Greek Words for Love: All 8 Types of Love, According to Ancient Greeks

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Plus, learn how to say “I love you” in Greek
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Did you ever wonder how many Greek words for love there are? It turns out ancient Greeks had no less than 8 words to define the different types of love! They range from spiritual love known as agápē to romantic love called éros. Others include philia (friendship) and storge (familial love). Keep reading to dive into all 8 Greek types of love, along with meanings, associations, and examples for each. You’ll also discover the 4 Greek words for love used in the Bible , as well as how to say “I love you” in Greek .

The 8 Greek Types of Love

  1. Agápē (ἀγάπη) : Spiritual love
  2. Éros (ἔρως) : Romantic love
  3. Philia (φιλία) : Love for friends
  4. Storge (στοργή) : Familial love
  5. Mania (μανία) : Obsessive love
  6. Ludus (ερωτοτροπία) : Playful love
  7. Pragma (πρᾶγμα) : Enduring love
  8. Philautia (φιλαυτία) : Self love
Section 1 of 3:

8 Greek Types of Love

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  1. Agápē is an all-encompassing love for everyone you meet. As the highest form of love, it’s often linked to a spiritual love for humanity or a love of God. [1] Agápē is considered a sacrificial love that is unconcerned with ego or self-interest. It appears as “carnitas” in Latin, which is the root of the word “charity.” [2]
    • Examples of agápē: Fighting for a humanitarian cause, being an animal lover, or believing in environmental reform all count towards the spiritual, humanistic love found within agápē.
    • How to celebrate agápē: Volunteer at a homeless shelter and offer to help feed people in need, or take care of stray animals in your neighborhood. You can also celebrate agápē by being kind to strangers or simply helping someone with an errand.
  2. 2
    Éros (ἔρως) Éros describes the physical love and sexual desire of a romantic relationship. It’s also linked to ideas like lust and pleasure that can result in a loss of control due to primal urges. The Greek word is the root of the modern word “erotic,” and it’s associated with Éros, the Greek god of carnal non-platonic love and fertility. [3]
    • Examples of éros: The characters of Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare’s play are examples of 2 lovers who are experiencing éros. [4]
    • How to celebrate éros: Nurture your romantic side by taking part in fun date nights, writing love letters, being affectionate, and giving romantic gifts to your partner or crush. [5]
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  3. 3
    Philia (φιλία) Philia is associated with the non-physical love found in a true friendship. It still focuses on affectionate love between friends, along with acts of kindness and goodwill. The Greek philosopher Plato believed in the idea of love without physical attraction, which is where the term “platonic” comes from. [6]
    • Philia is associated with the Greek daimon or supernatural being named Philotes, who embodied both friendship and affection.
    • Examples of philia: You can experience philia with your good friends, favorite work colleagues, or family members you’re close to. Philia is also present in a mentor-mentee relationship because it involves respect and love between two people.
    • How to celebrate philia: Honor the concept of philia by being there for your friends. Practice active listening, show them support, and cherish all the good memories you share.
    • Xenia falls under philia, because it speaks to a “guest friendship” or “hospitality.” The idea includes treating guests in your home (whether strangers or not) as good friends by sheltering them, feeding them, and showing hospitality. [7]
  4. 4
    Storge (στοργή) Storge is focused on love between family members, especially the love shared between a parent and child. Though storge and philia are sometimes thought of as similar types of love , storge is considered to be a more unconditional type of love than philia. It comes from the Proto-European “-sterg,” meaning “to cover or protect.” Storage can also refer to a love for one’s country. [8]
    • Examples of storge: Storge includes kind acts between family members like doing chores for your parents, taking your child to their extracurricular activities, or calling your grandparents to see how they’re doing.
    • How to celebrate storge: Send a care package to a family member, call up your sibling when you haven’t spoken to them in a while, or make a family keepsake album to give out at a family reunion.
  5. 5
    Mania (μανία) Mania is an extreme example of love that becomes overly obsessive. It relates to the ancient Greek idea of being driven mad by love. In Greek mythology, Mania is the personification of madness, insanity, and frenzy. [9] The word “mania” is also the root for the modern idea of being “manic.” [10]
    • Examples of mania: If you’re experiencing mania, you might constantly check your significant other’s phone or social media accounts, show jealousy or insecurity if they’re not always in touch, or get angry whenever they spend time with other people. [11]
    • How to celebrate mania: Unlike the other types of Greek love, mania is something you might want to avoid instead of celebrate. If you do experience mania, it’s best to keep it focused on harmless “loves” like your favorite musical artist, movie, or series.
  6. 6
    Ludus (ερωτοτροπία) Ludus is also known as playful love and is sometimes referred to as erotoropia. Flirting is a sign of ludus, as is being in a non-committal relationship. When you feel ludus, your heart may beat wildly in your chest, you could have butterflies in your stomach, or feel generally “high on life.” [12]
    • Examples of ludus: Young lovers may experience ludus when they’re in a casual relationship, as would someone who has a lighthearted crush on another person.
    • How to celebrate ludus: Connect to your sense of ludus by keeping feelings you have about someone else light and fun. Have a good time playfully teasing them without becoming overly concerned about where the relationship is going. You can bring ludus into your committed relationship as well by doing things together that bring only joy.
  7. 7
    Pragma (πρᾶγμα) Pragma represents enduring love that is based on commitment. It shows the kind of patience and tolerance that successful long-term relationships have. A relationship that is built on pragma prioritizes shared interests, along with a sense of duty and what is best for the couple as a whole. When writing in the Greek alphabet , the word pragma is the basis for the word “pragmatic.” [13]
    • Examples of pragma: Couples in long-term relationships or marriages who still show affection, respect, and loyalty to one another are good illustrations of the Greek love pragma.
    • How to celebrate pragma: Use pragma by making quality time with your romantic partner, showing them support when they need it, and taking on tasks that help them with everyday challenges.
  8. 8
    Philautia (φιλαυτία) Philautia is the Greek concept of self-love. It connects to the idea that you aren’t able to love someone else until you can truly love yourself. It’s about finding the self-confidence to grow as a person in your relationships with others. An extreme version of philautia can be seen in the Greek myth about Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection. Philautia is composed of the Greek “philéō,” meaning "I love", and “autós,” meaning "self.” [14]
    • Examples of philautia: You can exhibit positive qualities of philautia by having a good self-image, feeling comfortable in your own skin, and taking pride in your accomplishments.
    • How to celebrate philautia: Embrace philautia by making positive affirmations like “I feel good about myself and who I am.” You can also practice mindfulness or meditation, which helps you feel closer to yourself.
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Section 2 of 3:

