1. The three genders
Every Greek noun has a grammatical gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter. The word for “the” shows the gender:
- ο for masculine nouns.
- η for feminine nouns.
- το for neuter nouns.
Learn each noun together with its article.
| Gender | Greek | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | ο φίλος | the friend (male) |
| Masculine | ο σκύλος | the dog |
| Masculine | ο δρόμος | the road |
| Feminine | η φίλη | the friend (female) |
| Feminine | η γάτα | the cat |
| Feminine | η πόρτα | the door |
| Neuter | το βιβλίο | the book |
| Neuter | το σπίτι | the house |
| Neuter | το παιδί | the child |
Gender is a feature of the word, not necessarily the sex of the person or animal. For example, το κορίτσι (the girl) is grammatically neuter.
2. Clues in the endings
Some common singular endings can help you recognise gender:
| Gender | Common endings | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | -ος | ο σκύλος |
| Feminine | -α, -η | η γάτα, η φίλη |
| Neuter | -ο, -ι | το βιβλίο, το σπίτι |
These are clues, not rules for every noun. The article is your guide: learn το βιβλίο, rather than βιβλίο alone.
3. Practice exercises
Translate into Greek, including the article.
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The dog.
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The cat.
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The book.
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The male friend.
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The female friend.
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The door.
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The house.
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The child.
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The road.
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The book and the house. (Use και for “and.”)
Show answers
- Ο σκύλος.
- Η γάτα.
- Το βιβλίο.
- Ο φίλος.
- Η φίλη.
- Η πόρτα.
- Το σπίτι.
- Το παιδί.
- Ο δρόμος.
- Το βιβλίο και το σπίτι.