The cases · Greek grammar A1

Contents · A1

The present tense
The past
The future and the να-form
The imperative
Nouns and articles
The cases
Adjectives
Pronouns and possessives
Numbers and the time
Questions and negation
Linking words and word order
Writing Greek

In this part, you will learn the forms of the article and the noun for the subject and the object. You will also learn the forms for calling someone, after a preposition and in expressions of time.

Naming the subject and saying who someone is: the nominative#

The nominative, the form given in the dictionary, is used for the subject and for a noun after είμαι.

Ο αδερφός μου δουλεύει στην τράπεζα.My brother works at the bank.
Η κυρία Παππά είναι μια πολύ καλή δασκάλα.Mrs Pappas is a very good teacher.
Ποιος είναι ο κύριος εκεί;Who's the gentleman over there?

Use

Greek nouns, articles, adjectives and pronouns change their form with their role in the sentence: each form is a case.
The nominative is used for the subject of the verb: Ο Νίκος δουλεύει. (“Nikos works.”)
After είμαι, a noun or adjective describing the subject is in the nominative: Η Άννα και η Ελένη είναι γιατροί. (“Anna and Eleni are doctors.”)
A question about the subject is asked with ποιος, ποια, ποιο: Ποιος έρχεται; (“Who is coming?”)

Common mistakes

~~Αυτός είναι τον Νίκο.~~ → Αυτός είναι ο Νίκος.After είμαι, the noun is in the nominative.
~~Ποιον είναι αυτός;~~ → Ποιος είναι αυτός;After είμαι, the question word is in the nominative too: ποιος.

Remember

Use the dictionary form for the subject: Ο φίλος μου μένει στην Αθήνα. (“My friend lives in Athens.”)
Use the dictionary form after είμαι as well: Ο Γιάννης και ο Πέτρος είναι μάγειρες. (“Giannis and Petros are cooks.”)
Ask about the subject with ποιος, ποια, ποιο: Ποια είναι η Μαρία; (“Who is Maria?”)

You now know which form to use for the subject and after είμαι, and when to use ποιος.

Going further

Greek has four cases: the nominative, the accusative, the vocative and a fourth case.
At A1, the fourth case is met only in the possessives μου, σου, του.
These possessives are explained in Saying my, your, his: the possessives μου, σου, του, της after the noun.
The use of the fourth case with nouns is learnt at a later level.

Practise

“Nouns and articles”, Gender from the ending: ο, η, το “Nouns and articles”, No article: Είμαι γιατρός, Έχω δουλειά

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Naming the object: the accusative, τον, την, τους, τις#

The direct object is in the accusative, which is shown on the article and on a masculine noun: τον φίλο.

Περιμένω τον αδερφό μου.I'm waiting for my brother.
Η Σοφία έχει έναν σκύλο και δύο γάτες.Sofia has got a dog and two cats.
Δεν βλέπω την τσάντα μου.I can't see my bag.
Ξέρεις τους φοιτητές;Do you know the students?
Ο Νίκος αγαπάει τις ταινίες.Nikos loves films.
Ποιον ψάχνετε;Who are you looking for?

Formation

Η becomes την or τη, ο becomes τον and ένας becomes έναν; το and τα do not change.
In the plural, οι becomes τους before a masculine noun and τις before a feminine noun.
In the singular, the final -ς of a masculine noun is dropped: τον φίλο, τον άντρα, τον φοιτητή.
Feminine and neuter nouns do not change; in the plural, only masculine nouns in -ος change, to -ους.

	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
nominative singular	ο φίλος, ένας φίλος	η γάτα, μια γάτα	το βιβλίο, ένα βιβλίο
accusative singular	τον φίλο, έναν φίλο	τη(ν) γάτα, μια γάτα	το βιβλίο, ένα βιβλίο
nominative plural	οι φίλοι, οι άντρες	οι γάτες	τα βιβλία
accusative plural	τους φίλους, τους άντρες	τις γάτες	τα βιβλία

Spelling

The final -ν of τον and έναν is always written, to distinguish τον from the neuter το.
The -ν of την is written before a vowel: την Άννα.
The -ν of την is also written before κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ, μπ, ντ, γκ, τσ, τζ: την πόλη.
Before the other consonants, τη is the standard spelling: τη γάτα; την γάτα is informal.

