αρκούδα
arkoúdafeminine
The English word bear (the large mammal) is translated into Greek as αρκούδα (arkoúda). Wiktionary also lists άρκτος (árktos).
Meaning: large mammal of family Ursidae (noun)
Ways to say it
| Greek | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| αρκούδα | arkoúda | feminine | |
| άρκτος | árktos | /ˈaɾ.ktos/ | feminine |
The words in this pack refer to the large mammal of the family Ursidae. Note that these are distinct from the Greek verbs meaning 'to carry', such as κουβαλάω, μεταφέρω or φέρω.
Which one should you use?
αρκούδα is the much more common word used in everyday speech, whereas άρκτος is the formal or biological term for a bear.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Both αρκούδα and άρκτος are grammatically feminine. The plural form of αρκούδα is αρκούδες.
How do you pronounce it?
arkoúda
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse the noun for the animal αρκούδα with the verb 'to bear' or 'to carry', which is φέρω.
Did you know?
- The word άρκτος is the root of the English word 'arctic'. This is because ancient Greeks associated the constellation Ursa Major, the 'Great Bear', with the north.
- In Greek folklore, the bear is often linked to the moon and the female cycle, and the word αρκούδα is strictly feminine in gender.
- The word άρκτος is a 'learned borrowing', meaning it was brought back from Ancient Greek into Modern Greek to serve as a technical or biological term.
Examples in context
- Πού είναι η μαύρη αρκούδα;Where is the black bear?This sentence uses αρκούδα to ask about the location of a black bear.Tatoeba #11159448 by carlosalberto, translation #11159447 by carlosalberto
- Είδα έναν τύπο μαυρού ζώου, ήταν μία αρκούδα.I saw some kind of dark animal. It was a bear.This sentence uses αρκούδα to identify a dark animal seen.Tatoeba #8349856 by lucasmg123, translation #8349836 by lucasmg123
- «Αυτό δεν είναι αρκούδα, είναι πάντα.» «Και τα πάντα είναι αρκούδες.»"That's not a bear, it's a panda." "Pandas are bears too."This sentence uses αρκούδα to discuss the relationship between pandas and bears.Tatoeba #13799303 by carlosalberto, translation #13799222 by frpzzd
- Η άρκτος είναι ένα εντυπωσιακό ζώο.The bear is an impressive animal.
- Δες πόσο γλυκιά είναι αυτή η αρκούδα!Look how sweet this bear is!
- Το μικρό αρκούδι λατρεύει να παίζει με την μπάλα.The little bear loves to play with the ball.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man and a woman are looking at a picture book about animals.
- Δημήτρης DimitrisΔες αυτή την αρκούδα στο βιβλίο.Des afti tin arkyoda sto vivlio.Look at this bear in the book.
- Μαρία MariaΕίναι μια πολύ μεγάλη αρκούδα!Ine mia poly megali arkyoda!It is a very large bear!
- Δημήτρης DimitrisΗ αρκούδα είναι καφέ.I arkyoda ine kafe.The bear is brown.
- Μαρία MariaΜου αρέσει πολύ αυτή η αρκούδα.Mou aresei poly afti i arkyoda.I like this bear a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bear” translations and entries αρκούδα, άρκτος, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries άρκτος, αρκούδα, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
