LingoflyThe 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 (o dáskalos) is a male teacher, η δασκάλα (daskála) a female one. Calling a woman ο δάσκαλος (o dáskalos) is as wrong as "he is a waitress". For example: “Η δασκάλα (daskála) των (ton) παιδιών (pedión) μου (mu) λέγεται (léyete) 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 (daskála) (i daskála) a female one. Calling a woman ο δάσκαλος (o dáskalos) is as wrong as "he is a waitress".
Pairs are built three ways. -ος becomes -α (-a): ο δάσκαλος (o dáskalos) → η δασκάλα (daskála). -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 (yatrós) (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 (yatrós) είναι (íne) νέα (néa) (i yatrós íne néa) — the adjective is feminine, though the word ends in -ος.
Table
| masculine | feminine | how it is built |
|---|---|---|
| ο δάσκαλος (o dáskalos) | η δασκάλα (daskála) | -ος changes to -α |
| ο μεταφραστής (o metafrastís) | η μεταφράστρια | -της changes to -τρια |
| ο αγρότης (o agrótis) | η αγρότισσα | -ης changes to -ισσα |
| ο γιατρός (o yatrós) | η γιατρός (yatrós) | one form, a different article |
| ο γραμματέας (o gramatéas) | η γραμματέας (gramatéas) | one form, a different article |
| ο ψυχολόγος (o psikhológos) | 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
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 (o dáskalos) is a male teacher, η δασκάλα (daskála) a female one. Calling a woman ο δάσκαλος (o dáskalos) is as wrong as "he is a waitress".
What does it look like in a Greek example sentence?
“Η δασκάλα (daskála) των (ton) παιδιών (pedión) μου (mu) λέγεται (léyete) 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.