βασιλιάς
vasiliás/va.siˈʎas/masculine
The English word "king" is translated into Greek as βασιλιάς (vasiliás).
The term refers to a male member of a royal family who serves as the supreme ruler of a nation.
Meaning: a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun βασιλιάς becomes βασιλιάδες in the plural. When the word is used as the direct object of a sentence, it changes to the accusative form βασιλιά.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /va.siˈʎas/ (vasiliás). It has three syllables, with the stress on the third syllable.
Did you know?
- The ultimate origin of the word may not even be Greek, as scholars believe it might come from an Anatolian language from ancient times.
- The word βασιλιάς is used in Greece as a common masculine given name, Βασίλης (Vasilis), which is the shortened form of Βασίλειος.
- In the Greek Orthodox tradition, the title βασιλεύς was historically reserved for the Byzantine Emperor to emphasize his role as the sole earthly representative of God.
Examples in context
- Ο βασιλιάς της Γαλλίας είναι φαλακρός.The King of France is bald.This sentence uses βασιλιάς to identify a specific king.Tatoeba #7325430 by amoeba, translation #702475 by CN
- Ο βασιλιάς καταχράστηκε την εξουσία του.The king abused his power.This sentence uses βασιλιάς as the subject of the sentence.Tatoeba #3367783 by glavkos, translation #25640 by CK
- Το λιοντάρι είναι ο βασιλιάς της ζούγκλας.The lion is the king of the jungle.This sentence uses βασιλιάς in a metaphorical sense.Tatoeba #2788405 by Zeus, translation #29846 by CM
- Ο ρήγας συναντήθηκε με σημαντικούς πολιτικούς ηγέτες.The king met with important political leaders.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kostas and Maria are talking about a history book.
- Κώστας KostasΠοιος ήταν αυτός ο βασιλιάς;Poios itan aftos o vasilias?Who was this king?
- Μαρία MariaΉταν ένας πολύ διάσημος ηγέτης.Itan enas poly diasimos igetis.He was a very famous leader.
- Κώστας KostasΠού έμενε ο βασιλιάς;Pou emene o vasilias?Where did the king live?
- Μαρία MariaΈμενε σε ένα μεγάλο παλάτι.Emene se ena megalo palati.He lived in a large palace.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “king” translations and entries βασιλιάς, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries βασιλιάς, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
