LingoflyThe city and its places in Greek
95 words in Greek on the topic “the city and its places”: καφετέρια (kafetéria) — café, πόλη (póli) — city, δρόμος (drómos) — street, μαγαζί (magazí) — shop. 95 words can be played from recordings.
95 words on the topic
- καφετέριαkafetériacaféa place where people sit with one cup for hours: a Greek café is about conversation, not takeaway. The old-fashioned mens-only kind has a different name, kafenío
- πόληpólicitythe same root as in 'metropolis' and 'cosmopolitan' — and in city names like Minneapolis. Feminine: i póli
- δρόμοςdrómosstreetone word for street, road and way. The same dromos runs in 'aerodrome', 'hippodrome' and 'velodrome' — places for running
- μαγαζίmagazíshopthe word travelled from Arabic through Italian; English 'magazine' started life the same way, as a storehouse. Neuter: to magazí
- αγοράagorámarketthe very agora — the gathering square of ancient Athens. Today it is also a purchase: káno agorés — I do the shopping
- φαρμακείοfarmakíopharmacyfármako, medicine, plus -ío, a place. The same scheme built grafeío, an office, and vivliopolío, a bookshop
- τράπεζαtrápezabankliterally 'table': the money changers worked at one. The same table gave the geometry term 'trapezoid'
- σταθμόςstathmósstationthe same word serves the metro stop and the bus terminal: stathmós metró, stathmós leoforíon
- θάλασσαthálasaseathe word is older than Greek itself — the Greeks took it from whoever lived here before them. The double σσ sounds as one s
- νησίnisíislandneuter: to nisí. Greece counts more than two thousand islands, about two hundred of them inhabited
- πλατείαplatíasquarefrom platýs, wide — the same root as in 'platypus', the flat-foot. Ei reads ee: pla-TEE-a
- 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 πάρκοto párkoparkthere is also the native o kípos, but the city park goes by the borrowing
- η βιβλιοθήκηi vivliothíkilibraryboth the library and the bookcase at home: vivlío plus thíki, a holder
- το μουσείοto musíomuseumliterally 'a place of the Muses'. The word returned to Greek from Latin
- το θέατροto théatrotheaterfrom theáome, I watch: the place where people watch
- ο κινηματογράφοςo kinimatográfoscinemain speech shorter — to sinemá: the long word lives on the posters
- η εκκλησίαi eklisíachurchoriginally 'an assembly of citizens': the church is named after the people, not the building
- το στάδιοto stádiostadiumoriginally a measure of length — about a hundred and eighty meters, the length of the running track
- το αξιοθέατοto aksiothéatolandmarkLiterally 'worth looking at': áxios plus théa — worthy of a view
- ο ξεναγόςo ksenagóstour guideXénos plus ágo: 'the one who leads the stranger'
- ο ταξιδιωτικός οδηγόςo taksidiotikós odigósguidebookOdigós is a driver, a guide and a reference book — context sorts them out
- το παρατηρητήριοto paratiritírioviewing platformFrom paratiró, to observe; the -tírio ending makes it a place
- το εισιτήριο για την ξενάγησηto isitírio ya tin ksenáyisitour ticketXenágisi is a guided tour; a trip on its own is ekdromí
- η ομάδα τουριστώνi omáda turistóntour groupThe same omáda as a sports team: any group of people
- ο τουρίσταςo turístastouristFrom English 'tourist'. The homegrown word, periyitís, is the bookish one
- το κάστροto kástrofortressFrom Latin castrum — the same root as '-chester' in English place names
- το μνημείοto mnimíomonumentFrom mními, memory — and the same word for a gravestone
- η διασταύρωσηi diastávrosicrossroadsFrom stavrós, a cross: the place where roads cross each other
- το πεζοδρόμιοto pezodrómiosidewalkPezós plus drómos: a 'walking road'
- η λεωφόροςi leofórosavenueLaós plus féro, 'carrying the people': the same root as leoforío, the bus
- το σοκάκιto sokákialleyFrom Turkish sokak. Old towns are full of their labyrinths
- η παραλιακήi paraliakípromenadeFrom paralía, the beach: an adjective grown into a street name
- η γέφυραi yéfirabridgeThe Rio–Antirrio bridge is called simply i yéfira
- το τούνελto túneltunnelIndeclinable. The bookish síryga is what the road signs say
- ο φανοστάτηςo fanostátisstreetlightThe street pole. A fanári on the street means the traffic light