Stress

In -ους, a third-last stress often moves to the second-last syllable: ο δάσκαλος, τους δασκάλους; ο άνθρωπος, τους ανθρώπους.

Use

The accusative is used for the direct object, the person or thing that receives the action: Ξέρω τον Νίκο. (“I know Nikos.”)
A noun used in a general sense takes the definite article, where English has none: Αγαπάω τα βιβλία. (“I love books.”)
A noun after a preposition is in the accusative. These prepositions are explained in Saying where, with whom and for whom: σε, από, με, για and the accusative.
Many expressions of time are in the accusative: Saying when: time in the accusative, with no preposition.

Questions

A question about the object is asked with τι, which does not change, or with ποιον.
The accusative forms of ποιος are ποιον, ποια, ποιο, ποιους, ποιες, ποια: Ποιον περιμένεις; (“Who are you waiting for?”)

Difference from English

In English, word order alone shows a noun object: “the dog sees the man”, “the man sees the dog”.
In English, only pronouns have an object form: “he” → “him”.
In Greek, the article and a masculine noun change: ο σκύλος is the subject, τον σκύλο the object.

Common mistakes

~~Ξέρω ο Κώστας.~~ → Ξέρω τον Κώστα.The object is in the accusative: τον, and the final -ς of the noun is dropped.
~~Έχω ένας αδερφός.~~ → Έχω έναν αδερφό.After έχω, the noun is the object: έναν αδερφό.
~~Βλέπω τους φίλοι.~~ → Βλέπω τους φίλους.In the accusative plural, a masculine noun in -ος ends in -ους.

Remember

Use τον, την or το for an object in the singular: Βλέπω τον σκύλο. (“I see the dog.”)
When a masculine noun is the object in the singular, leave out its final -ς: Περιμένω τον φίλο μου. (“I am waiting for my friend.”)
Use τους or τις for an object in the plural: Παίρνω τις τσάντες. (“I am taking the bags.”)
Ask about the object with τι or ποιον: Τι θέλεις; (“What do you want?”)

You now know how to put a direct object in the accusative, with τον, την, τους and τις.

Practise

“The cases: the accusative”, The object: τον, την, το “The cases: the accusative”, A, an for the object: έναν, μία, ένα “The cases: the accusative”, The plural object: τους, τις, τα

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Saying where, with whom and for whom: σε, από, με, για and the accusative#

Σε, από, με and για are followed by the accusative, and σε is joined to the article: στο.

Πάμε στη θάλασσα το απόγευμα;Shall we go to the sea this afternoon?
Η Άννα δουλεύει στο μουσείο.Anna works at the museum.
Το γράμμα είναι για τον μπαμπά.The letter is for Dad.
Ταξιδεύω με το αεροπλάνο.I'm travelling by plane.
Η κυρία Παππά είναι από την Αγγλία.Mrs Pappas is from England.
Τηλεφώνησα στους φίλους μου.I phoned my friends.

Formation

The prepositions σε (“to, at, in”), από (“from”), με (“with, by”) and για (“for, about”) are followed by the accusative.
Σε is joined to the article: σε + τον = στον (always with -ν), σε + την = στην (στη), σε + το = στο.
In the plural, σε and the article are written στους, στις, στα.
The -ν of στην follows the rule of την in Naming the object: the accusative, τον, την, τους, τις.

Use

Σε is used both for the place where someone is and for the place where someone goes: Είμαι στο σπίτι. Πάω στο σπίτι. (“I am at home. I am going home.”)
Σε is also used for the person someone phones or writes to: Τηλεφωνώ στον Νίκο. (“I'm phoning Nikos.”)
Με is used for the person someone is with and for transport: με το τρένο, με το αυτοκίνητο.

Difference from English

English at the, in the, to the are the same before every noun.
Greek στον, στην, στο agree with the gender of the noun: στον σταθμό, στην τράπεζα, στο σχολείο.
English by train has no article; Greek has one: με το τρένο.

Common mistakes

~~Πάω σε το σχολείο.~~ → Πάω στο σχολείο.Σε and the article are written as one word.
~~Μένω με ο Γιώργος.~~ → Μένω με τον Γιώργο.After a preposition, the article and the noun are in the accusative.

Remember

Use the accusative after σε, από, με and για: Είμαι από την Αγγλία. (“I am from England.”)
Write σε and the article as one word: Πάω στο σχολείο. (“I'm going to school.”)
Use σε both for where you are and for where you go: Μένω στην Αθήνα. (“I live in Athens.”)

