περήφανη
Wordform Details
Translation: prouddignified
Part of Speech: adjective
Inflection Type:
femininesingularnominativeIs Dictionary Form: No
Dictionary Form Details
Lemma: περήφανος
Translation: proud (adjective)
Etymology: From Ancient Greek περήφανος (perḗphanos), from περί (perí, 'around, beyond') + φαίνω (phaínō, 'to show, appear'). The original meaning conveyed someone who 'shows themselves beyond others' or 'stands out'. The root φαίνω is related to English words like 'phenomenon', 'fantasy', and 'phantom', all relating to appearance or visibility.
Example Usage
Είναι περήφανος για την κόρη του που πέρασε στο πανεπιστήμιο.
He is proud of his daughter who got into university.
Οι Έλληνες είναι περήφανοι για την ιστορία τους.
Greeks are proud of their history.
Είναι πολύ περήφανος για να ζητήσει βοήθεια.
He is too proud to ask for help.
Είναι περήφανος για τα παιδιά του.
He is proud of his children.
Περπατούσε με περήφανο βήμα.
She was walking with a proud stride.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'peri' (around) + 'phantom' (appearance) = someone who appears above others
- Imagine a 'proud fairy' (περήφανη νεράιδα) standing tall with her head held high
- Connect with 'periscope' - something that rises above to see better, like a proud person standing tall
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
Pride (περηφάνια) is an important concept in Greek culture, often associated with national identity, family honor, and personal achievement. While excessive pride can be viewed negatively, a healthy sense of pride is considered a virtue. The word is frequently used in contexts of national pride (εθνική περηφάνια) and family pride (οικογενειακή περηφάνια).
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'περήφανος' and 'υπερήφανος' are often used interchangeably in modern Greek to mean 'proud', 'υπερήφανος' has a slightly more emphatic connotation with the prefix 'υπερ-' (over, super).
Confused word:
Είναι υπερήφανος που κατάφερε να τελειώσει το πανεπιστήμιο.
He is extremely proud that he managed to finish university.
Notes: In everyday speech, many Greeks use these terms interchangeably, though 'περήφανος' is more common.
Mnemonic: 'Περήφανος' is the more common, everyday word, while 'υπερήφανος' with 'υπερ-' (over) suggests a heightened sense of pride.
Explanation: 'Περήφανος' can be positive (dignified pride) or negative (haughtiness), while 'αλαζονικός' is always negative, meaning 'arrogant' or 'conceited'.
Confused word:
Η αλαζονική του συμπεριφορά τον έκανε αντιπαθή.
His arrogant behavior made him disliked.
Notes: Context usually clarifies whether 'περήφανος' is being used in its positive or negative sense.
Mnemonic: Think of 'περήφανος' as 'properly proud' and 'αλαζονικός' as 'annoyingly arrogant'.