Όχι.

no

Questions & Answers about Όχι.

How do you pronounce Όχι?

IPA: [ˈoçi], stress on the first syllable. Roughly “OH-hee,” but the h-sound is stronger than English h.

• ό = like Spanish/Italian “o.”
• χ = a fricative, not English “ch.” Before ι it’s the softer German ich-sound [ç]. It is never “ok-see.”

Why is there an accent on the first letter?

Greek marks the stressed syllable with a tonos (´). ό-χι has two syllables and the stress is on the first, so it’s written όχι. At the start of a sentence it’s capitalized: Όχι.

Do I keep the accent when it’s capitalized?

• Sentence case: Όχι (keep the accent).
• All caps (e.g., on signs): ΟΧΙ. In full uppercase, the accent is usually omitted in modern practice.

I’ve seen “OXI” or “ochi” in Latin letters. Which is right?

Both appear. “Ochi” is a clearer learner transliteration because χ is not the English “x.” Greeks often write “oxi” informally in Latin script. Pronunciation is the same: [ˈoçi].

Is it wrong to write οχι (without the accent) in lowercase?

Yes. In standard modern Greek, all polysyllabic words must show the stress mark in lowercase. Write , not .