A small set of words carries most of everyday modern Greek. Learn these hundred first and you will start recognizing them in conversation, on signs, and in the news, long before you would call yourself fluent. It's not a shortcut, it's just where the leverage is.
How to use this list
Do not work through this list top to bottom. Read down it and mark only the words you could not have produced yourself. Those are your list. The rest are already yours, and reviewing them is wasted effort better spent on words you actually meet in reading, conversation, or subtitles.
The 100 words
| # | Greek | English | In use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ο | the (masc.) | Ο άντρας διαβάζει ένα βιβλίο.The man is reading a book. |
| 2 | η | the (fem.) | Η γυναίκα πίνει καφέ.The woman is drinking coffee. |
| 3 | το | the (neut.) | Το παιδί παίζει στον κήπο.The child is playing in the garden. |
| 4 | οι | the (masc./fem. pl.) | Οι φίλοι μου έρχονται απόψε.My friends are coming tonight. |
| 5 | τα | the (neut. pl.) | Τα παιδιά τρέχουν έξω.The children are running outside. |
| 6 | ένας | a / an (masc.) | Ένας άντρας στέκεται στην πόρτα.A man is standing at the door. |
| 7 | μία | a / an (fem.) | Έχει μία γάτα.She has a cat. |
| 8 | ένα | a / an (neut.) | Θέλω ένα ποτήρι νερό.I want a glass of water. |
| 9 | εγώ | I | Εγώ μένω στην Αθήνα.I live in Athens. |
| 10 | εσύ | you (sg.) | Πού μένεις εσύ;Where do you live? |
| 11 | αυτός | he / that (masc.) | Αυτός δουλεύει σε μια τράπεζα.He works at a bank. |
| 12 | αυτή | she / that (fem.) | Αυτή έρχεται αύριο.She is coming tomorrow. |
| 13 | αυτό | it / that (neut.) | Αυτό είναι το σπίτι μου.This is my house. |
| 14 | εμείς | we | Εμείς πάμε σινεμά.We're going to the movies. |
| 15 | εσείς | you (pl./formal) | Εσείς πεινάτε τώρα;Are you all hungry right now? |
| 16 | αυτοί | they | Αυτοί μένουν σε ένα μεγάλο σπίτι.They live in a big house. |
| 17 | μου | my / me | Δώσε μου το βιβλίο.Give me the book. |
| 18 | σου | your / you | Αυτό είναι το σπίτι σου.This is your house. |
| 19 | σε | in / at / to | Μένω σε ένα μικρό διαμέρισμα.I live in a small apartment. |
| 20 | από | from | Αυτός είναι από την Ισπανία.He is from Spain. |
| 21 | με | with | Πάω στη δουλειά με το λεωφορείο.I go to work by bus. |
| 22 | για | for | Αυτό το δώρο είναι για σένα.This gift is for you. |
| 23 | πάνω | on / above | Το ποτήρι είναι πάνω στο τραπέζι.The glass is on the table. |
| 24 | κάτω | under / below | Η γάτα κοιμάται κάτω από το κρεβάτι.The cat is sleeping under the bed. |
| 25 | μέσα | inside | Το βιβλίο είναι μέσα στην τσάντα.The book is inside the bag. |
| 26 | έξω | outside | Τα παιδιά παίζουν έξω.The children are playing outside. |
| 27 | μετά | after | Θα φάμε μετά τη δουλειά.We'll eat after work. |
| 28 | πριν | before | Πλένω τα χέρια μου πριν το φαγητό.I wash my hands before eating. |
| 29 | χωρίς | without | Πίνει τον καφέ της χωρίς ζάχαρη.She drinks her coffee without sugar. |
| 30 | και | and | Αγοράζω ψωμί και γάλα.I'm buying bread and milk. |
| 31 | ή | or | Θέλεις τσάι ή καφέ;Do you want tea or coffee? |
| 32 | αλλά | but | Είμαι κουρασμένος αλλά χαρούμενος.I'm tired but happy. |
| 33 | ότι | that (conjunction) | Ξέρω ότι έχεις δίκιο.I know that you're right. |
| 34 | αν | if | Πάρε με τηλέφωνο αν αργήσεις.Call me if you're late. |
| 35 | επειδή | because | Μένω σπίτι επειδή είμαι άρρωστος.I'm staying home because I'm sick. |
