Three genders — masculine (ο), feminine (η), neuter (το)
Can identify noun gender by article and ending
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Ο φίλος μου είναι Έλληνας.
My friend is Greek.
Η ζωή είναι ωραία.
Life is beautiful.
Το παιδί παίζει.
The child plays.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Every Greek noun has one of three genders, shown by the definite article: ο (masc.), η (fem.), το (neut.).
| Gender | Article | Typical endings | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | ο | -ος, -ης, -ας | ο φίλος, ο μαθητής, ο άντρας |
| Feminine | η | -α, -η, -ος | η γυναίκα, η ζωή, η οδός |
| Neuter | το | -ο, -ι, -μα | το βιβλίο, το παιδί, το όνομα |
Always learn nouns with their article!
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesEnglish has no grammatical gender — you must memorize ο/η/το for every noun. Endings help but aren't 100% reliable (η οδός is feminine despite -ος).
Ο φίλος μου είναι Έλληνας.
My friend is Greek.
ο φίλος — masculine (-ος ending, ο article)
Η ζωή είναι ωραία.
Life is beautiful.
η ζωή — feminine (-η ending, η article)
Το παιδί παίζει.
The child plays.
το παιδί — neuter (-ί ending, το article)
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises