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Glite Dictionary
Greek capital

Greek capital

2.4
The main city of Greece, Athens, is famous for ancient ruins and lively culture
  • noun
translation icon : capital griega

Examples

  • Following the Greek defeat of the Italians in Albania, Hitler counterattacked... ... and the German army has driven a path through to the Greek capital of Athens.

    Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)

  • Athens is the Greek capital, known for its rich history and stunning architecture.

  • After a long day of sightseeing, we finally reached our hotel in the Greek capital.

  • Many tourists flock to the Greek capital each summer to explore its ancient ruins.

Synonyms

capital
vsGreek capital
604 2.7

The city where a country's government works

names the specific national seat for that country rather than a general term
Athens
vsGreek capital
112 2.2

A city in Greece that is the capital and is famous for ancient ruins

emphasizes being named after a goddess rather than its historic fame

Surface Forms

Greek capital singular
Greek capitals plural

Morphology

Greek + capital

The meaning 'the capital city of Greece' is directly and compositionally derived from 'Greek' (pertaining to Greece) + 'capital' (the city where a nation's government sits). This adjective+noun pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Greek capital refers to Athens. One popular story says the city was named after the goddess Athena, who won a contest by giving the people an olive tree, so the city took her name and became the Greek capital.