The numbers that decline: ένας, τρεις, τέσσερις
Of all the Greek numbers, exactly four change their shape. Every other one — δύο, πέντε, δέκα, είκοσι and onwards — stands like a post. For example: “Έμεινα τρεις μέρες στο ξενοδοχείο” — 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 τουρίστας (énas turístas), μία απόφαση (mía apófasi), ένα έγγραφο (éna éngrafo). As the target of a verb the masculine loses its -ς: Είδα έναν αστυνομικό (ída énan astinomikó).
Next come τρεις (tris) and τέσσερις (téseris). Masculine and feminine share one shape, and the neuter has its own: τρεις μέρες (tris méres), but τρία παιδιά (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 ευρώ (triakósia evró), but τριακόσιες σελίδες.
Table
| masculine | feminine | neuter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| one | ένας | μία | ένα |
| three | τρεις | τρεις | τρία |
| four | τέσσερις | τέσσερις | τέσσερα |
| two hundred | διακόσιοι | διακόσιες | διακόσια |
| all the rest | δύο, πέντε, δέκα — they never change |
By example
- Έμεινα τρεις μέρες στο ξενοδοχείοémina tris méres sto ksenodokhíoI stayed three days at the hotel
- Πλήρωσα τριακόσια ευρώ για την ενοικίασηplírosa triakósia evró ya tin enikíasiI paid three hundred euros for the rental
- Είδα έναν αστυνομικό στη στροφήída énan astinomikó sti strofíI saw a police officer at the turn
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, πέντε, δέκα, είκοσι and onwards — stands like a post.
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Έμεινα τρεις μέρες στο ξενοδοχείο” (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.