ωραίο
Wordform Details
Translation: beautifulnicelovelypretty
Part of Speech: adjective
Inflection Type:
neutersingularnominative/accusativeIs Dictionary Form: No
Dictionary Form Details
Lemma: ωραίος
Translation: beautiful; nice; lovely; pretty; handsome; fine; good-looking (adjective)
Etymology: From ancient Greek ὡραῖος (horaios) meaning 'timely, seasonable, in one's prime', derived from ὥρα (hora) meaning 'time, season, hour'. The connection to English 'hour' and 'horoscope' helps remember the temporal aspect. The semantic evolution from 'timely/seasonal' to 'beautiful' reflects the Greek aesthetic appreciation for things in their proper time or prime - like flowers in bloom or fruit at peak ripeness. This temporal-aesthetic connection is uniquely Greek and distinguishes it from other beauty words.
Example Usage
Φοράει ένα ωραίο φόρεμα.
She is wearing a beautiful dress.
Είναι ένας ωραίος άνθρωπος.
He is a nice person.
Περάσαμε ωραία στο πάρτι.
We had a great time at the party.
Ωραία! Θα έρθω μαζί σου.
Great! I'll come with you.
Τι ωραίο φαγητό!
What delicious food!
Τι ωραίος καιρός!
What beautiful weather!
Έχεις ωραία μάτια.
You have beautiful eyes.
Ωραία! Πάμε!
Great! Let's go!
Mnemonics
- Think 'Oh-ray-os' - like saying 'Oh, yay!' when seeing something beautiful
- Remember 'hora' (hour/time) - beautiful things are 'timely' and in their prime
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
Very commonly used in everyday Greek to express appreciation for anything pleasant - from weather to food to people. Often used as an exclamation 'Ωραία!' meaning 'Great!' or 'Nice!'. More versatile than English 'beautiful' as it can describe experiences, situations, and abstract concepts.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: Both mean beautiful, but όμορφος is more specifically about physical beauty, while ωραίος is broader and can describe experiences, weather, situations
This word:
Ωραία μουσική!
Beautiful music!
Confused word:
Όμορφη γυναίκα.
Beautiful woman.
Notes: ωραίος is more colloquial and versatile, όμορφος more formal for describing appearance
Mnemonic: ωραίος for experiences and situations (like 'Oh-ray!' for joy), όμορφος for physical beauty (sounds like 'oh-morph' - physical form)