- το παγκάκιto pangákibenchA pet-name of pÁngos, a counter: the bench is a smaller table
- ο κάδος σκουπιδιώνo kádos skupidiónpublic trash canThe same kádos as the big bin: the street version is smaller
- ο οδηγός λεωφορείουo odigós leoforíubus driverOdigós is a driver, a guide and a manual
- η τελευταία στάσηi teleftéa stásilast stopIn the announcement they say tÉrma — the end of the line
- ο αριθμός γραμμήςo arithmós gramísroute numberGrammí is a line: a route in Greek is a line, as in the metro
- η ώρα αιχμήςi óra ekhmísrush hourAichmÍ is a blade's point, a peak: literally 'the hour of the point'
- τα δρομολόγια λεωφορείωνta dromolóyia leoforíonbus scheduleDromolÓgio is a run, a route: in the plural it's the timetable
- πληρώνω το εισιτήριοpliróno to isitírioto pay the fareIn Athens you also have to 'chtipÍso' the ticket — punch it in the validator
- πιάνω θέσηpiáno thésito take a seatThe same piÁno that catches a ball: in Greek a seat is caught
- καλώ ταξίkaló taksíto call a taxiThe same kalÓ as calling the doctor and calling on the phone
- κατεβαίνω στην επόμενηkatevéno stin epómenito get off at the next stopLiterally 'I go down at the next one': out of transport one descends
- η γειτονιάi yitoniáneighborhoodFrom yÍtonas, a neighbor: a neighborhood as a being-next-to. The administrative one is o dÍmos
- το κέντρο της πόληςto kéndro tis póliscity centerKÉntro is a center and an establishment: 'kéntro diaskédasis' is a club
- το προάστιοto proástiooutskirtsPró plus ásty, 'before the city': the same root as proastiakÓs, the suburban train
- η οικοδομήi ikodomíconstruction siteOÍkos plus démo, 'I build a house': the first root of 'economy' at work
- τα έργα στον δρόμοta érga ston drómoroadworksThe same Érgo as the project at work: literally 'the works'
- η πινακίδα κατεύθυνσηςi pinakída katéfthinsissignpostFrom katéfthinsi, direction — the same root as efthÝs, straight
- η δημόσια τουαλέταi dimósia tualétapublic toiletThe doors say ANDRON and YINEKON — men's and women's
- καθαρόςkatharósspotlessPhysically clean and visually clear: 'katharÓs ouranÓs' is a cloudless sky
- βρόμικοςvrómikosdirtyFrom vrÓma, a stench: the dirty in Greek also smells
- έχει πολύ κόσμοékhi polí kózmoit's crowdedKÓsmos is the world and people at once: 'polÝ kÓsmo' — lots of people
- το χωριόto khorióvillage'Pao sto chorió' means I'm off to see my people: a warm word, not only a place
- η πρωτεύουσαi protévusacapitalFrom prótos, first: literally 'the first among cities'
- τα μέσα μαζικής μεταφοράςta mésa mazikís metaforáspublic transportLiterally 'means of mass transport'. In speech shorter: ta mésa
- ο παιδικός σταθμόςo pedikós stathmóskindergartenLiterally a 'children's station': the same stathmós as the railway station
- η παιδική χαράi pedikí kharáplaygroundLiterally 'children's joy': the Greek named the playground after the feeling
- το σιντριβάνιto sindrivánifountainFrom Turkish şadırvan. A natural spring is i pigí
- το νεκροταφείοto nekrotafíocemeteryNekrós plus táfos: 'the place of the dead's graves'
- το πυροσβεστικό όχημαto pirozvestikó ókhimafire truckFrom pyrosvéstis, the firefighter. In speech shorter: i pyrosvestikí
- το τετράγωνοto tetrágonocity blockthe same word as 'square': distances in town are measured in block-shapes
- το παρκάκιto parkákismall parka diminutive of párko: a park shrunk to the size of a yard
- ο πύργοςo pírgostowermasculine. The same word names the rook in chess and the old fortress tower
- τα προάστιαta proástiasuburbspró plus ásty — 'before the city'. Almost always plural in Greek: people live sta proástia
- ο οικισμόςo ikizmóssettlementfrom óikos, house: a place where people settled. The oi reads ee, not 'oy'
- ο περαστικόςo perastikóspasser-byfrom pernáo, to pass. The same word hides in the wish perastiká! — get well, may the illness pass by
- ο πεζόςo pezóspedestrianthe same root in pezodrómio, the sidewalk, and in pézos lógos — prose, literally 'walking speech'
- η ταμπέλαi tambélasignboardfrom Italian tabella. Inner mb sounds m-b: tam-BE-la
- το καλάθι αχρήστωνto kaláthi akhrístonlitter binliterally 'basket for the unneeded'. The big refuse container by the house is o kádos
