How to Use Greek Adjectives: Agreement and Placement Explained

Understanding Greek Adjectives: Basics for English Speakers

Greek adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns, similar to English. However, unlike English, Greek adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. This means that the ending of the adjective changes depending on the noun it modifies.

Gender Agreement in Greek Adjectives

Greek nouns have three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. For example, the adjective meaning "good" changes as follows:

Number Agreement: Singular and Plural

Adjectives also change to agree with the number of the noun. For example, the plural forms of "good" are:

Case Agreement in Greek Adjectives

Greek has four main cases: nominative, genitive, accusative, and vocative. Adjectives change their endings to match the case of the noun they modify. This affects the role the noun plays in the sentence (subject, possession, object, or direct address). For example, the masculine singular forms of "good" in different cases are:

• Nominative: καλός (subject)
• Genitive: καλού (possession)
• Accusative: καλό (object)
• Vocative: καλέ (direct address)

Placement of Adjectives in Greek Sentences

In Greek, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe, unlike English where adjectives typically come before the noun. For example:

το σπίτι μεγάλο means "the big house" (literally "the house big").

However, adjectives can sometimes come before the noun for emphasis or stylistic reasons.

Examples of Adjective Placement

• ο άντρας ψηλός – the tall man
• η γυναίκα όμορφη – the beautiful woman
• το παιδί καλό – the good child

Summary: Key Points to Remember

1. Greek adjectives agree with nouns in gender, number, and case.
2. Adjectives usually follow the noun in Greek sentences.
3. Adjective endings change depending on the grammatical case.
4. Practice with examples helps internalize adjective agreement and placement.