από
apó
In Greek, the English word 'by' can be translated as από (apó) or διά.
Meaning: indicates a means (prep)
Ways to say it
| Greek | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| από | apó | |
| διά | diá | /ði̯a/ /ðʝa/ |
The preposition από is used to indicate a means or to identify the agent of a passive verb, such as saying something was 'done by someone'.
Which one should you use?
από is used for 'by' or 'from', while διά specifically means 'through' or 'by means of'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both από and διά require the accusative case for the noun that follows them. When using από to express the agent of a passive verb, it is followed by the accusative case.
How do you pronounce it?
apó
Did you know?
- The word διά is a 'learned' form, meaning it was reintroduced into the Greek language through scholarly study of Ancient Greek rather than evolving naturally from spoken everyday speech.
- While διά is used for 'by means of', it is a 'doublet' of the common word για, meaning they both stem from the same ancient root but took different paths into the modern language.
Examples in context
- Ντράπηκαν από το συμβάν.They were embarrassed by the incident.This sentence shows how από identifies the cause of an emotion.Tatoeba #7336789 by eypros, translation #7334872 by raggione
- Ήρθα με ταξί από το σταθμό.I came by taxi from the station.This sentence uses από to indicate a starting point or origin.Tatoeba #5104687 by katkat, translation #1909659 by FiRez
- Τέλος πάντων, από που είσαι;By the way, where are you from?This sentence uses από in a common idiomatic way to ask about origin.Tatoeba #3765773 by ggia, translation #38050 by Zifre
- Έχω γίνει επιτυχημένος διά της επιμονής μου.I have become successful by means of my persistence.
- 53 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Eleni and Nikos are discussing how they arrived at a meeting.
- Ελένη EleniΠώς ήρθες εδώ σήμερα, Νίκο;Pós írthes edó símera, Níko?How did you get here today, Nikos?
- Νίκος NikosΉρθε από το λεωφορείο.Írthe apó to leoforeío.I came by bus.
- Ελένη EleniΕίχα την ίδια σκέψη για μένα.Ícha tin idía sképsi gia ména.I had the same thought for myself.
- Νίκος NikosΕίναι ο πιο εύκολος τρόπος.Eínai o pio éukolos trópos.It is the easiest way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “by” translations and entries από, διά, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries από, διά, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
