πόλη
póli/ˈpoli/feminine
The Greek word for 'city' is πόλη (póli).
The word πόλη is used to refer to any significant urban settlement, covering both the English terms 'city' and 'town'.
Meaning: large settlement (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
πόλη is a feminine noun. Its plural form is πόλεις. If you want to describe something as being related to a city or being urban, you should use the adjective αστική.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpoli/
Did you know?
- Greek has a specific term πολιτισμός for 'culture' which is derived directly from πόλη because culture was seen as the product of city life.
- While πόλη is the standard word, if you are talking about a very large, sprawling metropolis, you might use the word μητρόπολη, which literally translates to 'mother city'.
- The English word 'politics' shares the same root as the Greek πόλη, as it originally referred to the affairs of a 'city' or 'city-state'.
Examples in context
- Η πόλη είναι μικρή.The city is small.This sentence is useful for describing the size of the πόλη.Tatoeba #3228761 by Zeus, translation #2002501 by bichodebola
- Η πόλη είναι μεγάλη.The city is big.Tatoeba #3228762 by Zeus, translation #2002502 by bichodebola
- Σε ποια πόλη μένεις;What city do you live in?This sentence is useful for asking which πόλη someone lives in.Tatoeba #5398668 by Zeus, translation #4506707 by carlosalberto
- Η Αθήνα είναι μια μεγάλη πόλη.Athens is a big city.
- Αύριο θα πάμε στη Θεσσαλονίκη, μια όμορφη πόλη!Tomorrow, we will go to Thessaloniki, a beautiful city!
- 80 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anastasia and George are discussing their travel plans.
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΠοια πόλη θέλεις να επισκεφθείς;Poia poli theleis na episkeftheis;Which city do you want to visit?
- Γιώργος GiorgosΘέλω να πάω σε μια μεγάλη πόλη.Thelo na pao se mia megali poli.I want to go to a big city.
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΗ πόλη της Αθήνας είναι υπέροχη.I poli tis Athinas einai yperochi.The city of Athens is wonderful.
- Γιώργος GiorgosΈχεις δίκιο, Αναστασία.Echeis dikio, Anastasia.You are right, Anastasia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “city” translations and entries πόλη, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries πόλη, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
