This page lists 60 Greek words that start with N, running alphabetically from “Nai” to “Nea Yorki”. The list mixes everyday vocabulary like “nero” (water) and “nisi” (island) with words from law, medicine, myth and the sea. You can use it to learn practical Greek, build your travel vocabulary, or trace the roots of English words.
Greek words are the terms people use to speak and write the Greek language, one of the oldest written languages in Europe. Many of them live on in English, and “nostalgia” is a good example, since it joins “nostos” (return) and “algos” (pain).
Below you’ll find the table with the word, English translation, part of speech, example usage and description for each entry.
Word: The Greek term written in Latin letters, so you can read and say it without knowing the Greek alphabet.
English translation: The closest English meaning of each word, so you can quickly see what it stands for and when to use it.
Part of speech: Shows whether the word is a noun, verb, adjective or another type, which helps you place it correctly in a sentence.
Example usage: A short Greek sentence with its English translation, showing you how the word sounds and works in real speech.
Description: A brief note on the word’s meaning, origin or everyday use, including links to English words you may already know.
Greek words
| Word | English translation | Part of speech | Example usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nai | yes | adverb | Nai, thelo ena kafe. (Yes, I want a coffee.) |
| Nero | water | noun | Mporo na echo ligo nero; (Can I have some water?) |
| Nisi | island | noun | To nisi einai poly omorfo. (The island is very beautiful.) |
| Nychta | night | noun | Kali nychta! (Good night!) |
| Nea | news | noun | Ti nea; (What’s the news?) |
| Neos | new, young | adjective | O neos dromos einai grigoros. (The new road is fast.) |
| Nea Ellada | New Greece | noun phrase | I Nea Ellada ktistike meta tin epanastasi. (Modern Greece was founded after the revolution.) |
| Nike | victory | noun | I Nike einai i thea tis nikis. (Nike is the goddess of victory.) |
| Nikao | to win, to defeat | verb | I omada nikise sto telos. (The team won in the final.) |
| Nikitis | winner | noun | O nikitis pire to chryso metallio. (The winner took the gold medal.) |
| Nomos | law | noun | O nomos prepei na ischyei gia olous. (The law must apply to everyone.) |
| Nomikos | lawyer, legal | noun, adjective | O nomikos mas boithise me to symvolaio. (The lawyer helped us with the contract.) |
| Nomizo | to think, to believe | verb | Nomizo oti echeis dikio. (I think you’re right.) |
| Nomisma | coin | noun | To nomisma einai archaio. (The coin is ancient.) |
| Nomos (prefecture) | county, prefecture | noun | O nomos Attikis einai o megalyteros. (The Attica prefecture is the largest.) |
| Nomadas | nomad | noun | O nomadas metakineitai me ta zoa tou. (The nomad moves with his animals.) |
| Nous | mind, intellect | noun | O nous tou anthropou einai dynamikos. (The human mind is powerful.) |
| Noima | meaning, sense | noun | Auto den echei noima. (This doesn’t make sense.) |
| Noimosyni | intelligence, good sense | noun | Echei megali noimosyni. (He has great intelligence.) |
| Nostos | homecoming, return | noun | O nostos tou Odyssea diarkese deka chronia. (Odysseus’s return took ten years.) |
| Nostalgia | nostalgia, longing for home | noun | Ehei nostalgia gia to chorio tis. (She misses her village.) |
| Nostimos | tasty, delicious | adjective | To fagito itan poly nostimo. (The food was very tasty.) |
| Nostimia | tastiness, charm | noun | Auto to piato echei nostimia. (This dish has real flavor.) |
| Nektar | nectar | noun | To nektar itan to poto ton theon. (Nectar was the drink of the gods.) |
| Nemesis | retribution, fair punishment | noun | I Nemesis timorei tin yperifania. (Nemesis punishes arrogance.) |
| Nekros | dead | adjective, noun | O nekros stratiotis tafike me times. (The dead soldier was buried with honors.) |
| Nekropoli | cemetery, city of the dead | noun | I nekropoli vrisketai ektos tis polis. (The cemetery is outside the city.) |
| Nekrologia | obituary | noun | I nekrologia diavastike stin efimerida. (The obituary was read in the newspaper.) |
| Nifi | bride, daughter-in-law | noun | I nifi ntythike sto lefko. (The bride dressed in white.) |
| Nymphe | nymph, bride | noun | I nymphe tou dasous zouse konta sto potami. (The forest nymph lived near the river.) |
| Nyfios | groom | noun | O nyfios perimene stin ekklisia. (The groom waited at the church.) |
