Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/Adjectives-and-adverbs

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Modern GreekGrammar → Adjectives and adverbs

As a beginner in learning Modern Greek, it is important to have a good understanding of adjectives and adverbs. These two types of words will allow you to describe people, places, things, and actions. They will also help you to communicate more effectively in everyday conversations. In this lesson, we will cover the basics of adjectives and adverbs in Greek.

Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Basic spelling rules & Present Tense.

Adjectives[edit | edit source]

Adjectives are words used to describe or modify a noun or pronoun. In Greek grammar, adjectives must agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun they are describing. There are three genders in Greek: masculine, feminine, and neuter. The same rules also apply to pronouns, which are words used in place of a noun, like "he" or "she."

Examples[edit | edit source]

Here are some examples of adjectives in Greek:

Modern Greek (1453-) Pronunciation English
όμορφος (male) ómorfos beautiful (masculine)
όμορφη (female) ómorfi beautiful (feminine)
όμορφο (neuter) ómorfo beautiful (neuter)

In these examples, you can see how the adjective form changes based on the gender of the noun it is describing. "όμορφος" is the masculine form, "όμορφη" is the feminine form, and "όμορφο" is the neuter form.

Placement[edit | edit source]

In Greek, the adjective is usually placed before the noun it is describing. For example, "the big house" in Greek would be "το μεγάλο σπίτι" (to megaló spíti). You can see that "μεγάλο" (megaló) comes before "σπίτι" (spíti). However, there are some cases where the adjective comes after the noun, especially when it is used to emphasize a particular quality,or for emphasis!

Comparison of Adjectives[edit | edit source]

In Greek, adjectives can be in three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative. The comparative degree is used to compare two things, while the superlative degree is used to compare one thing to all others in a set.

Here are some examples:

  • Positive: καλός (kalós) = good
  • Comparative: καλύτερος (kalýteros) = better
  • Superlative:κάλλιστος,-η,-ο (best)
  • absolute superlative : άριστος,-η,-ο (excellent)

Adverbs[edit | edit source]

Greek adverbs are part of speech and indicate place, time, manner, etc. Generally they're words that modify any part of language other than a noun. Adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives (including numbers), clauses, sentences and other adverbs and they answer questions like : «πώς», «πότε», «πού» και «σε ποιο βαθμό» «εδώ», ("how," "when," "where," and "to what extent" "here"..)

Examples[edit | edit source]

Here are some examples of adverbs in Greek:

  • καλά (kalá) = well
  • γρήγορα (grígοra) = quickly
  • αργά (argá) = slowly

Comparative and Superlative Adverbs[edit | edit source]

Adverbs formed from adjectives of the vowel declension add -ως to the stem, the last vowel of which is lengthened, and have the accent of the genitive plural neuter (i.e. δικαίως, κακώς).

Adverbs formed from adjectives of the consonant declension add ως to the stem, which takes the same form as before ων in the genitive plural neuter.

The adverb is contracted when the genitive plural is contracted and has its accent (i.e. ασφαλής(ad.): safe , ασφαλώς(ad.):surely, ισχυρός(ad.): powerful/ ισχυρώς (ad.): strongly).

Conclusion[edit | edit source]

Understanding adjectives and adverbs is essential to building your vocabulary and becoming proficient in Greek grammar. With practice, you will be able to use adjectives and adverbs more naturally in your conversations.


Well done on mastering this lesson! Don't miss these related pages to expand your knowledge: 0 to A1 Course & Sentense Structure.


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