πιγκουίνος
pigkouínos/piŋɡuˈinos/masculine
The Greek word for penguin is πιγκουίνος (pigkouínos).
πιγκουίνος is a masculine noun used to refer to the flightless sea bird.
Meaning: flightless sea bird (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form πιγκουίνος can change depending on its role in a sentence. For example, the genitive singular form, used to indicate possession or 'of the penguin', is πιγκουίνου. To refer to more than one bird, use the plural form πιγκουίνοι.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is pigkouínos. The IPA is /piŋɡuˈinos/.
Did you know?
- Greek has no single indigenous word for 'penguin' because the birds are not native to the Mediterranean, which is why the language relied on a foreign loanword.
- The Greek word πιγκουίνος is a phonetic loanword from French, meaning it was imported into the language rather than being an indigenous Greek term.
- The Greek alphabet uses the letter γκ to create the 'g' sound in πιγκουίνος because a single γ would sound like a soft 'y' or 'gh' in this position.
Examples in context
- Βαδίζω σαν πιγκουίνος.I walk like a penguin.This sentence is useful for describing a specific manner of walking using πιγκουίνος.Tatoeba #2755871 by Zeus, translation #2755866 by shekitten
- Έχετε δει την ταινία με τους πιγκουίνους. Είναι πολύ χαριτωμένη!Have you seen the movie with the penguins? It's very cute!
Example conversation
Maria and Kostas are looking at a book about animals.
- Μαρία MariaΚόιτα, αυτός ο πιγκουίνος είναι πολύ μικρός!Koíta, aftós o pinguínos eínai polý mikrós!Look, this penguin is very small!
- Κώστας KostasΝαι, είναι πραγματικά αξιολάτρητος.Nai, eínai pragmatiká axiolatritós.Yes, it is truly adorable.
- Μαρία MariaΠού ζει ο πιγκουίνος συνήθως;Poú zei o pinguínos syníthos?Where does the penguin usually live?
- Κώστας KostasΖουν στις παγωμένες περιοχές της Γης.Zoún stis pagoménes periochés tis Gis.They live in the frozen regions of the Earth.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “penguin” translations and entries πιγκουίνος, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries πιγκουίνος, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
