Adjective Agreement in Greek

In Brief

A Greek adjective changes its ending to match the noun it describes in gender, number, and case: ο καλός άντρας, η καλή γυναίκα, το καλό παιδί. For a beginner, the most useful habit is to learn the masculine, feminine, and neuter forms together and copy the ending pattern shown by the article and noun.

Overview

An adjective is a word that describes a person, thing, or idea: good, small, new, or interesting. In English, its form normally stays fixed: a good friend, good friends. In Greek, the adjective changes. The dictionary form καλός “good,” for example, can also appear as καλή, καλό, καλοί, καλές, καλά, and in several other forms.

This change is called agreement: connected words display the same grammatical features. Greek nouns belong to one of three genders—masculine, feminine, or neuter—and can be singular or plural. They also have case (a form showing the noun's role in the sentence), such as nominative for a subject and accusative for a direct object. An adjective must follow all three features of its noun.

Adjective agreement begins at A1 because it appears in even the simplest descriptions. You do not need to memorize every case ending immediately. Start with nominative singular and plural, then add accusative forms as you build everyday sentences. The fuller tables below remain useful later.

How It Works

The three-part agreement rule

To choose an adjective form, ask three questions about the noun:

1. What gender is it? Masculine, feminine, or neuter.
2. Is it singular or plural? One or more than one.
3. What case is it in? What job does it have in the sentence?

In Βλέπω τον καλό φίλο (“I see the good friend”), φίλο is masculine, singular, and accusative because it is the direct object (the person receiving the action). The article τον and adjective καλό match it.

The basic -ος, -η, -ο pattern

Many common adjectives follow the pattern represented by καλός, καλή, καλό. The accent may move in some forms, but the agreement system remains the same.

Gender	Singular nominative	Plural nominative	Example
Masculine	καλός	καλοί	ο καλός φίλος / οι καλοί φίλοι
Feminine	καλή	καλές	η καλή φίλη / οι καλές φίλες
Neuter	καλό	καλά	το καλό βιβλίο / τα καλά βιβλία

This is the best beginner pattern to practise first. μικρός, μικρή, μικρό (“small”) works similarly. So does μεγάλος, μεγάλη, μεγάλο (“big”), although its stem and accent require attention.

Core case forms of καλός

The nominative is normally used for the subject and for a description linked to the subject by είμαι (“be”). The accusative commonly marks a direct object and follows many prepositions. The genitive often expresses possession or a close relationship. The vocative is used when directly addressing someone.

Case	Masculine singular	Feminine singular	Neuter singular
Nominative	καλός	καλή	καλό
Accusative	καλό	καλή	καλό
Genitive	καλού	καλής	καλού
Vocative	καλέ	καλή	καλό

Case	Masculine plural	Feminine plural	Neuter plural
Nominative	καλοί	καλές	καλά
Accusative	καλούς	καλές	καλά
Genitive	καλών	καλών	καλών
Vocative	καλοί	καλές	καλά

The article often gives you an early clue: ο/η/το for nominative singular, τον/τη(ν)/το for accusative singular, and του/της/του for genitive singular. Do not rely on the article alone, however; the adjective itself must still have the matching form.

Another major pattern: -ος, -α, -ο

Some adjectives use -α, not -η, in the feminine singular. A very common example is ωραίος, ωραία, ωραίο (“nice,” “beautiful”). καινούριος, καινούρια, καινούριο (“new”) follows a similar everyday pattern.

Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Meaning
ωραίος	ωραία	ωραίο	nice, beautiful
καινούριος	καινούρια	καινούριο	new
παλιός	παλιά	παλιό	old

The feminine ending is part of the adjective's pattern; it is not freely interchangeable with -η. Learn a new adjective as a three-form set rather than guessing: ωραίος–ωραία–ωραίο.