- η κολόνα φωτισμούi kolóna fotizmústreet lampliterally 'lighting column': fanári out on the street is already taken by the traffic light
- το γκαζόνto gazónlawnfrom French, neuter and unchanged. Gk at the start of a word reads g
- το παρτέριto partériflower bedalso from French, also neuter. The bed by the house and the patch in the garden share one word
- τα σκαλιά της εισόδουta skaliá tis isódufront stepsliterally 'the steps of the entrance': there is no separate word for a porch. Skalí is one step, skaliá is all of them
- το σκαλοπάτιto skalopátistepone step of a staircase; the whole staircase is i skála. Stress on the third syllable
- ο αριθμός του σπιτιούo arithmós tu spitiúhouse numberin a Greek address the number follows the street name, with no word for 'house'. The th is the th of 'think'
- το όνομα του δρόμουto ónoma tu drómustreet namedrómos is both street and road; in an address it means exactly the street. Ónoma is neuter
- ο στύλοςo stílospillarthe υ reads ee: STEE-los. English 'style' comes from the same word — but the pillar holds up wires, not manners
- η παλιά πόληi paliá póliold townthe name of the walled historic center. The stress falls on the last syllable of the adjective
- η πολυκατοικίαi polikatikíaapartment buildingpolý plus katikía: 'many dwellings'. In a Greek city a residential building is almost always multi-apartment
- η ησυχίαi isikhíasilencethe η at the start reads ee. Don’t mix with anisichía, anxiety: the same stem with a negation — without peace
- το κτίριοto ktíriobuildingneuter, from ktízo, to build. Spíti is a home; ktírio is any building — bank or school
- η αίθουσαi éthusahallfeminine; αι reads e, ou gives oo. I éthusa anamonís is the waiting room, i éthusa didaskalías the classroom: a Greek hall always belongs to something
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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.
What is worth knowing about these words
καφετέρια (kafetéria) — café. A place where people sit with one cup for hours: a Greek café is about conversation, not takeaway. The old-fashioned mens-only kind has a different name, kafenío.
πόλη (póli) — city. The same root as in 'metropolis' and 'cosmopolitan' — and in city names like Minneapolis. Feminine: i póli.
δρόμος (drómos) — street. One word for street, road and way. The same dromos runs in 'aerodrome', 'hippodrome' and 'velodrome' — places for running.
μαγαζί (magazí) — shop. The word travelled from Arabic through Italian; English 'magazine' started life the same way, as a storehouse. Neuter: to magazí.
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 καφετέρια (kafetéria) — café.
- 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 βιβλιοθήκη (i vivliothíki) — library.
- What is this word?
It is ο ξεναγός (o ksenagós) — tour guide.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “café” in Greek?
a place where people sit with one cup for hours: a Greek café is about conversation, not takeaway. The old-fashioned mens-only kind has a different name, kafenío
- 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 “library” in Greek?
both the library and the bookcase at home: vivlío plus thíki, a holder
- How do you say “tour guide” in Greek?
Xénos plus ágo: 'the one who leads the stranger'
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Street, square, pharmacy, bank. An address is built out of these, and an address is something you have to both say and understand.
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.
- Study spread over days wins 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 “café” in Greek?
«καφετέρια» (kafetéria), read “kafetéria”. A place where people sit with one cup for hours: a Greek café is about conversation, not takeaway. The old-fashioned mens-only kind has a different name, kafenío. It is one of 95 words in the set “the city and its places” — the rest are in the table above.
How many street and place words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 95 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.
Is there audio?
Yes, 95 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.