Which one should you use?
When referring to people, the form changes based on gender and number. For a male American, use Αμερικανός and for a female American, use Αμερικανίδα. If you are talking about a group of American men or a mixed-gender group, use Αμερικανοί. When you want to use the word as a pure adjective to describe a noun (such as 'American culture'), you should use the adjective forms αμερικανικός or αμερικανικό depending on the gender of the noun being described.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form Αμερικανός is used for a male American or as a general adjective. The feminine singular form Αμερικανίδα is used specifically for a female American. The masculine plural form Αμερικανοί is used for a group of American men or a mixed-gender group of Americans. For pure adjectives, αμερικανικός is the masculine form and αμερικανικό is the neuter form used to modify neuter nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
Amerikanós
Did you know?
- The linguistic distinction between the person (noun) and the quality (adjective) means that 'American' is not a single word in Greek, but a family of different words.
- For a neuter noun such as 'an American thing', you must use the specific adjective form αμερικανικό, which differs from both the masculine and feminine adjective forms.
- The gendered form Αμερικανίδα can actually feel more specific than the English phrase 'American woman' because it is a dedicated, single-word noun.
Examples in context
- Από την προφορά κατάλαβα ότι αυτός είναι αμερικανός.I understood from his accent that he was an American.This sentence is useful for showing how the word Αμερικανός is used to identify someone's nationality through their accent.Tatoeba #2818440 by glavkos, translation #452795 by FeuDRenais
- Ο πρέσβης των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών είναι Αμερικανός.The ambassador of the United States is American.
- Ένας αμερικανός φίλος μου επισκέπτεται την Ελλάδα.Enas amerikanos filos mou episkeptetai tin Ellada.An American friend of mine is visiting Greece.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a new colleague at work.
- Ελένη EleniΓιώργε, γνωρίζεις τον νέο συνάδελφο;Giórge, gnorízeis ton néo synádhelfo?Giorgos, do you know the new colleague?
- Γιώργος GiorgosΝαι, είναι Αμερικανός από τη Νέα Υόρκη.Nai, eínai Amerikanós apó ti Néa Yórki.Yes, he is an American from New York.
- Ελένη EleniΜιλάει καλά ελληνικά;Miláei kalá elliniká?Does he speak Greek well?
- Γιώργος GiorgosΜαθαίνει γρήγορα τη γλώσσα μας.Mathánei grígora ti glóssa mas.He is learning our language quickly.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Αμερικανός, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
