The gender of professions: ο δάσκαλος, η δασκάλα, ο και η γιατρός
Most profession names in Greek have two forms, and the choice is made by the person, not by courtesy. Ο δάσκαλος — a male teacher, η δασκάλα — a female teacher, and saying ο δάσκαλος about a woman is as jarring as a mismatched pronoun in English. 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…
How it works
Most profession names in Greek have two forms, and the choice is made by the person, not by courtesy. Ο δάσκαλος (o dáskalos) — a male teacher, η δασκάλα (i daskála) — a female teacher, and saying ο δάσκαλος about a woman is as jarring as a mismatched pronoun in English.
Pairs are made three ways. -ος → -α (-a): ο δάσκαλος → η δασκάλα. -της (-tis) → -τρια: ο μεταφραστής (o metafrastís) → η μεταφράστρια, ο καθηγητής (o kathiyitís) → η καθηγήτρια, ο τραγουδιστής (o tragudistís) → η τραγουδίστρια (i tragudístria), ο αθλητής (o athlitís) → η αθλήτρια. -ης, -ας (-as) → -ισσα: ο αγρότης (o agrótis) → η αγρότισσα, ο μάγειρας (o máyiras) → η μαγείρισσα.
And there is a large group with one form for both genders — only the article changes: ο γιατρός (o yatrós) and η γιατρός (i yatrós), ο δικηγόρος (o dikigóros) and η δικηγόρος (i dikigóros), ο γραμματέας (o gramatéas) and η γραμματέας (i gramatéas), and likewise ο μηχανικός (o mikhanikós), ο ψυχολόγος (o psikhológos), ο κτηνίατρος (o ktiníatros), ο ηθοποιός (o ithopiós). Nearly all bookish words in -ος and everything in -λόγος (-lógos) land here. In the plural the gender is erased altogether: οι γιατροί — doctors of both kinds.
One trap, and a frequent one: agreement follows the person, not the ending. Η γιατρός είναι νέα (i yatrós íne néa) — a feminine adjective, though the word ends in -ος. "Η γιατρός είναι νέος (i yatrós íne néos)" is impossible.
In speech you will also hear η γιατρίνα, η δικηγορίνα. They are alive but colloquial: in writing, on a certificate, or in addressing an unfamiliar woman, they are not used.
And in job ads the gender is most often not marked at all. Ζητείται λογιστής does not mean "a man wanted" — it is the masculine form serving as the general one. Where both are invited, a double form with a slash is written: πωλητής (politís)/τρια. Reading such an ad as addressed to men only is the mistake.
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 profession names in Greek have two forms, and the choice is made by the person, not by courtesy. Ο δάσκαλος — a male teacher, η δασκάλα — a female teacher, and saying ο δάσκαλος about a woman is as jarring as a mismatched pronoun in English.
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.