Greek Words for Love in the Bible

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  1. 1
    Agápē appears in several verses of the New Testament. It describes the qualities of patience, kindness, and the ability to bear all things that agápē symbolizes. Within Christianity, it’s considered a good example of selflessness and sacrifice, often associated with biblical stories. Some Bible verses about agápē follow: [15]
    • “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” — John 13:34
    • “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” — 1 Corinthians 13
    • “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16
    • “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8
    • “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” — 1 John 4:8
  2. 2
    Phileo is associated with friendship in the Bible. It sometimes appears as the Greek word “philo,” meaning friend. There are 9 instances of phileo in the biblical Book of Proverbs found within the Greek translation of the Bible, called the Septuagint. It’s used to illustrate the concepts of friendly love and affection within Christianity. [16]
    • Philio is found in the following passage from James 4:4: “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
  3. 3
    Storge is mainly referenced as “astorgos,” or the lack of familial love. Storge itself doesn’t appear in the Bible, but concepts of love for one’s family do exist throughout. Also, “astorgos” and “philostorgos” both appear as examples of what happens when biblical figures lack affection and love for their family. [17]
    • “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” — Romans 12:10
    • “They have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.”— Romans 1:31
    • “Without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good.” — 2 Timothy 3:3
  4. 4
    Éros is a symbol of love and marriage in the Song of Solomon. Though marriage appears throughout the Song of Solomon, éros doesn’t appear directly in any biblical verse. The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) includes different forms of éros in the Book of Proverbs. The following biblical passages also talk about eros as it applies to marriage: [18]
    • “Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” — 1 Corinthians 7:5
    • “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” — Hebrews 13:4
  5. 5
    The New Testament of the Bible was written in Greek. It was written in Greek and not Aramaic or Hebrew, so the message of the Bible could better reach a far-reaching gentile (non-Jewish) audience. At that time, Greek was the most known spoken and written language in the Mediterranean world; today, learning ancient Greek is a task that could still prove very fulfilling. Some believe that Jesus Christ sometimes spoke Greek when he used the words agápē and phileo in the Bible. [19]
  6. 6
    The 4 biblical Greek words for love appear in C.S. Lewis’ The 4 Loves . The book speaks about storge in the form of affection and philia as found in friendship. He also focuses on éros as romantic love and agápē through the act of charity. The 1960 novel explores the nature of love using both a Christian and a philosophical lens. [20]
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Section 3 of 3:

