Greek words for love - wikipedia Greek words for love This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. ( April 2014 ) Part of a series on Love Types of love Affection Bonding Broken heart Compassionate love Conjugal love Courtly love courtship troubadours Falling in love Free love Friendship romantic Interpersonal relationship Intimacy Limerence Love addiction Love at first sight Love triangle Loving - kindness Lovesickness Lovestruck Obsessive love Passion Platonic love Puppy love Relationship Romance Self - love Amour de soi Unconditional love Unrequited love Cultural views Chinese Ren Greek words for love Agape Eros Philia Storge Xenia Indian Kama Bhakti Mettā Islamic Ishq Jewish Chesed Latin Amore Charity Related Biological basis Love letter Valentine 's Day Philosophy Religious views The Greek language distinguishes at least four different ways as to how the word love is used. Ancient Greek has four distinct words for love : agápe, éros, philía, and storgē. However, as with other languages, it has been difficult to separate the meanings of these words when used outside their respective contexts. Nonetheless, the senses in which these words were generally used are as follows : Agápe ( ἀγάπη agápē ) means `` love : esp. charity ; the love of God for man and of man for God. '' Agape is used in ancient texts to denote feelings for one 's children and the feelings for a spouse, and it was also used to refer to a love feast. Agape is used by Christians to express the unconditional love of God for his children. This type of love was further explained by Thomas Aquinas as `` to will the good of another. '' Éros ( ἔρως érōs ) means `` love, mostly of the sexual passion. '' The Modern Greek word `` erotas '' means `` intimate love ''. Plato refined his own definition : Although eros is initially felt for a person, with contemplation it becomes an appreciation of the beauty within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself. Plato does not talk of physical attraction as a necessary part of love, hence the use of the word platonic to mean, `` without physical attraction ''. In the Symposium, the most famous ancient work on the subject, Plato has Socrates argue that eros helps the soul recall knowledge of beauty, and contributes to an understanding of spiritual truth, the ideal `` Form '' of youthful beauty that leads us humans to feel erotic desire -- thus suggesting that even that sensually based love aspires to the non-corporeal, spiritual plane of existence ; that is, finding its truth, just like finding any truth, leads to transcendence. Lovers and philosophers are all inspired to seek truth through the means of eros. Philia ( φιλία philía ) means `` affectionate regard, friendship '', usually `` between equals ''. It is a dispassionate virtuous love, a concept developed by Aristotle. In his best - known work on ethics, Nicomachean Ethics, philia is expressed variously as loyalty to friends ( specifically, `` brotherly love '' ), family, and community, and requires virtue, equality, and familiarity. Furthermore, in the same text philos denotes a general type of love, used for love between family, between friends, a desire or enjoyment of an activity, as well as between lovers. Storge ( στοργή storgē ) means `` love, affection '' and `` especially of parents and children ''. It is the common or natural empathy, like that felt by parents for offspring. Rarely used in ancient works, and then almost exclusively as a descriptor of relationships within the family. It is also known to express mere acceptance or putting up with situations, as in `` loving '' the tyrant. This is also used when referencing the love for one 's country or a favorite sports team. See also Diotima of Mantinea Greek love Intellectual virtue -- Greek words for knowledge Love styles Restoration of Peter The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis References Jump up ^ ἀγάπη, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek - English Lexicon, on Perseus Jump up ^ H.G. Liddell ; Robert Scott ( October 2010 ). An Intermediate Greek - English Lexicon : Founded Upon the Seventh Edition of Liddell and Scott 's Greek - English Lexicon. Benediction Classics. p. 4. ISBN 978 - 1 - 84902 - 626 - 0. Jump up ^ `` Greek Lexicon ''. GreekBible.com. The Online Greek Bible. Retrieved 24 August 2014. Jump up ^ Romans 5 : 5, 5 : 8 Jump up ^ `` St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I - II, 26, 4, corp. art ''. Newadvent.org. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 30. Jump up ^ ἔρως, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek - English Lexicon, on Perseus Jump up ^ translated from the Greek by Walter Hamilton, Plato ( 1973 ). The Symposium ( Repr. ed. ). Harmondsworth, Eng. : Penguin. ISBN 9780140440249. Jump up ^ φιλία, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek - English Lexicon, on Perseus Jump up ^ `` Philosophy of Love ( Philia ) ''. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved 24 August 2014. Jump up ^ στοργή, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek - English Lexicon, on Perseus Jump up ^ Strong B, Yarber WL, Sayad BW, Devault C ( 2008 ). Human sexuality : diversity in contemporary America ( 6th ed. ). New York : McGraw - Hill. p. 228. ISBN 978 - 0 - 07 - 312911 - 2. English - to - Greek word search results for love, on Perseus Greek phrases for love The Ancient Greeks ' 6 Words for Love Definitions Greek language Origin and genealogy Proto - Greek Pre-Greek substrate Graeco - Armenian Graeco - Aryan Graeco - Phrygian Hellenic languages Periods Mycenaean Greek ( c. 1600 -- 1100 BC ) Ancient Greek ( c. 800 -- 300 BC ) Koine Greek ( c. 300 BC -- AD 330 ) Medieval Greek ( c. 330 -- 1453 ) Modern Greek ( since 1453 ) Varieties Ancient Aeolic Arcadocypriot Attic and Ionic Doric Homeric Locrian Pamphylian Macedonian Koine Jewish Koine Greek Modern Cappadocian Misthiotika Cretan Cypriot Demotic Himariote Italiot Greco / Calabrian Griko / Apulian Katharevousa Maniot Mariupolitan Pontic Tsakonian Yevanic Phonology Ancient ( accent / teaching ) Koine Standard Modern Grammar Ancient Koine Standard Modern Writing systems Cypriot syllabary Linear B Greek alphabet History Archaic forms Attic numerals Greek numerals Orthography Diacritics Braille Cyrillization and Romanization Greeklish Literature Ancient Byzantine Modern Promotion and study Hellenic Foundation for Culture Center for the Greek Language Other Exonyms Morphemes in English Terms of endearment Place names Proverbs Greek language question The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis Greek words for love : Agape Storgē Philia Eros Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Greek_words_for_love&oldid=852869048 '' Categories : Greek words and phrases Love Modern Greek words and phrases Hidden categories : Articles that may contain original research from April 2014 All articles that may contain original research Articles containing French - language text Articles containing Chinese - language text Articles containing Ancient Greek - language text Articles containing Sanskrit - language text Articles containing Arabic - language text Articles containing Hebrew - language text Articles containing Latin - language text Talk About Wikipedia Français ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Português Română Edit links This page was last edited on 31 July 2018, at 22 : 42 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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Question: what are the words for love in greek
Answer: agápe