| Neanias | young man, youth | noun | O neanias etrexe sto gipedo. (The young man ran onto the field.) |
| Neotita | youth | noun | I neotita einai i omorfoteri periodos. (Youth is the most beautiful period.) |
| Neologismos | new word, neologism | noun | O neologismos eisihthe stin glossa. (The new word entered the language.) |
| Neolithikos | Neolithic | adjective | I neolithiki epochi archise pro 10,000 eton. (The Neolithic era began about 10,000 years ago.) |
| Neuron | nerve | noun | To neuron metaferei mesazia. (The nerve carries messages.) |
| Nevro | nerve | noun | Epiase to nevro tou. (He hit a nerve.) |
| Nevrikos | nervous, irritable | adjective | Eimai nevrikos prin tis eksetaseis. (I’m nervous before exams.) |
| Nosos | disease, illness | noun | I nosos exapolythike grigora. (The disease spread quickly.) |
| Nosokomeio | hospital | noun | Pigame sto nosokomeio. (We went to the hospital.) |
| Nosileftria | nurse (female) | noun | I nosileftria foroúse ena lefko foreme. (The nurse wore a white uniform.) |
| Nosokomos | nurse (male) | noun | O nosokomos eleghse tin piesi. (The nurse checked the blood pressure.) |
| Naos | temple | noun | O naos tou Parthenona einai gnostos. (The Parthenon temple is famous.) |
| Naftis | sailor | noun | O naftis taxideve se ola ta limania. (The sailor traveled to every port.) |
| Naftilia | shipping, seafaring | noun | I naftilia einai simantiki gia tin oikonomia. (Shipping is important for the economy.) |
| Nautilos | sailor | noun | O nautilos kolymbise sti thalassa. (The sailor swam in the sea.) |
| Naus | ship | noun | I naus efyge apo ton Peiraia. (The ship left from Piraeus.) |
| Navagio | shipwreck | noun | To navagio vrisketai stin paralia. (The shipwreck is on the beach.) |
| Nanos | dwarf | noun | O nanos itan poly eksypnos. (The dwarf was very clever.) |
| Narkissos | narcissus | noun | O Narkissos agapise tin eikona tou. (Narcissus fell in love with his own image.) |
| Narki | numbness, torpor | noun | Ehei narki sto podi. (She has numbness in her foot.) |
| Narkotiko | narcotic, drug | noun | To narkotiko apagoreuetai. (The narcotic is banned.) |
| Nychi | fingernail, claw | noun | Kovo ta nychia mou. (I cut my nails.) |
| Nyxterida | bat | noun | I nyxterida petaei to vradi. (The bat flies at night.) |
| Nisteia | fasting | noun | I nisteia diarkei saranta meres. (The fast lasts forty days.) |
| Nistikos | fasting, meatless | adjective | Fame nistika fagita ti Megali Evdomada. (We eat fasting food during Holy Week.) |
| Nifalios | sober, alert | adjective | Itan nifalios olo to vradi. (He was sober all evening.) |
| Ntomata | tomato | noun | I ntomata einai kokkini. (The tomato is red.) |
| Nautiliakos | maritime, naval | adjective | Ypirxe nautiliakos polemos. (There was a naval war.) |
| Nea Yorki | New York | proper noun | Taxidevo stin Nea Yorki. (I’m traveling to New York.) |
Descriptions
Nai
The basic Greek word for “yes”. It sounds like the English “neigh”, which trips up many learners who expect “ne” to mean the opposite.
Nero
The everyday modern Greek word for water. It comes from ancient “naron”, meaning flowing, and replaced the older word “hydor” in daily speech.
Nisi
Greece has thousands of them, so this word comes up constantly. The plural “nisia” is what travelers hear when planning an island-hopping trip.
Nychta
The standard word for night, used in the common farewell “kalinychta”. It is closely related to the Latin “nox” and the English “night”.
Nea
The plural of “neo”, meaning “new thing”. It is also a casual greeting, so “Ti nea?” works like “What’s up?” among friends.
Neos
Describes anything new or youthful. It gives English words like “neon”, “neolithic” and the prefix “neo-“.
Nea Ellada
A phrase for the modern Greek state, as opposed to ancient Greece. “Nea” means new and “Ellada” means Greece.
Nike
The Greek word for victory and the name of the winged goddess of triumph. The sportswear brand Nike takes its name from her.
Nikao
The verb behind “nike”. Modern Greek speakers use it for winning games, arguments and battles alike.
Nikitis
Someone who wins a contest. It is used in sports, quizzes and elections.
Nomos
One of the most important words in Greek civic life. It also gives English the endings of words like “astronomy” and “economy”.
Nomikos
Refers to a lawyer or anything related to law. It comes straight from “nomos”.
Nomizo
A common verb for expressing an opinion or assumption. It is softer than saying “I know”.
