The gender of professions: ο δάσκαλος, η δασκάλα, ο και η γιατρός
Most job words have two shapes, and you pick by the person, not out of politeness. Ο δάσκαλος is a male teacher, η δασκάλα a female one. Calling a woman ο δάσκαλος is as wrong as "he is a waitress". For example: “Η δασκάλα των παιδιών μου λέγεται Ελένη” — My children's teacher is called Eleni. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Most job words have two shapes, and you pick by the person, not out of politeness. Ο δάσκαλος (o dáskalos) is a male teacher, η δασκάλα (i daskála) a female one. Calling a woman ο δάσκαλος is as wrong as "he is a waitress".
Pairs are built three ways. -ος becomes -α (-a): ο δάσκαλος → η δασκάλα. -της (-tis) becomes -τρια: ο μεταφραστής (o metafrastís) → η μεταφράστρια. -ης and -ας (-as) become -ισσα: ο αγρότης (o agrótis) → η αγρότισσα.
A large group keeps one shape for both, and only the article moves. ο γιατρός (o yatrós) and η γιατρός (i yatrós), ο δικηγόρος (o dikigóros) and η δικηγόρος (i dikigóros). Almost every bookish word in -ος sits here, and every one in -λόγος (-lógos).
One frequent trap: everything else agrees with the person, not with the ending. Η γιατρός είναι νέα (i yatrós íne néa) — the adjective is feminine, though the word ends in -ος.
Table
| masculine | feminine | how it is built |
|---|---|---|
| ο δάσκαλος | η δασκάλα | -ος changes to -α |
| ο μεταφραστής | η μεταφράστρια | -της changes to -τρια |
| ο αγρότης | η αγρότισσα | -ης changes to -ισσα |
| ο γιατρός | η γιατρός | one form, a different article |
| ο γραμματέας | η γραμματέας | one form, a different article |
| ο ψυχολόγος | η ψυχολόγος | every word in -λόγος does this |
By example
- Η δασκάλα των παιδιών μου λέγεται Ελένηi daskála ton pedión mu léyete EléniMy children's teacher is called Eleni
- Η γιατρός που με είδε ήταν πολύ προσεκτικήi yatrós pu me íde ítan polí prosektikíThe doctor who saw me was very attentive
- Η αγγελία ζητάει μεταφραστή και δεν λέει άντρα ή γυναίκαi angelía zitái metafrastí ke den léi ándra i yinékaThe ad wants a translator and doesn't say whether a man or a woman
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 gender of professions: how does it work in Greek?
Most job words have two shapes, and you pick by the person, not out of politeness. Ο δάσκαλος is a male teacher, η δασκάλα a female one. Calling a woman ο δάσκαλος is as wrong as "he is a waitress".
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Η δασκάλα των παιδιών μου λέγεται Ελένη” (i daskála ton pedión mu léyete Eléni) — My children's teacher is called Eleni. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.