| 36 | όταν | when | Πάρε με τηλέφωνο όταν φτάσεις.Call me when you arrive. |
| 37 | ενώ | while / whereas | Διάβαζε ενώ περίμενε το λεωφορείο.He read while he waited for the bus. |
| 38 | είμαι | to be | Θέλει να είναι γιατρός.He wants to be a doctor. |
| 39 | έχω | to have | Έχουμε δύο παιδιά.We have two children. |
| 40 | κάνω | to do / make | Τι κάνεις το Σαββατοκύριακο;What are you doing this weekend? |
| 41 | πηγαίνω | to go | Πηγαίνουμε βόλτα κάθε μέρα.We go for a walk every day. |
| 42 | λέω | to say | Πάντα λέει την αλήθεια.He always tells the truth. |
| 43 | θέλω | to want | Θέλω να μάθω ελληνικά.I want to learn Greek. |
| 44 | μπορώ | can / to be able | Μπορώ να κολυμπήσω καλά.I can swim well. |
| 45 | πρέπει | must / should | Πρέπει να ξυπνήσεις νωρίς.You have to wake up early. |
| 46 | βλέπω | to see | Βλέπω ένα πουλί στο δέντρο.I see a bird in the tree. |
| 47 | ξέρω | to know | Δεν ξέρω την απάντηση.I don't know the answer. |
| 48 | δίνω | to give | Μου δίνεις το αλάτι;Can you give me the salt? |
| 49 | παίρνω | to take | Παίρνει το λεωφορείο για τη δουλειά.She takes the bus to work. |
| 50 | βρίσκω | to find | Δεν μπορώ να βρω τα κλειδιά μου.I can't find my keys. |
| 51 | νομίζω | to think | Νομίζω ότι έχεις δίκιο.I think you're right. |
| 52 | μένω | to stay / live | Μένει σε ήσυχη γειτονιά.He lives in a quiet neighborhood. |
| 53 | αφήνω | to leave / let | Άφησέ με ήσυχο.Leave me alone. |
| 54 | φέρνω | to bring | Μπορείς να μου φέρεις νερό;Can you bring me water? |
| 55 | ρωτάω | to ask | Μπορώ να σε ρωτήσω κάτι;Can I ask you something? |
| 56 | χρειάζομαι | to need | Χρειαζόμαστε περισσότερο χρόνο.We need more time. |
| 57 | πιστεύω | to believe | Δεν σε πιστεύω.I don't believe you. |
| 58 | κρατάω | to hold | Μπορείς να το κρατήσεις, σε παρακαλώ;Can you hold that, please? |
| 59 | παίζω | to play | Τα παιδιά παίζουν στο πάρκο.The children are playing in the park. |
| 60 | δουλεύω | to work | Δουλεύει σε νοσοκομείο.She works at a hospital. |
| 61 | ζω | to live | Ζει μια ήρεμη ζωή.He lives a quiet life. |
| 62 | τρώω | to eat | Τρώμε βραδινό στις εφτά.We eat dinner at seven. |
| 63 | πίνω | to drink | Πίνει ένα ποτήρι νερό.He drinks a glass of water. |
| 64 | κοιμάμαι | to sleep | Το μωρό κοιμάται καλά τη νύχτα.The baby sleeps well at night. |
| 65 | μαθαίνω | to learn | Μαθαίνει πιάνο από μικρός.He has been learning piano since he was little. |
| 66 | καταλαβαίνω | to understand | Δεν καταλαβαίνω την ερώτηση.I don't understand the question. |
| 67 | μιλάω | to speak | Μιλάς καλά αγγλικά;Do you speak English well? |
| 68 | ακούω | to hear | Ακούς τη μουσική;Can you hear the music? |
| 69 | διαβάζω | to read | Διαβάζει ένα βιβλίο κάθε βράδυ.She reads a book every evening. |
| 70 | δεν | not | Δεν καταλαβαίνω τίποτα.I don't understand anything. |
| 71 | όχι | no | Όχι, ευχαριστώ πολύ.No, thank you very much. |
| 72 | επίσης | also / too | Θα έρθω επίσης.I'll come too. |
| 73 | ακόμα | still / yet | Είσαι ακόμα ξύπνιος;Are you still awake? |
| 74 | ήδη | already | Είναι ήδη στο σπίτι.He is already home. |
| 75 | μόνο | only | Κοστίζει μόνο δέκα ευρώ.It costs only ten euros. |
| 76 | πολύ | very / a lot | Το φαγητό είναι πολύ νόστιμο.The food is very tasty. |
| 77 | πάντα | always | Έρχεται πάντα στην ώρα της.She always arrives on time. |
| 78 | εδώ | here | Κάθισε εδώ μαζί μου.Sit here with me. |
