χαλκός
chalkós/xalˈkos/masculine
The Greek word for copper is χαλκός (chalkós).
χαλκός refers to the reddish-brown metallic chemical element and the metal itself.
Meaning: reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29, the metal made up of this element (noun)
Which one should you use?
The adjective χάλκινος is used to describe something that is made of copper or has the reddish-brown colour of copper.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
χαλκός is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is chalkós. The IPA pronunciation is /xalˈkos/.
Did you know?
- The English word 'chalk' comes from the same root as χαλκός, which originally referred to various types of stones or metals used for writing or engraving.
- In some classical contexts, the term for copper or bronze was used to describe the color of a person's skin when they were sunburnt or tanned.
- In modern Greek, the word χαλκός is often used to refer to bronze rather than pure copper, as the two metals were frequently indistinguishable in ancient metallurgical contexts.
Example sentences for Greek are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Maria and Dimitris are looking at old electrical wires.
- Μαρία MariaΔημήτρη, είναι αυτός ο χαλκός;Dimitri, einai aftos o chalkos?Dimitris, is this the copper?
- Δημήτρης DimitrisΝαι, Μαρία, είναι πραγματικά χαλκός.Nai, Maria, einai pragmatika chalkos.Yes, Maria, it is really copper.
- Μαρία MariaΈχει πολύ μεγάλη αξία τώρα.Echei poly megali axia tora.It has a very high value now.
- Δημήτρης DimitrisΈχεις δίκιο, πρέπει να τον πουλήσουμε.Echeis dikio, prepei na ton poulisoume.You are right, we should sell it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “copper” translations and entries χαλκός, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries χαλκός, CC BY-SA 4.0.
