This vocabulary activity uses a fictional movement game. Read what each person does and connect the body words with the action. You can answer entirely on paper; copying the movements is optional. The aim is to understand the Greek, not to assess physical ability.
Five words to recognise
| το κεφάλι | head |
| το χέρι | hand / arm, depending on context |
| το πόδι | foot / leg, depending on context |
| το μάτι — τα μάτια | eye — eyes |
| το αυτί — τα αυτιά | ear — ears |
Keep the article with each word. All five dictionary pairs here use το, but that does not mean every Greek body word is neuter. Χέρι and πόδι have broader everyday uses than a single English label suggests. Use the sentence to decide which meaning fits rather than assuming one translation works everywhere.
A short scene
Η Άννα σηκώνει το δεξί χέρι. Ο Νίκος σηκώνει το αριστερό πόδι. Η Ελένη κλείνει τα μάτια. Μετά όλοι ανοίγουν τα μάτια.
Anna raises her right hand/arm. Nikos raises his left foot/leg. Eleni closes her eyes. Afterwards everyone opens their eyes. Δεξί means “right” and αριστερό means “left” in these phrases. The text does not specify an exact posture or which part of the raised limb is being emphasised.
Read carefully
- Who raises a hand/arm?
- Is Nikos’s raised foot/leg right or left?
- Does τα μάτια refer to one eye or eyes in the plural?
- Does the text say that Anna closes her eyes before Eleni?
Answers
1. Anna. 2. Left: το αριστερό πόδι. 3. Plural: eyes. 4. No. It says that Eleni closes her eyes; it does not describe Anna closing hers.
Change one detail
Rewrite Anna’s action using the left side: Η Άννα σηκώνει το αριστερό χέρι. Then change Nikos’s to the right: Ο Νίκος σηκώνει το δεξί πόδι. Keep the person, verb and body word in place. Only the side changes. Read the original and new sentences in alternating order so that you must notice the difference.
Check recall without guessing from order
Cover the Greek column and write the pair for head, then ear, then eye. Check το κεφάλι, το αυτί and το μάτι. Next try the two plurals from the table. Keep the written accents when copying. If you confuse a singular with a plural, mark that specific pair for another attempt rather than simply rereading the whole list.
Other ways to say the key phrases
- More body words: η μύτη (nose), το στόμα (mouth), τα μαλλιά (hair), το δάχτυλο (finger), η πλάτη (back), ο ώμος (shoulder).
- Σήκωσε το χέρι σου. — “Raise your hand”, to one friend; Σηκώστε το χέρι σας. — polite, or to a group.
- Κλείσε τα μάτια σου. — “Close your eyes”, informal; Κλείστε τα μάτια σας. — polite or plural.
- Πονάει το κεφάλι μου. or Με πονάει το κεφάλι. — “My head hurts”; both are everyday Greek.
Common mistakes
- Changing only the article in the plural: not τα χέρι but τα χέρια; not τα πόδι but τα πόδια.
- Guessing the article from English: it is το κεφάλι, not ο κεφάλι.
- Assuming every body word is neuter: η μύτη is feminine and ο ώμος is masculine.
- Putting the possessive first: not της χέρι but το χέρι της, as in Η Άννα σηκώνει το χέρι της. Often the article alone is enough, as in the scene.
FAQ
How do you say “hand” in Greek? το χέρι, plural τα χέρια. The same word often covers the whole arm; context tells you which.
How do you say “My head hurts” in Greek? Say Πονάει το κεφάλι μου. or Με πονάει το κεφάλι. Change the body word to talk about another part.
How do you say “right” and “left” in Greek? With neuter body words, use δεξί and αριστερό: το δεξί χέρι, το αριστερό πόδι.
Continue with the free A2 vocabulary lesson
The next exercise covers body vocabulary and language for saying that something hurts. It extends beyond this movement scene. Create an account to save progress, or review noun-and-article recall first.
Practise free A2 body vocabulary · Recall nouns with articles