Noun Endings by Gender
A noun’s nominative-singular ending is a strong clue to its gender: masculine nouns often end in -ος (δάσκαλος), feminine in -α or -η (πόρτα), and neuter in -ο, -ι, or -μα (νερό, σπίτι). Learning the ending teaches you both the gender and the way the noun will decline.
The rule
A noun's nominative-singular ending is a strong gender clue and tells you how it will decline. Masculine -ος (δάσκαλος), feminine -α / -η (πόρτα), neuter -ο / -ι / -μα (νερό, σπίτι). Watch the stress shifts inside a paradigm: the masculine δάσκαλος moves its stress to the penult in the genitive (δασκάλου) and in the accusative/genitive plural (δασκάλους, δασκάλων); the feminine πόρτα shifts to the ending only in the genitive plural (πορτών).
Paradigm
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | δάσκαλος | δάσκαλοι |
| Accusative | δάσκαλο | δασκάλους† |
| Genitive | δασκάλου† | δασκάλων† |
| Vocative | δάσκαλε† | δάσκαλοι† |
- Stress shifts to the penult (-άλους) in the accusative plural.
- Stress shifts to the penult (-άλου) in the genitive.
- Stress shifts to the penult (-άλων) in the genitive plural.
- Masculine -ος nouns take a distinct vocative singular in -ε (δάσκαλος → δάσκαλε).
- The vocative plural equals the nominative plural.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | πατέρας | πατέρες |
| Accusative | πατέρα | πατέρες |
| Genitive | πατέρα | πατέρων |
| Vocative | πατέρα† | πατέρες† |
- Masculine -ας nouns drop the -ς for the vocative singular (πατέρας → πατέρα).
- The vocative plural equals the nominative plural.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | μαθητής | μαθητές |
| Accusative | μαθητή | μαθητές |
| Genitive | μαθητή | μαθητών |
| Vocative | μαθητή† | μαθητές† |
- Masculine -ης nouns drop the -ς for the vocative singular (μαθητής → μαθητή).
- The vocative plural equals the nominative plural.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | πόρτα | πόρτες |
| Accusative | πόρτα | πόρτες |
| Genitive | πόρτας | πορτών† |
| Vocative | — | — |
- Stress shifts to the ending (-ών) in the genitive plural.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | πόλη | πόλεις† |
| Accusative | πόλη | πόλεις† |
| Genitive | πόλης | πόλεων† |
| Vocative | πόλη† | πόλεις† |
- Nouns of the πόλη class form the plural in -εις, not the ordinary -ες (πόλη → πόλεις) - a survival of the ancient σ-stem declension.
- The genitive plural is -εων (πόλεων); the stress stays fixed on the stem (πό-) and does NOT move to the ending.
- The feminine vocative equals the nominative.
- The feminine vocative equals the nominative plural (the πόλη-class -εις plural).
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | σπίτι | σπίτια |
| Accusative | σπίτι | σπίτια |
| Genitive | σπιτιού† | σπιτιών† |
| Vocative | — | — |
- Stress shifts to the ending (-ιού) in the genitive.
- Stress shifts to the ending (-ιών) in the genitive plural.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | νερό | νερά |
| Accusative | νερό | νερά |
| Genitive | νερού | νερών |
| Vocative | — | — |