You now know how to say where you are, where you are going and who you are with.

Practise

“The cases: the accusative”, To, at, in: σε, στον, στην, στο “The cases: the accusative”, From, with, for: από, με, για

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Saying when: time in the accusative, with no preposition#

Days, parts of the day, months and seasons are in the accusative, with the article and no preposition.

Την Τετάρτη έχω μάθημα.I've got a lesson on Wednesday.
Το βράδυ βλέπουμε τηλεόραση.In the evening we watch television.
Πάμε διακοπές τον Αύγουστο.We go on holiday in August.

Formation

The article is accusative: τη Δευτέρα, την Κυριακή, το Σάββατο, το πρωί, το βράδυ, τον Ιούνιο, τον χειμώνα, το καλοκαίρι.
A phrase with επόμενος (“next”) or περασμένος (“last”) is formed the same way: την επόμενη εβδομάδα.
The hour itself comes after στις: στις οκτώ.

Difference from English

Greek uses no preposition before days, parts of the day, months and seasons: in June is τον Ιούνιο.
For the hour, English at is στις in Greek: at eight is στις οκτώ.

Common mistakes

~~Σε Δευτέρα δουλεύω.~~ → Τη Δευτέρα δουλεύω.A day is in the accusative with its article, with no preposition.
~~Δουλεύω η Δευτέρα.~~ → Δουλεύω τη Δευτέρα.A day used for time is in the accusative, τη, never in the nominative, η.

Remember

Use a day with its article and no preposition: Τη Δευτέρα δουλεύω. (“I work on Monday.”)
Put στις before the hour: Έρχομαι στις οκτώ. (“I'm coming at eight.”)

You now know how to say when something happens.

Practise

“The cases: the accusative”, When: τη Δευτέρα, το πρωί

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Calling someone: the vocative, Νίκο, κύριε#

The vocative is used to call someone, with no article; in men's names in -ος, the -ς is dropped.

Γιώργο, έλα εδώ!Giorgos, come here!
Κώστα, πού πας;Kostas, where are you going?
Κυρία Νικολάου, είστε από την Αθήνα;Mrs Nikolaou, are you from Athens?

Formation

In first names in -ος, the -ς is usually dropped: Νίκο, Γιώργο, Πέτρο.
Κύριος and most other nouns in -ος take -ε: κύριε, φίλε.
In names in -ας and -ης, the -ς is dropped as well: Κώστα, Δημήτρη.
Feminine names and nouns do not change: Μαρία, Ελένη, κυρία.

Use

A friend called by name is spoken to with the εσύ form.
The polite εσείς form is used with κύριε or κυρία: Κύριε Παππά, πού μένετε; (“Mr Pappas, where do you live?”)

Difference from English

A name used to call someone is the same in English (“Hi, Nikos!”) but changes in Greek: Γιώργος, Γιώργο.
English Mr never changes; Greek ο κύριος Παππάς is κύριε Παππά when the man is called.

Common mistakes

~~Γεια σου, Νίκος!~~ → Γεια σου, Νίκο!When a man with a name in -ος is called, the -ς of his name is dropped.
~~Ο Πέτρο, πού είσαι;~~ → Πέτρο, πού είσαι;The vocative has no article.

Remember

Drop the -ς of a man's name in -ος to call him: Νίκο, έλα! (“Nikos, come!”)
Use the vocative with no article: Πέτρο, πού είσαι; (“Petros, where are you?”)
Use κύριε or κυρία to address someone politely: Κύριε, πού είναι ο σταθμός; (“Sir, where is the station?”)

In short

Case	Use at A1	Example
nominative	subject; after είμαι	Ο σκύλος τρέχει. Είναι ο Νίκος.
accusative	direct object; after σε, από, με, για; time	Βλέπω τον σκύλο. στον σταθμό. τη Δευτέρα
vocative	calling someone	Νίκο! Κώστα! κύριε!
genitive	the possessives μου, σου, του…	το σπίτι μου

The genitive is the case of the possessives μου, σου, του.

The possessives are taught in Saying my, your, his: the possessives μου, σου, του, της after the noun.

You now know how to call someone by name and address someone politely.

Practise

“The present tense: είμαι and introducing yourself”, Calling someone: Νίκο, Μαρία, κύριε, κυρία

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