Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/Modern-Greek-Nouns---Endings
Greek nouns change their endings according to gender, case, and number, while retaining the root of the noun unchanged.
Even proper names are preceded by articles:
ο Γιώργος (George); η Μαρία (Mary); το Λονδίνο (London).
As a rule, definite articles always appear before a noun.
Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson:Verb To Be, The predicate, Pronunciation rules & The cases in Modern Greek.
Masculine Noun Patterns[edit | edit source]
| Masculine ending | Example |
|---|---|
| -ος | κόσμος (people, cosmos) |
| -ης | πελάτης (client) |
| -ας / -ες (plural) | κανόνας (rule) |
| -ας / -αδες (plural) | μπαμπάς (dad) |
| -ης / -ηδες (plural) | μπακάλης (grocer) |
| -ες | καφές (coffee) |
| -έας / -είς (plural) | γραμματέας (secretary) |
| -ους / -οι (plural) | νους (mind) |
| -ους / -ουδες (plural) | παππούς (grandpa) |
| -ης / -εις (plural) | λάτρης (fan, lover) |
| -υς | πέλεκυς (axe) |
| -ωρ | μέντωρ (mentor) |
| -ων | Πλάτων (Plato) |
| -ας / -ηδες (plural) | αέρας (air, wind) |
| -ης / -ητες (plural) | γόης (charmer) |
Feminine Noun Patterns[edit | edit source]
| Feminine ending | Example |
|---|---|
| -α / -ες (nom. plural), -ών (gen. plural) | ώρα (hour) |
| -α / -ες (nom. plural), -ων (gen. plural) | αγελάδα (cow) |
| -η / -ες (plural) | αγάπη (love) |
| -η / -εις (plural) | πόλη (city) |
| -ος | μέθοδος (method) |
| -ου | αλεπού (fox) |
| -έας / -είς (plural) | γραμματέας (secretary) |
| -ίας / -ίες (plural) | ταμίας (cashier) |
| -ω / ( no plural) | πειθώ (convince) |
Neuter Noun Patterns[edit | edit source]
| Neuter ending | Example |
|---|---|
| -ι | σπίτι (house, home) |
| -ο | βιβλίο (book) |
| -α | πρόβλημα (problem) |
| -ος / -ους (genitive) | τέλος (end) |
| -ός / -ότος (genitive) | γεγονός (fact) |
| -υ / -ιου (genitive) | βράδυ (evening) |
| -υ / -ατος (genitive) | δόρυ (spear) |
| -ας | κρέας (meat) |
| -ως | φως (light) |
| -ον / -ου (genitive) | μέσον (meson [phys.], medium) |
| -ον / -οντος (genitive) | προσόν (qualification, ability) |
| -εν / -εντος (genitive) | φωνήεν (vowel) |
| -αν / -αντος (genitive) | σύμπαν (universe) |
| -α / -ακτος (genitive) | γάλα (milk) |
Some rules that might facilitate learning these patterns:
In neuter nouns, the nominative, accusative, and vocative cases are identical in each number. Only the genitive case differs!
The vocative case is identical to the accusative in the singular, and to the nominative in the plural. There is only one exception, a single case where the vocative has its own unique ending: the first masculine pattern (-ος) in the singular (vocative ending: -ε).
A note on the stress of the genitive plural: most patterns for nouns which do not already have the stress on the last syllable in the nominative case, make the stress “descend” by one syllable in the genitive of the plural.
Author[edit source]
- Ευγενική χορηγία που στοχεύει να βοηθήσει μαθητές ή μη, απανταχού της Γης, που επιδίδονται στην εκμάθηση της ελληνικής γλώσσας!
- Contribution bénévole visant à aider les personnes, partout dans le monde, qui sont engagées dans l'apprentissage de la langue grecque !
- Voluntary contribution aimed at helping people, all over the world, who are committed to learning the Greek language!
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Punctuation
- The final v
- Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives
- Paronyms and Homonyms
- Discours direct indirect
- Particles
- Word Accentuation
- Words written with γγ or γκ
- Words with 2 accents
- Pronouns