| 79 | τώρα | now | Πρέπει να φύγουμε τώρα.We have to leave now. |
| 80 | χρόνος | time / year | Δεν έχω χρόνο.I don't have time. |
| 81 | άνθρωπος | person / human | Κάθε άνθρωπος είναι διαφορετικός.Every person is different. |
| 82 | άντρας | man | Ο άντρας φοράει καπέλο.The man is wearing a hat. |
| 83 | γυναίκα | woman | Η γυναίκα δουλεύει ως γιατρός.The woman works as a doctor. |
| 84 | παιδί | child | Το παιδί γελάει δυνατά.The child is laughing loudly. |
| 85 | μέρα | day | Σου εύχομαι καλή μέρα.I wish you a good day. |
| 86 | κόσμος | world | Θέλει να ταξιδέψει σε όλο τον κόσμο.She wants to travel around the world. |
| 87 | ζωή | life | Η ζωή είναι σύντομη.Life is short. |
| 88 | χέρι | hand | Δώσε μου το χέρι σου.Give me your hand. |
| 89 | χώρα | country | Ποια χώρα επισκέπτεσαι;Which country are you visiting? |
| 90 | σπίτι | house | Αγοράζουμε ένα καινούργιο σπίτι.We're buying a new house. |
| 91 | μάτι | eye | Έχει γαλάζια μάτια.She has blue eyes. |
| 92 | λέξη | word | Είναι μια δύσκολη λέξη.It's a difficult word. |
| 93 | νερό | water | Πίνω πολύ νερό κάθε μέρα.I drink a lot of water every day. |
| 94 | καλός | good | Το φαγητό είναι πολύ καλό.The food is very good. |
| 95 | νέος | new / young | Χρειάζομαι ένα νέο κινητό.I need a new phone. |
| 96 | μεγάλος | big | Έχει ένα μεγάλο σκύλο.He has a big dog. |
| 97 | μικρός | small | Μένει σε ένα μικρό διαμέρισμα.She lives in a small apartment. |
| 98 | πρώτος | first | Είναι η πρώτη μου μέρα εδώ.This is my first day here. |
| 99 | μακρύς | long | Ο δρόμος είναι πολύ μακρύς.The road is very long. |
| 100 | παλιός | old | Αυτό είναι ένα παλιό σπίτι.This is an old house. |
The ones English speakers get wrong
The monotonic accent (τόνος)
Modern Greek marks stress with a single accent mark, the τόνος, on the stressed syllable of most words with more than one syllable. It isn't optional decoration, πότε (when) and ποτέ (never) are distinguished only by where the stress falls. Leave it off and native readers may genuinely misread the word.
This is modern Greek, not Koine
This list covers demotic Greek, the language spoken in Greece and Cyprus today, not the Koine Greek of the New Testament, which Lexicamp covers separately. The two share an alphabet and plenty of roots, but pronunciation, grammar, and everyday vocabulary have shifted enough that fluency in one doesn't transfer directly to the other.
Grammatical gender isn't always intuitive
Every Greek noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter, and the article (ο, η, το) has to agree with it. Some pairings surprise English speakers, το κορίτσι (the girl) is grammatically neuter even though it refers to a female person. You mostly just learn the article together with the noun.
εσύ vs. εσείς
Greek distinguishes informal εσύ from formal or plural εσείς, similar to the du/Sie split in German. εσείς is the safer choice with strangers, older people, or anyone in a professional setting, until they invite you to switch to εσύ.
False friend: τράπεζα
τράπεζα means 'bank', as in where you keep your money, though it comes from an older word for 'table'. English speakers sometimes expect it to relate to travel or trapeze, it doesn't. The everyday word for an actual table is τραπέζι.
What to do next
A list this size is about two weeks of light daily review, and it is the difference between decoding Greek and following it.