Animal in Greek
ζώο
zoo — animal
Hear ζώο
Ζώο (zoo) is an animal, stressed ZO-o with both vowels sounded separately rather than run together. The plural is ζώα. Greek uses it for any creature, and κατοικίδιο narrows it to a pet.
English took the root and kept it visible. Zoology, protozoa and the word zoo itself all descend from ζῷον, which is why the Greek for animal looks like the English for the place you go to see them. The Greek for a zoo, though, is ζωολογικός κήπος — a zoological garden, spelled out in full.
The word also sits inside ζωή, life, and the two share an ancestor. Calling someone a ζώο is an insult in Greek much as calling them an animal is in English. Άγριο ζώο is a wild animal, and άγρια ζώα the plural.
Example sentences
Τι ζώο είναι αυτό;
Ti zoo einai afto?
What animal is that?
Αγαπώ τα ζώα.
Agapo ta zoa.
I love animals.
Related forms
- ζώα (zoa) — animals
- ζωολογικός κήπος (zoologikos kipos) — zoo
- κατοικίδιο (katoikidio) — pet
Common questions
- Does the word zoo come from Greek?
- Yes. It shortens zoological garden, built on Ancient Greek ζῷον, animal — the same word Modern Greek still uses as ζώο.
Quick check
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How do you say "animal" in Greek?
Related words
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