اليُونَانِيَّة
al-yūnāniyyafeminine
The Arabic word for Greek is اليُونَانِيَّة (al-yūnāniyya). Wiktionary also lists اللُّغَة اليُونَانِيَّة (al-luḡa l-yūnāniyya) and يُونَانِيّ (yūnāniyy).
Meaning: language of the Greek people (name)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| اليُونَانِيَّة | al-yūnāniyya | feminine |
| اللُّغَة اليُونَانِيَّة | al-luḡa l-yūnāniyya | feminine |
| يُونَانِيّ | yūnāniyy | colloquial, masculine |
اليُونَانِيَّة is used as a name for the Greek language. You may also see the phrase اللُّغَة اليُونَانِيَّة used to mean the Greek language.
Which one should you use?
While يُونَانِيّ is the common word for Greek, إِغْرِيقِيّ is often used in more formal, academic or historical contexts to refer to Ancient Greek culture or the Hellenic identity.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
اليُونَانِيَّة is a formal way to say Greek when referring to the language, the people or anything related to Greece.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form يُونَانِيّ is used when referring to a Greek man or a Greek person in general. The word اليُونَانِيَّة is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
al-yūnāniyya
Did you know?
- The Arabic concept of 'Greek' is rooted in the ancient geographical concept of the Ionian coast rather than the Latin-based 'Graecia' used in most European languages.
- While a student might learn both terms, using the academic إِغْرِيقِيّ in a casual conversation can make you sound like a character in a historical drama or a history textbook.
- If you are describing a Greek woman, you must use the feminine form يُونَانِيَّة, but if you are describing a Greek ship, you would also use يُونَانِيَّة because 'ship' is a feminine noun in Arabic.
Examples in context
- أنا أتعلم اللغة اليونانية.I am learning the Greek language.
- أصدقائي هم يونانيون.My friends are Greek.
- أنا أرغب في تعلم اللغة اليونانية.I want to learn the Greek language.
- هل يمكنك أن توصيني بمطعم يوناني؟Can you recommend a Greek restaurant?
- أعشق الثقافة اليونانية القديمة.I adore ancient Greek culture.
- أنا أدرس اليُونَانِيَّة الآن.ana adrusu al-yūnāniyya al-ān.I am studying Greek now.
- هل تتحدث اليُونَانِيَّة بطلاقة؟hal tatad-dath al-yūnāniyya bi-talāqa?Do you speak Greek fluently?
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their language classes at a cafe.
- عمر Omarهل تحبين اليُونَانِيَّة يا مريم؟hal tuhibbīna al-yūnāniyya yā maryam?Do you like Greek, Maryam?
- مريم Maryamنعم، هي لغة جميلة جداً.na'am, hiya lugha jamīla jiddan.Yes, it is a very beautiful language.
- عمر Omarأنا أيضاً أهتم باليُونَانِيَّة.ana ay-dan ahtim bi-al-yūnāniyya.I am also interested in Greek.
- مريم Maryamرائع، يمكننا الدراسة معاً.rā'i', yumkinunā al-dirāsa ma'an.Great, we can study together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “greek” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
