploma odíyisisdriver’s licenseliterally 'a diploma of driving': in Greek a license is a diploma
- η στάσηi stásia stop (bus stop)from stékome, to stand. The course knows i stási leoforíu; the word alone also means a stance
- ο επιβάτηςo epivátispassengerfrom epí plus véno, to step: one who has boarded. The feminine is i epivátissa
- το κάθισμαto káthizmaseatfrom káthome, to sit. Neuter, stress on the first syllable, and the s before m sounds voiced
- η χειρολαβήi khirolavíhandrailkherí plus laví, a grip: 'what the hand takes hold of'. The chi at the start is breathy
- ο ελεγκτήςo elengtísticket inspectorfrom eléncho, to check. The gk inside the word sounds ng
- το κόμιστροto kómistrofarefrom komízo, to deliver: the payment for being carried. The word from the placard by the driver
- κατάμεστοςkatámestospackedkatá strengthens mestós, full: not merely full but packed to the brim. Said of a place, not a person
- η ελεύθερη θέσηi eléftheri thésifree seatthési is both a seat on the bus and a job position; the course knows both. The ev before the k sounds ef
- το μηχάνημα εισιτηρίωνto mikhánima isitiríonticket machinemikhánima the course knows from the cash machine: it is any machine, and the second word says which
- η αργοπορίαi argoporíadelayargós, slow, plus óra: an hour's lateness. Kathistérisi the course knows from flights; argoporía is about buses and people
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.
- Πού είναι ο σταθμός;pu íne o stathmós?Where is the station?
- Με το μετρό είναι δέκα λεπτάme to metró íne déka leptáTen minutes by metro
- Το λεωφορείο άργησεto leoforío áryiseThe bus was late
- Καλέστε ένα ταξί, παρακαλώkaléste éna taksí, parakalóCall a taxi, please
- Στρίψε δεξιά στο φανάριstrípse deksiá sto fanáriTurn right at the traffic light
- Πάω στη δουλειά με ποδήλατοpáo sti duliá me podílatoI ride a bicycle to work
What is worth knowing about these words
σταθμός (stathmós) — station. the same word serves the metro stop and the bus terminal: stathmós metró, stathmós leoforíon
μετρό (metró) — metro. unchanged. The Athens metro doubles as a museum: the stations display what the dig brought up
λεωφορείο (leoforío) — bus. leós — the people, féro — I carry: literally 'people-carrier'. Neuter: to leoforío
ταξί (taksí) — taxi. the ξ packs ks, stress at the end: ta-KSI. Unchanged
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 σταθμός (stathmós) — station.
- What is this word?
It is η μηνιαία κάρτα (i miniéa kárta) — transit pass.
- What is this word?
It is η στάση (i stási) — a stop (bus stop).
- What is this word?
It is η ελεύθερη θέση (i eléftheri thési) — free seat.
- What is this word?
It is το φανάρι (to fanári) — traffic light.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “station” in Greek?
the same word serves the metro stop and the bus terminal: stathmós metró, stathmós leoforíon
- How do you say “transit pass” in Greek?
there is also evdomadiéa — a weekly one: the pass is named by its term
- How do you say “a stop (bus stop)” in Greek?
from stékome, to stand. The course knows i stási leoforíu; the word alone also means a stance
- How do you say “free seat” in Greek?
thési is both a seat on the bus and a job position; the course knows both. The ev before the k sounds ef
- How do you say “traffic light” in Greek?
the same word as a lantern. Sto fanári means at the traffic light
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Bus, metro, taxi, stop, station. These are words you need to recognize in writing — off a departure board and off a sign.
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 “station” in Greek?
«σταθμός», read “stathmós”. the same word serves the metro stop and the bus terminal: stathmós metró, stathmós leoforíon. It is one of 24 words in the set “transport” — the rest are in the table above.
How many transport words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 24 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, 24 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.