Agreement with a noun

An adjective used directly with a noun is called attributive—in plain terms, it forms one noun phrase with that noun. It usually comes between the article and noun:

• ο μικρός κήπος — the small garden
• η μεγάλη πόλη — the big city
• το καινούριο σπίτι — the new house

Greek can also place an adjective after the noun, but a post-noun attributive adjective normally has its own repeated article: η πόλη η μεγάλη. This order is more marked and can identify or contrast the described item. For neutral beginner sentences, use article + adjective + noun.

Agreement after “be”

A predicate adjective describes the subject through a verb such as είμαι (“be”):

• Ο κήπος είναι μικρός. — The garden is small.
• Η πόλη είναι μεγάλη. — The city is big.
• Τα παιδιά είναι καλά. — The children are good.

The predicate adjective still agrees with the subject, but it normally has no article. It is in the nominative because it describes the subject.

More than one noun

When one adjective describes a group containing masculine and feminine people, standard Greek normally uses the masculine plural: Ο Γιάννης και η Μαρία είναι καλοί φίλοι (“Giannis and Maria are good friends”). With groups of things, agreement depends on the nouns and the way the group is presented; mixed-noun agreement is best learned from complete examples rather than reduced to one beginner rule.

Examples in Context

Greek	English	Note
Ο καλός άντρας μένει εδώ.	The good man lives here.	Masculine singular nominative
Η μεγάλη πόλη έχει πολλά μουσεία.	The big city has many museums.	Feminine singular nominative
Το μικρό παιδί κοιμάται.	The small child is sleeping.	Neuter singular nominative
Οι καλοί φίλοι βοηθούν ο ένας τον άλλο.	Good friends help one another.	Masculine plural nominative
Αγόρασα ένα καινούριο βιβλίο.	I bought a new book.	Neuter singular accusative
Βλέπουμε τη μεγάλη πλατεία.	We see the large square.	Feminine singular accusative
Γνώρισα τους νέους γείτονες.	I met the new neighbours.	Masculine plural accusative
Οι πόρτες του παλιού σπιτιού είναι μπλε.	The doors of the old house are blue.	Masculine/neuter genitive singular
Μιλάω με μια καλή φίλη.	I am talking with a good friend.	Feminine singular after με
Ο καφές είναι ζεστός.	The coffee is hot.	Predicate adjective, masculine
Η θάλασσα είναι ήρεμη σήμερα.	The sea is calm today.	Predicate adjective, feminine
Τα δωμάτια είναι καθαρά.	The rooms are clean.	Predicate adjective, neuter plural
Θέλουμε δύο μικρές σαλάτες.	We want two small salads.	Feminine plural accusative
Καλέ μου φίλε, σε ευχαριστώ.	My dear friend, thank you.	Masculine singular vocative

Common Mistakes

Leaving the adjective in its dictionary form

• Wrong: η καλός φίλη
• Right: η καλή φίλη
• Why: καλός is masculine singular. The feminine noun φίλη requires feminine καλή.

Matching gender but not number

• Wrong: οι καλή φίλοι
• Right: οι καλοί φίλοι
• Why: The noun is masculine plural, so the adjective must be masculine plural too.

Ignoring case in an object phrase

• Wrong: Βλέπω τον καλός άντρα.
• Right: Βλέπω τον καλό άντρα.
• Why: After βλέπω, the person seen is a direct object. Article, adjective, and noun therefore appear in the accusative.

Guessing every feminine form as -η

• Wrong: μια ωραίη μέρα
• Right: μια ωραία μέρα
• Why: ωραίος belongs to the -ος, -α, -ο pattern: ωραίος, ωραία, ωραίο. Learn all three forms together.

Putting an article before a predicate adjective

• Wrong: Η πόλη είναι η μεγάλη. when you simply mean “The city is big.”
• Right: Η πόλη είναι μεγάλη.
• Why: A plain description after είναι normally uses an adjective without an article. η μεγάλη can instead mean “the big one” in a context where a noun is understood.

