Learn Greek › B1 › ντο
ντο
C (the musical note); "do" in solfège /ˈnto/
nounB1#1225 most common
Also: do (solfège syllable), the key of C (in phrases like "ντο μείζονα", C major)
Example sentences
Το ντο είναι μια νότα.
Do is a note.
Παίξε ένα ντο στο πιάνο.
Play a C on the piano.
Η κλίμακα ντο μείζονα δεν έχει διέσεις.
The C major scale has no sharps.
Ο δάσκαλος μάς έμαθε να τραγουδάμε ντο, ρε, μι, φα, σολ, λα, σι.
The teacher taught us to sing do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti.
Το κομμάτι ξεκινάει σε ντο ελάσσονα και μεταφέρεται σε σολ μείζονα.
The piece starts in C minor and modulates to G major.
Ο συνθέτης επέλεξε το ντο ως θεμέλιο λίθο της συμφωνίας, χτίζοντας γύρω του μια πολύπλοκη αρμονική δομή.
The composer chose C as the cornerstone of the symphony, building a complex harmonic structure around it.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ντο | ντο |
| Genitive | ντο | ντο |
| Accusative | ντο | ντο |
| Vocative | ντο | ντο |
Word family
Etymology
Greek "ντο" is a direct borrowing of the Italian solfège syllable "do", part of the do-re-mi system devised for teaching sight-singing. The syllable itself was coined in the 17th century by the theorist Giovanni Battista Doni, who replaced the older "ut" with "do", likely drawn from his own surname or from "Dominus" (Lord). Greek spells the sound with "ντ" because the single letter δ already represents the "th" sound, not "d". It entered Greek through Italian and French musical education rather than through inherited vocabulary.
Learn Greek the way that sticks.
Every word here is a full Polylex card with native audio and spaced repetition, so 3,509 words actually move into long-term memory.
Start free
Every word here is a full Polylex card with native audio and spaced repetition, so 3,509 words actually move into long-term memory.
Start free