Nomisma
An old word for money or a coin, from “nomos” because coins were backed by law. It is the root of the English word “numismatics”.
Nomos (prefecture)
The same word as “law”, used for the old administrative regions of Greece. It was replaced by regional units in 2011.
Nomadas
A person who wanders in search of pasture. The English word “nomad” comes directly from it.
Nous
A key term in ancient philosophy for the thinking mind or reason. Modern Greek still uses it for “mind” or “sense”.
Noima
What a word, sentence or action means. It is the root of “noimosyni”, meaning intelligence.
Noimosyni
Describes mental sharpness and reasonableness. It comes from “nous”, the mind.
Nostos
An ancient word for a hero’s journey home, central to the Odyssey. It is the first half of “nostalgia”.
Nostalgia
Built from “nostos” (return) and “algos” (pain), literally the ache of wanting to go home. English borrowed it in the 1700s.
Nostimos
A word every visitor to a taverna will hear. It also means something with a pleasant, appealing quality.
Nostimia
The quality of tasting good. It can also describe a person’s appealing charm.
Nektar
In myth, the drink that kept the gods immortal. It is also the word for the sweet liquid flowers make.
Nemesis
The Greek goddess of divine justice who punished pride. In English it means an unbeatable rival or downfall.
Nekros
Means dead or a dead person. It forms words like “necropolis” and “necromancy”.
Nekropoli
Literally “city of the dead”. Ancient Greeks used it for large burial grounds, and archaeologists use it today.
Nekrologia
A notice announcing someone’s death. The Greek roots give English “necrology”.
Nifi
Used for a bride and also for a daughter-in-law. It is related to the word “nymph”.
Nymphe
The ancient word for a young female nature spirit. It also meant a bride, which links to the modern “nifi”.
Nyfios
The male counterpart of “nifi”. It is common in wedding vocabulary.
Neanias
An older word for a young man. It sounds a bit literary in everyday modern speech.
Neotita
The period of being young, or young people as a group. It often shows up in speeches and slogans.
Neologismos
A newly created word or expression. English uses the same word, borrowed from Greek roots.
Neolithikos
Refers to the New Stone Age, when farming began. Built from “neos” (new) and “lithos” (stone).
Neuron
The ancient word for a sinew or cord. It became the scientific term for a nerve cell in English.
Nevro
The modern Greek form of “neuron”. It also describes irritation, as in “fever nevra”, meaning being on edge.
Nevrikos
Describes someone on edge or easily annoyed. It is a very common word in daily conversation.
Nosos
The formal word for illness. It is the base of many English terms ending in “-nosis” and “nosology”.
Nosokomeio
The ordinary modern word for a hospital. It literally means “a place that cares for the sick”.
Nosileftria
The word for a female nurse. The male form is “nosokomos”.
Nosokomos
The male form of the nursing profession’s title. It comes from “nosos” (illness) and “komeo” (to care for).
Naos
The inner chamber of an ancient temple where the god’s statue stood. It is also used for churches in modern Greek.
Naftis
A person who works on a ship. It is one of many Greek sea words that reflect the country’s maritime history.
Naftilia
The business and practice of sea travel. Greek shipping remains among the largest in the world.
Nautilos
An ancient word for a mariner. English borrowed it for the nautilus, a sea creature with a spiral shell.
Naus
The ancient Greek word for a ship. It is the root of “nautical”, “navy” and “astronaut”.
Navagio
A wrecked ship. The Greek island of Zakynthos has a famous beach called Navagio.
Nanos
A very small person or creature. It gave English the prefix “nano-“, meaning extremely tiny.
Narkissos
The mythical young man who fell for his own reflection. It is also the name of the flower and gives us “narcissism”.
Narki
Describes a loss of feeling. It is the root of “narcotic”.
Narkotiko
A substance that dulls the senses or causes addiction. The word comes from “narki”.
Nychi
The Greek word for a nail on a finger or toe. It is related to the English “nail” and Latin “unguis”.
Nyxterida
The animal that flies at night, from “nychta”. It literally means “night one”.
Nisteia
Time spent without food, often for religious reasons. Orthodox Greeks observe it before Easter.
Nistikos
Describes food permitted during religious fasts, such as dishes without meat or dairy.
Nifalios
Means not drunk or clear-headed. It can also describe someone calm and watchful.
Ntomata
The Greek word for tomato, spelled with “nt” to represent the “d” sound. Tomatoes are the base of countless Greek dishes.
Nautiliakos
Relates to ships and the sea. It is a more formal term than “thalassinos”.
Nea Yorki
How Greeks say New York. Many Greek-Americans live there, and the city has a large Greek community.