πάγος
págos/ˈpaɣos/masculine
The Greek word for "ice", meaning water in frozen form, is πάγος (págos).
πάγος is the ordinary word for ice. It can also describe a cold, unsmiling person.
Meaning: water in frozen form (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
πάγος is a masculine noun, so any article or adjective with it must be masculine too, as in Ο πάγος. As an object it becomes πάγο.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /ˈpaɣos/, romanized págos, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- In Greek medical or technical terminology, the root of πάγος appears in words describing coagulation or the 'fixing' of blood, treating the biological process as a form of internal freezing.
- The Ancient Greek word πάγος referred not just to frozen water but also to a 'frost' or a 'frozen wasteland', describing entire regions rather than just a substance.
- In Greek, the word for a small ice cube, παγάκι, is a diminutive form of πάγος. Using the diminutive makes the word sound more casual and is the standard way to order ice in a drink at a cafe.
Examples in context
- Ο πάγος έχει λιώσει.The ice has melted.Here Ο πάγος uses the masculine article.Tatoeba #5633227 by Zeus, translation #318314 by CK
- Αυτή η γυναίκα δε χαμογελάει ποτέ· είναι σκέτος πάγος.That woman never smiles she's a complete ice queen.Here σκέτος πάγος describes a cold person who never smiles.
- Το ψυγείο πρέπει να καθαριστεί επειδή έχει μαζέψει πάγο.The fridge needs to be cleaned because ice has collected (in it).Here the object form πάγο follows the verb.
- Μπορώ να έχω λίγο πάγο στο ποτήρι μου, παρακαλώ;Can I have some ice in my glass, please?
- Το αναψυκτικό μου χρειάζεται πάγο.My soft drink needs ice.
- Φέρε μου ένα παγάκι για να δροσιστώ.Bring me an ice cube to cool off.
- Πόσοι πάγοι χρειάζονται για τη διοργάνωση του πάρτι;How many ice cubes are needed for the party?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ice” translations and entries πάγος, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries πάγος, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