Copying English word order too freely

• Awkward for a neutral beginner phrase: η πόλη μεγάλη
• Right: η μεγάλη πόλη or η πόλη η μεγάλη
• Why: An adjective before the noun sits after the article. A post-noun attributive adjective normally repeats the article. Without that second article, the words may be interpreted as a different or incomplete structure.

Usage Notes

Greek speakers often choose between a noun phrase and a full sentence depending on what they want to emphasize. το κόκκινο αυτοκίνητο identifies “the red car,” while το αυτοκίνητο είναι κόκκινο states that the car is red. The agreement is the same, but the information structure differs.

Adjective position can add contrast. το μεγάλο σπίτι is the ordinary “the big house.” το σπίτι το μεγάλο can sound like “the big house—the one I mean,” especially when distinguishing it from another house. This repeated-article construction is genuine Greek, but the pre-noun order is the safest neutral choice at A1.

Modern Greek spelling preserves written accents, and an accent may shift as an adjective declines: μεγάλος, μεγάλη, μεγάλο, but μεγάλου and μεγάλων. Treat the accent as part of the word form rather than decoration. Reading forms aloud helps connect spelling with stress.

Beyond the Basics

You do not need to master all of the following at A1, but you will encounter these patterns later.

Not every adjective follows -ος, -η/-α, -ο. Common adjectives in -ύς, -ιά, -ύ include βαθύς, βαθιά, βαθύ (“deep”) and μακρύς, μακριά, μακρύ (“long”). Other adjectives, especially learned or formal ones, may use two endings rather than three. Dictionary entries or course vocabulary lists should show enough forms to identify the pattern.

Some adjective-like words are indeclinable, meaning their form does not change. Colour words borrowed from other languages are common examples: ένα μπλε φόρεμα, δύο μπλε φορέματα (“a blue dress,” “two blue dresses”). The unchanged μπλε does not cancel agreement elsewhere in the noun phrase.

An adjective can also stand without an expressed noun when the missing noun is clear. The article and adjective endings carry the needed information:

• Θέλω το μικρό. — I want the small one.
• Ποια τσάντα; Την κόκκινη. — Which bag? The red one.
• Οι νέοι συχνά χρησιμοποιούν αυτή τη λέξη. — Young people often use this word.

This use is sometimes called substantivization: an adjective functions like a noun. Agreement still reflects the understood person or thing.

Certain adjectives may change meaning or emphasis according to position and context. For example, ένας μεγάλος άνθρωπος can mean “a great person,” not merely a physically big person. Such interpretations are vocabulary and context matters, not exceptions to agreement: μεγάλος still matches άνθρωπος.

Finally, adjective forms are the foundation for later topics. Comparative forms such as μεγαλύτερος (“bigger”) still agree, as do many quantity words: πολλός χρόνος, πολλή δουλειά, πολλά βιβλία. Agreement does not disappear when the meaning becomes more advanced.

Practice Tips

1. Learn three forms at once. Write vocabulary as καλός–καλή–καλό, not just καλός. Add one noun of each gender: καλός φίλος, καλή φίλη, καλό παιδί.
2. Transform whole phrases. Change ο μικρός κήπος into plural (οι μικροί κήποι) and then into an object phrase (βλέπω τον μικρό κήπο). This trains article, adjective, and noun as one unit.
3. Describe what you see. Each day make five short pairs such as το καθαρό δωμάτιο / το δωμάτιο είναι καθαρό. Say them aloud and check that gender and number match.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Noun Gender — learn how Greek nouns are classified as masculine, feminine, or neuter.
• Next step: Comparison of Adjectives — form expressions such as “bigger” and “the best” while preserving agreement.
• Next step: Expressing Quantity — use agreeing words such as πολύς, πολλή, πολύ and λίγος, λίγη, λίγο.
• Later connection: Adverbs of Manner — see how forms such as καλά and γρήγορα can describe actions rather than nouns.