LingoflyThree 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 (i pórta) του (tu) δωματίου (domatíu) είναι (íne) κλειστή” (klistí) — 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 (to paráthiro) είναι (íne) ανοιχτό (anikhtó) (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 (ton) δρόμο (drómo) (ton drómo). Feminine grows a -ς instead for "whose": η πόρτα (i pórta) → της (tis) πόρτας (pórtas) (tis pórtas).
That "whose" shape is a workhorse. Η πόρτα (i pórta) του (tu) δωματίου (domatíu) (i pórta tu domatíu) — the door of the room. Ο λογαριασμός (o logariazmós) του (tu) ρεύματος (révmatos) (o logariazmós tu révmatos) — the electricity bill.
Table
| ο δρόμος (o drómos) | η πόρτα (i pórta) | το (to) σπίτι (spíti) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| who, what | ο δρόμος (o drómos) | η πόρτα (i pórta) | το (to) σπίτι (spíti) |
| whose, of what | του (tu) δρόμου (drómu) | της (tis) πόρτας (pórtas) | του (tu) σπιτιού (spitiú) |
| whom, what | τον (ton) δρόμο (drómo) | την (tin) πόρτα (pórta) | το (to) σπίτι (spíti) |
| they (plural) | οι (i) δρόμοι | οι (i) πόρτες | τα (ta) σπίτια |
By example
- 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 a Greek example sentence?
“Η πόρτα (i pórta) του (tu) δωματίου (domatíu) είναι (íne) κλειστή” (klistí) (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.