LingoflyThe numbers that decline: ένας, τρεις, τέσσερις
Of all the Greek numbers, exactly four change their shape. Every other one — δύο (dío), πέντε (pénde), δέκα (déka), είκοσι (íkosi) and onwards — stands like a post. For example: “Έμεινα τρεις (tris) μέρες (méres) στο (sto) ξενοδοχείο” (ksenodokhío) — I stayed three days at the hotel. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Of all the Greek numbers, exactly four change their shape. Every other one — δύο (dío), πέντε (pénde), δέκα (déka), είκοσι (íkosi) and onwards — stands like a post.
The first is ένας (énas), μία (mía), ένα (éna). It doubles as the word for "a", so it turns up at every step: ένας (énas) τουρίστας (turístas) (énas turístas), μία (mía) απόφαση (apófasi) (mía apófasi), ένα (éna) έγγραφο (éngrafo) (éna éngrafo). As the target of a verb the masculine loses its -ς: Είδα (ída) έναν (énan) αστυνομικό (astinomikó) (ída énan astinomikó).
Next come τρεις (tris) and τέσσερις (téseris). Masculine and feminine share one shape, and the neuter has its own: τρεις (tris) μέρες (méres) (tris méres), but τρία (tría) παιδιά (pediá) (tría pediá). This is the commonest slip in dates and bills.
The fourth, the forgotten one, is the hundreds from two hundred up: διακόσιοι, διακόσιες, διακόσια (diakósia). Τριακόσια (triakósia) ευρώ (evró) (triakósia evró), but τριακόσιες σελίδες (selídes).
Table
| masculine | feminine | neuter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| one | ένας (énas) | μία (mía) | ένα (éna) |
| three | τρεις (tris) | τρεις (tris) | τρία (tría) |
| four | τέσσερις (téseris) | τέσσερις (téseris) | τέσσερα (tésera) |
| two hundred | διακόσιοι | διακόσιες | διακόσια (diakósia) |
| all the rest | δύο (dío), πέντε (pénde), δέκα (déka) — they never change |
By example
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
The numbers that decline: how does it work in Greek?
Of all the Greek numbers, exactly four change their shape. Every other one — δύο (dío), πέντε (pénde), δέκα (déka), είκοσι (íkosi) and onwards — stands like a post.
What does it look like in a Greek example sentence?
“Έμεινα τρεις (tris) μέρες (méres) στο (sto) ξενοδοχείο” (ksenodokhío) (émina tris méres sto ksenodokhío) — I stayed three days at the hotel. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.