Greek Adjectives: Agreement, Comparison and Position
How Greek adjectives change for gender, number and case, the main endings, comparatives with πιο, irregular forms like καλύτερος, and useful adjectives.
Greek adjectives agree with the noun they describe in gender, number and case. That sounds like a lot, but most adjectives follow one easy pattern.
The basic pattern: -ος, -η, -ο
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative sg. | καλός | καλή | καλό |
| Accusative sg. | καλό | καλή | καλό |
| Genitive sg. | καλού | καλής | καλού |
| Nominative pl. | καλοί | καλές | καλά |
| Accusative pl. | καλούς | καλές | καλά |
| Genitive pl. | καλών | καλών | καλών |
Examples:
- ένας καλός φίλος — a good friend
- μια καλή μέρα — a good day
- ένα καλό παιδί — a good child
- οι καλοί φίλοι — the good friends
Common adjectives of this type
- μεγάλος, μεγάλη, μεγάλο — big
- μικρός, μικρή, μικρό — small
- καινούργιος — new
- παλιός — old
- ωραίος — nice, beautiful
- ακριβός — expensive
- φτηνός / φθηνός — cheap
- νέος — young, new
- όμορφος — beautiful
- δύσκολος — difficult
- εύκολος — easy
- ζεστός — hot
- κρύος — cold
Other patterns
- -ύς, -ιά, -ύ: βαθύς (deep), φαρδύς (wide): βαθιά θάλασσα.
- -ης, -ης, -ες: ακριβής (accurate), ψευδής (false).
- Indeclinable: some adjectives, such as μπλε (blue), ροζ (pink), γκρι (grey) and μπεζ (beige), never change.
Position
Adjectives usually come before the noun: ο μεγάλος δρόμος. They can also come after the noun, especially for emphasis or with a definite article repeated: ο δρόμος ο μεγάλος. After είμαι, they follow the verb and agree with the subject: Το σπίτι είναι μεγάλο. Η μέρα είναι ωραία.
Comparatives and superlatives
Greek makes comparisons with πιο (more):
- πιο μεγάλος — bigger
- πιο ακριβό — more expensive
- Η Αθήνα είναι πιο μεγάλη από τη Θεσσαλονίκη. — Athens is bigger than Thessaloniki.
Από means "than". The superlative adds the article: ο πιο μεγάλος — the biggest. Είναι ο πιο καλός φίλος μου.
Irregular forms:
- καλός → καλύτερος (better) → ο καλύτερος (the best)
- κακός → χειρότερος (worse) → ο χειρότερος (the worst)
- μεγάλος → μεγαλύτερος (bigger, older)
- μικρός → μικρότερος (smaller, younger)
Degrees of intensity
- πολύ — very: πολύ ωραίο
- λίγο — a little: λίγο κρύο
- αρκετά — quite: αρκετά ακριβό
- πάρα πολύ — extremely
Adverbs
Many adverbs are made from adjectives by using the neuter plural form: καλός → καλά (well), γρήγορος → γρήγορα (quickly), αργός → αργά (slowly), ωραίος → ωραία (nicely).
Learning strategy
- Learn the -ος/-η/-ο pattern with 15 common adjectives.
- Practise agreement with different nouns.
- Learn πιο for comparisons.
- Memorise καλύτερος and χειρότερος.
Common mistakes
- Using the masculine form for all nouns.
- Forgetting to agree in case.
- Forgetting that irregular forms exist (καλύτερος, not πιο καλός in careful speech).
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