λιοντάρι
liontári/ʎon.ˈda.ɾi/neuter
The Greek word for lion is λιοντάρι (liontári).
λιοντάρι is a noun used to refer to the big cat Panthera leo.
Meaning: big cat Panthera leo (noun)
Which one should you use?
The term λιοντάκι is used as an endearing, informal way to refer to a little lion.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of λιοντάρι is λιοντάρια. It is a neuter noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ʎon.ˈda.ɾi/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- Greek has a unique way of scaling 'smallness' using suffixes, where λιοντάρι is a diminutive of λέων and λιοντάκι is a further diminutive of λιοντάρι.
- While λιοντάρι is the common term, the Ancient Greek word for lion is λέων, which is the ancestor of the English word 'leonine'.
- The word λιοντάρι evolved through several layers of Greek, moving from the Ancient λέων to the Koine λεοντάριον and the Byzantine λιοντάρι(ν).
Examples in context
- Το λιοντάρι είναι ο βασιλιάς της ζούγκλας.The lion is the king of the jungle.This sentence illustrates the use of λιοντάρι in a metaphorical context regarding the king of the jungle.Tatoeba #2788405 by Zeus, translation #29846 by CM
- Είναι το λιοντάρι θηλαστικό;Is the lion a mammal?This sentence is useful for asking a question about whether the λιοντάρι is a mammal.Tatoeba #11132047 by carlosalberto, translation #11132044 by carlosalberto
- Ο Θωμάς σκοτώθηκε από ένα λιοντάρι.Tom was killed by a lion.This sentence shows the use of λιοντάρι when describing an action involving the animal.Tatoeba #12988224 by abiniz, translation #12975726 by CK
- Το λιοντάρι είναι ένα από τα πιο θαρραλέα ζώα στον κόσμο.The lion is one of the bravest animals in the world.
- Ο λέων (Panthera leo) είναι ένας από τους μεγαλύτερους αρπακτικούς θηλαστικούς.The lion (Panthera leo) is one of the largest carnivorous mammals.
- Το λιοντάκι είναι το αγαπημένο ζώο του μικρού Νίκου.The little lion is little Nikos' favorite animal.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giorgos and Eleni are at the zoo looking at the animals.
- Γιώργος GiorgosΚοίτα, Ελένη, εκείνο το λιοντάρι κοιμάται!Koíta, Eléni, ekéino to leontári koimáte!Look, Eleni, that lion is sleeping!
- Ελένη EleniΕίναι πραγματικά τεράστιο το λιοντάρι αυτό.Eínai pragmatiká terástio to leontári aftó.This lion is truly huge.
- Γιώργος GiorgosΠιστεύω ότι είναι το πιο δυνατό ζώο.Pistévo óti eínai to pio dynató zóo.I believe it is the strongest animal.
- Ελένη EleniΈχεις δίκιο, Γιώργο, είναι πολύ επιβλητικό.Écheis díkio, Giórgo, eínai polý epivlimitikó.You are right, Giorgos, it is very imposing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lion” translations and entries λιοντάρι, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries λιοντάρι, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