Greek Words for “I Love You”

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  1. Means “I love you” in Greek and is the most common way to express love in Greek for someone else. It’s also among the most direct ways to say I love you in Greek. [21]
    • Greek: Σ' αγαπώ
    • Pronunciation: Seh-ah-GAA-Poh
  2. 2
    Siménis tósa polá ya ména Means “You mean so much to me” in Greek and is considered less common. You might say this phrase to show how important someone else is to you. You can use it in both a romantic and platonic relationship. [22]
    • Greek: Σημαίνεις τόσα πολλά για μένα
    • Pronunciation: See-MAH-nees TOH-so poh-LAH gee-AH MAH-nah
  3. 3
    I léxis den borún na perigrápsun tin agápi mu ya séna Means “Words can’t describe my love for you in Greek. It’s considered the most romantic way to tell someone you love them, but not always the most direct. [23]
    • Greek: Οι λέξεις δεν μπορούν να περιγράψουν την αγάπη μου για σένα.
    • Pronunciation: Eh-LEHK-sis-Den boh-ROHN-na Peh-ri-GRAPS-om-TEEN Ah-GAA-pi mou Gah-SEH-naa
  4. Means “Will you be my Valentine?” in Greek. It’s a great way to show love and express your feelings around Valentine’s Day. You can ask your partner, a crush, or someone you’re interested in romantically. [24]
    • Greek: Θες να γίνεις ο Βαλεντίνος μου
    • Pronunciation: Thes-naa-YEE-nees oh Vah-lehn-TEE-nohs moo
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      References

      1. ↑ https://parade.com/1274015/charli-moore/greek-words-for-love/
      2. ↑ https://bigthink.com/thinking/types-of-love-words/
      3. ↑ https://parade.com/1274015/charli-moore/greek-words-for-love/
      4. ↑ https://vicblogs.com/blog/life-lessons/seven-types-of-love-greek/
      5. ↑ https://www.marriage.com/advice/relationship/nurture-eros-love/
      6. ↑ https://greekcitytimes.com/2020/02/14/the-8-ancient-greek-words-for-love/
      7. ↑ https://www.thegreekvibe.com/the-laws-of-xenia-greeces-famous-hospitality/https://www.thegreekvibe.com/the-laws-of-xenia-greeces-famous-hospitality/
      8. ↑ https://greekcitytimes.com/2020/02/14/the-8-ancient-greek-words-for-love/
      9. ↑ https://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Maniai.html
      1. ↑ https://parade.com/1274015/charli-moore/greek-words-for-love/
      2. ↑ https://psychcentral.com/relationships/mania-love#
      3. ↑ https://vicblogs.com/blog/life-lessons/seven-types-of-love-greek/
      4. ↑ https://vicblogs.com/blog/life-lessons/seven-types-of-love-greek/
      5. ↑ https://parade.com/1274015/charli-moore/greek-words-for-love/
      6. ↑ https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-are-the-four-greek-words-for-love-in-the-bible.html
      7. ↑ https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-are-the-four-greek-words-for-love-in-the-bible.html
      8. ↑ https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-are-the-four-greek-words-for-love-in-the-bible.html
      9. ↑ https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-are-the-four-greek-words-for-love-in-the-bible.html
      10. ↑ https://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/why-is-new-testament-written-greek.html#google_vignette
      11. ↑ https://www.cslewis.com/four-types-of-love/
      12. ↑ https://youtu.be/XmTv-Mgz1_I?si=p8ubAalC1AJTx3nD&t=22
      13. ↑ https://youtu.be/XmTv-Mgz1_I?si=W7vqnX8gR1p-xYXQ&t=44
      14. ↑ https://youtu.be/XmTv-Mgz1_I?si=oSLafGz3L6-vfCB6&t=65
      15. ↑ https://youtu.be/XmTv-Mgz1_I?si=3IsEVHMwXgkonBNj&t=102

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