χέρι
Lemma: χέρι
Translation: hand; arm; handwriting; help; assistance (noun)
Etymology: From Ancient Greek χείρ (cheir) meaning 'hand'. This is cognate with English 'chiro-' as in 'chiropractor' (hand healer) and 'chirography' (handwriting). The word has maintained its core meaning for over 2,500 years, making it one of the most stable body part terms in Greek. The neuter gender and the stem change in declension (χέρι becomes χερ- in oblique cases) reflects ancient Greek patterns.
Example Usage
Δώσε μου το χέρι σου
Give me your hand
Πλύνε τα χέρια σου
Wash your hands
Πλύνε τα χέρια σου πριν το φαγητό.
Wash your hands before eating.
Μου έδωσε το χέρι του για να με βοηθήσει.
He gave me his hand to help me.
Κράτα με το χέρι σου.
Hold me with your hand.
Το χέρι του ρολογιού δείχνει τρεις.
The hand of the clock shows three.
Έχει καλό χέρι στη ζωγραφική.
He has a good hand in painting.
Πλένω τα χέρια μου.
I wash my hands.
Δώσε μου ένα χέρι.
Give me a hand (help me).
Έχει καλό χέρι στη μαγειρική.
He/she has a good hand in cooking.
Antonyms
Cultural Context
In Greek culture, hands are significant in gestures and expressions. The phrase 'με τα χέρια' (with hands) implies manual work. Greeks use many hand gestures while speaking, and 'χέρι' appears in numerous idiomatic expressions about help, skill, and manual labor.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: Both are neuter body parts but χέρι is hand while κεφάλι is head. The confusion may arise from both being common neuter nouns ending in -ι.
This word:
Το χέρι μου πονάει.
My hand hurts.
Confused word:
Το κεφάλι μου πονάει.
My head hurts.
Notes: Both follow similar declension patterns as neuter nouns.
Mnemonic: Remember 'chiro-' for hand-related English words vs 'cephalic' for head-related terms.