Ways to say it
| Greek | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| πλοίο | ploío | /ˈpli.o/ | neuter |
| καράβι | karávi | [kaˈravi] (narrow) | neuter |
Both πλοίο and καράβι are neuter nouns used to refer to a large water craft. If you want to express the related concepts of sending a parcel or container, you can use αποστέλλω and to specifically mean sending something by water-borne transport, you can use either αποστέλλω or μεταφέρω.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Greek islands and coastal areas, the word Βάρκα is used to refer to a small boat or a dinghy. The term Σκάφος is used to mean a vessel or craft.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a neuter noun, the genitive singular form of πλοίο is του πλοίου (of the ship). The plural form of πλοίο is τα πλοία, while the plural form of καράβι is τα καράβια.
How do you pronounce it?
The word πλοίο is pronounced /ˈpli.o/. It has two syllables and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The term πλοίο is inherited from the Proto-Indo-European word *plówyom, making it a distant relative of the English word 'float'.
- The word καράβι shares a linguistic root with words for a 'crab' or a 'beetle'.
- The word καράβι entered the modern language through Byzantine Greek, whereas πλοίο is a direct continuation from Ancient Greek.
Examples in context
- Πού είναι το πλοίο;Where is the ship?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of the πλοίο.Tatoeba #2632963 by Zeus, translation #5162297 by CarpeLanam
- Εμείς επιστρέφουμε στο πλοίο.We're going back to the ship.This sentence is useful for describing the action of returning to the πλοίο.Tatoeba #4254928 by glavkos, translation #1963121 by CK
- Ο καπετάνιος του πλοίου αποφάσισε να αλλάξει πορεία.The captain of the ship decided to change course.This sentence is useful for discussing the decisions made by the captain of the πλοίο.Tatoeba #9392042 by lefterav, translation #3533853 by adamtrousers
- Το πλοίο έφτασε στο λιμάνι.The ship arrived at the port.
- Πάμε με το καράβι στην παραλία.Let's go to the beach by boat.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anastasia and Nikos are standing at the harbor looking at the sea.
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΚοίτα, Νίκο, τι μεγάλο πλοίο είναι αυτό!Koíta, Níko, ti megálo plío eínai aftó!Look, Nikos, what a huge ship that is!
- Νίκος NikosΦαίνεται σαν πλοίο κρουζιέρας.Faínetai san plío krouziéras.It looks like a cruise ship.
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΠότε θα φύγει το πλοίο από το λιμάνι;Póte tha fýgei to plío apó to limáni?When will the ship leave the harbor?
- Νίκος NikosΝομίζω ότι φεύγει σε μία ώρα.Nomízo óti févgei se mía óra.I think it leaves in one hour.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ship” translations and entries πλοίο, καράβι, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries καράβι, πλοίο, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
