ευγενικός
evgenikós[ɛvʝɛniˈkɔs]
The Greek word for kind is ευγενικός (evgenikós).
ευγενικός is an adjective used to describe someone who is benevolent, courteous, friendly or generous. Other words like Φιλικός can be used for someone who is friendly or Ευχάριστος for someone who is both pleasant and kind. For a person who possesses both moral goodness and kindness, you might use Καλοκάγαθος. Additionally, the noun Φίλος means friend and can describe someone who is kind and supportive.
Meaning: benevolent, courteous, friendly, generous (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word ευγενικός is composed of the prefix ευ-, meaning well or good and the root γενής, meaning born or of lineage, literally translating to well-born or noble.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective ευγενικός must agree in gender with the noun it describes, so use the feminine form ευγενική when describing a woman. The adjective ευγενικός takes the neuter form ευγενικό when describing a neuter noun. The masculine plural form of the adjective is ευγενικοί and the feminine plural form of the adjective is ευγενικές.
How do you pronounce it?
evgenikós
When do people say it?
When interacting with others, it is useful to know basic polite expressions: παρακαλώ means please, ευχαριστώ means thank you and Καλή τύχη! means Good luck!
Did you know?
- In traditional Greek social customs, being ευγενικός often involves a strong emphasis on 'philotimo', a complex sense of honor and duty to be kind to others.
- In modern Greek, ευγενικός can be used as a sarcastic way to describe someone who is being overly formal to the point of being cold or distant.
- While ευγενικός is the standard for 'kind', Greek speakers often use the word γλυκός, which literally means 'sweet', to describe a person's kind temperament.
Examples in context
- Ο Θωμάς ήταν ευγενικός μαζί μου.Tom was kind to me.This sentence shows how to use ευγενικός to describe someone's behavior toward a person.Tatoeba #4381959 by Tensai, translation #3415467 by CK
- Είναι δυνατός, γενναίος και, προπαντός, ευγενικός.He is strong, brave and, above all, kind.This sentence demonstrates using ευγενικός to highlight a person's kindness as a primary trait.Tatoeba #2467859 by Zeus, translation #295302 by CM
- Είστε πολύ ευγενικός. Σας ευχαριστώ πολύ!You are very kind. Thank you very much!
- Είσαι τόσο καλός! Σε ευχαριστώ πολύ, φίλε!You are so kind! Thank you very much, my friend!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kyriaki and Giorgos are discussing a new colleague at work.
- Κυριακή KyriakiΟ νέος υπάλληλος είναι πολύ ευγενικός.O neos ypallos einai poly evgenikos.The new employee is very kind.
- Γιώργος GiorgosΝαι, είναι ένας πολύ καλός άνθρωπος.Ne, einai enas poly kalos anthropos.Yes, he is a very good man.
- Κυριακή KyriakiΜου άρεσε η συμπεριφορά του.Mou arese i simperifora tou.I liked his behavior.
- Γιώργος GiorgosΕίναι όντως πολύ ευγενικός μαζί μας.Einai ondos poly evgenikos mazi mas.He is indeed very kind to us.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ευγενικός, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
