Three declension patterns: δρόμος, πόρτα, σπίτι
The word for "the" already shows the gender. Now the noun itself changes too, and there are only three patterns: masculine in -ος, feminine in -α/-η, neuter in -ι/-ο. For example: “Η πόρτα του δωματίου είναι κλειστή” — The door of the room is closed. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The word for "the" already shows the gender. Now the noun itself changes too, and there are only three patterns: masculine in -ος, feminine in -α (-a)/-η (-i), neuter in -ι/-ο (-o).
Neuter is the easiest: its two main shapes are always the same. Το παράθυρο είναι ανοιχτό (to paráthiro íne anikhtó) and Άνοιξε το παράθυρο (ánikse to paráthiro) — one shape, two jobs.
Masculine drops the final -ς when the word is the target: ο δρόμος (o drómos) → τον δρόμο (ton drómo). Feminine grows a -ς instead for "whose": η πόρτα (i pórta) → της πόρτας (tis pórtas).
That "whose" shape is a workhorse. Η πόρτα του δωματίου (i pórta tu domatíu) — the door of the room. Ο λογαριασμός του ρεύματος (o logariazmós tu révmatos) — the electricity bill.
Table
| ο δρόμος | η πόρτα | το σπίτι | |
|---|---|---|---|
| who, what | ο δρόμος | η πόρτα | το σπίτι |
| whose, of what | του δρόμου | της πόρτας | του σπιτιού |
| whom, what | τον δρόμο | την πόρτα | το σπίτι |
| they (plural) | οι δρόμοι | οι πόρτες | τα σπίτια |
By example
- Η πόρτα του δωματίου είναι κλειστήi pórta tu domatíu íne klistíThe door of the room is closed
- Ρώτησα τον πωλητή για την τιμήrótisa ton polití ya tin timíI asked the seller about the price
- Τα κλειδιά του σπιτιού είναι στο τραπέζιta klidiá tu spitiú íne sto trapéziThe keys to the house are on the table
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Three declension patterns: how does it work in Greek?
The word for "the" already shows the gender. Now the noun itself changes too, and there are only three patterns: masculine in -ος, feminine in -α/-η, neuter in -ι/-ο.
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Η πόρτα του δωματίου είναι κλειστή” (i pórta tu domatíu íne klistí) — The door of the room is closed. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.