Nouns Greek

Modern Greek Grammar
Konstantinos Athanasiou
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7. Nouns /
Nouns in Greek are declinable words and may be classified as masculine, feminine or neuter. Although the
determination of the grammatical gender of the Greek words is often arbitrary, the following rules may be
applied with the necessary caution: Names of male persons and male animals are masculine. Names of female
persons and female animals are feminine. Names of objects are usually neuter. However, notice that in some
cases names of persons and animals may be neuter as well and that names of visible and not-visible objects
may also be either masculine or feminine. Nouns usually belong to one gender but in some cases to two,
masculine and feminine, when for example they refer to professions: , (the lawyer).

Gender may be determined by the article preceding the nouns or by the ending of the nouns in the nominative
singular. For example all masculine nouns end in - (however notice that nouns ending in - are not per
definition masculine, for example: (the street) is feminine, (the state) is neuter), most
feminine nouns end in -, -, most neuter nouns in -, -.

Declension
Nouns in principle decline in all four cases in the singular and plural number as well. They usually retain the
same number of syllables in the plural as in the singular number. However, there are nouns whose plural is
formed with an additional syllable. These nouns are called imparisyllables . The stress mark
usually remains in the same position as in the nominative singular.

Nouns imported from other languages do not decline at all, for example: , , .

Greek nouns of each gender can be divided into groups according to their endings. Nouns of a certain group
with the same ending decline the same way.

The following tables exemplify the groups of the three genders. One noun of every group is being
representatively declined and as said above other nouns belonging to the same group decline the same way.
Any details and exceptions with the stress mark and the endings will be given under the tables.

7.1 Masculine nouns
-, - (the contest, game)
Case Singular Plural
nom
gen
acc
voc - -
1. Two-syllable nouns ending in - and those ending in - and - bear the stress mark on the last
syllable in the genitive plural, for example: (the man),
(the businessman), (the tourist)
2. Nouns ending in -, which are stressed on the third-to-last (third from the end) syllable in the
nominative singular, bear the stress mark on the second-to-last (second from the end) syllable in the
genitive plural, for example: (the neighbor)

-, - (the pupil)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -
Nouns ending in -, which are stressed on the second-to-last syllable in the nominative singular, bear the
stress mark on the last syllable in the genitive plural, for example: (the sailor)

-, - (the street, the way)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -
1. Proper names, which are stressed on the second-to-last syllable in the nominative singular as ,
, , etc, form the vocative with -, for example: , , ,
etc. Notice that proper name can either have - or -: , .
2. Three-syllable nouns ending in -, which are stressed on the third-to-last syllable in the nominative
singular, usually bear the stress mark on the second-to-last syllable in the genitive singular and the
genitive and accusative plural, for example: , ,
. However, this rule does not apply to nouns with more than three syllables, for example:
, , .

-, - (impar.) (the priest)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -
The nouns of this group bear the stress mark on the second-to-last syllable in all cases plurale. Attention:
-

-, - (impar.) (de greengrocer)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -
The nouns of this group bear the stress mark on the third-to-last syllable in all cases plural.

-, - / -, -
(impar.)
(the coffie)
(the grandfather)

nom
gen
acc
voc - -
The nouns of this group bear the stress mark on the second-to-last syllable in all cases plural.

7.1.1. Masculine nouns with an exceptional declension
-, - (the parent)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -
Attention: / ( genitive singular feminine: , / /
, , / )

Attention: There are more masculine nouns with an exceptional declension. See some of them below:
( , / , , )
( , / , , )
( , / , , )
( , / (plural in formal language) , , )
( , / , , )
( , / , , )
( , / , , )
( , / no plural)
/ ( / genitive singular feminine: , / / ,
, / )

Notice that some masculine nouns form the plural in a neuter gender form. Some others form the plural in a
masculine gender form and in a neuter gender form as well. In some cases there is a difference in meaning
between the masculine and the neuter gender form. See some examples below:
(no genitive plural)
(plural is seldom used)

- /
- /
- / (the tobacoo plant)
- /
- /

7.2 Feminine nouns
-, - (the see)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -
The nouns of this group bear the stress mark on the last syllable in the genitive plural, for example:
(the see), (the time), (the hart).

-, - (the soul)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -
The nouns of this group bear the stress mark on the last syllable in the genitive plural, for example:
(the victory). However, a large number of nouns ending in -, which are stressed on the second-to-last
syllable in the nominative singular, do not form the genitive plural. All nouns ending in -, which are stressed
on the third-to-last syllable in the nominative singular, do not form the genitive plural, for example: -
no genitive plural

-, - archaic declension
(, , -, -, -)
(the position)
nom
gen /
acc
voc - -
Archaic nouns ending in -, which are stressed on the third-to-last syllable in the nominative singular, bear the
stress mark on the second-to-last syllable in all cases plural but the genitive case. The genitive plural bears the
stress mark on the third-to-last syllable, for example: , , , -
(the power)

-, - archaic declension (the street)
nom
gen
acc
voc - (seldom) - (seldom)
Archaic nouns ending in -, which are stressed on the third-to-last syllable in the nominative singular, bear the
stress mark on the second-to-last syllable in the genitive singular and the genitive and accusative plural, for
example: , , ( the diameter).

-, - (impar.) (the grandmother)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -

-, - (impar.) (the fox)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -

- (proper name)
nom -
gen -
acc -
voc - -

Attention:
- (plural is formed in a neuter gender form)
/ ( , / , ,
)

7.3 Neuter nouns
-, - (the book)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -

-, - (the child)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -
The most neuter nouns ending in the vocal sound i are written with -. However, some nouns are written with -
: , , , , en . Attention: is written nevertheless with - in the genitive
singular and in all cases plural: , enz. The neuter nouns and follow an exceptional
declension pattern as you will see further.

-, - (the state)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -
The nouns of this group bear the stress mark on the last syllable in the genitive plural.

-, - (impar.) (the letter)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -
The nouns of this group take an extra syllable in the genitive singular and in all cases plural. The genitive plural
bears the stress mark on the second-to-last syllable.

- (-, -) -
(impar.)
(the painting)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -
The nouns of this group take an extra syllable in the genitive singular and in all cases plural. The genitive plural
bears the stress mark on the second-to-last syllable.

-, -
-, -
-, -
(impar.)
(the meat), (the monster)
(the fact)
(the regime), (the light)

nom
gen
acc
voc - -
These nouns take an extra syllable in the genitive singular and in all cases plural.

7.3.1 Neuter nouns with an exceptional declension
-, -
-, -
-, -
(impar.)
(the duty)
(the space)
(the vowel)

nom
gen
acc
voc - -
These nouns take an extra syllable in the genitive singular and in all cases plural. The genitive plural bears the
stress mark on the second-to-last syllable.

,
(impar.)
(the acid), (the spear)
nom
gen
acc
voc - -
These nouns take an extra syllable in the genitive singular and in all cases plural. The genitive plural bears the
stress mark on the second-to-last syllable.

Attention: There are more neuter nouns with an exceptional declension. See some of them below:
( , / , , )
( , / no plural, in some cases the plural of the word
may be used)
( , / , , )

Nouns Greek

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Modern Greek Grammar

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