καλός
kalós/kaˈlos/
The Greek word for good is καλός (kalós).
This adjective is used to describe something that is pleasant or enjoyable.
Meaning: pleasant, enjoyable (adj)
Which one should you use?
While καλός is used to describe a good result as a noun, the word αγαθό is used when referring to an item of merchandise.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective καλός must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use καλή for feminine nouns, καλό for neuter nouns, καλοί for masculine plural nouns, καλές for feminine plural nouns and καλά for neuter plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaˈlos/
Did you know?
- In Ancient Greek, the word καλός did not just mean 'good' in quality, but primarily meant 'beautiful'. To the ancients, being morally 'good' and being visually 'beautiful' were seen as two sides of the same coin.
- Greek uses καλό in the phrase καλό φιλότιμο, a concept of 'good honor' or selfless duty that has no direct single-word translation in English.
- If you want to say someone is a 'good person' in a moral sense, you might actually use the word αγαθός instead of καλός. While καλός covers many types of 'good', αγαθός specifically implies virtue and goodness of the soul.
Examples in context
- Ελπίζω να σαι καλός.I hope that you are good.This sentence shows how to use καλός to describe a person's state.Tatoeba #7763200 by eypros, translation #669696 by qdii
- Ο δρόμος είναι καλός;Is the road good?This sentence uses καλός to describe the quality of a road.Tatoeba #2778930 by glavkos, translation #9248767 by Nylez
- Είσαι καλός στο τένις;Are you good at tennis?This sentence uses καλός to describe a skill level in a sport.Tatoeba #7884134 by amoeba, translation #39405 by xtofu80
- 83 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maria and Kostas are talking about a movie they just watched.
- Μαρία MariaΟ κινηματογράφος ήταν πολύ καλός.O kinematografos itan poly kalos.The movie was very good.
- Κώστας KostasΝαί, μου άρεσε πολύ η ιστορία.Ne, mou arese poly i istoria.Yes, I liked the story a lot.
- Μαρία MariaΉταν ένας καλός τρόπος για να χαλαρώσω.Itan enas kalos tropos gia na halaroso.It was a good way to relax.
- Κώστας KostasΣυμφωνώ απόλυτα, Μαρία.Symfono aplota, Maria.I completely agree, Maria.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good” translations and entries καλός, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries καλός, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
