In MG the noun has three endings for genders, viz masculine, feminine and neuter. In order to determine the gender of a substantive we may look at the ending of a Greek word, for example:
- when a word ends on «-ος», «-ας»- or «-ης» it is probably masculine.
- ending on «-η» and «-α » it is probably feminine.
- ending on «-ο», «-ι» or «-μα» it is probably neuter.
Fortunately, the substantives in Greek, almost always are accompanied by an article. The article tells us the gender of the substantive. The presence or absence of an article will change the sense of the sentence. The absence of an article is related to the property of the substantive.
The Modern Greek articles are characterized as either definite or indefinite.
The definite article has a singular and plural form
Singular - ενικός αριθμός
| Cases | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st case | ο | η | το |
| 2nd case | του | της | του |
| 4th case | το(ν) | τη(ν) | το |
Plural - πληθυντικός αριθμός
| Cases | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st case | οι | οι | τα |
| 2nd case | των | των | των |
| 4th case | τους | τις | τα |
(It harmonizes in all genders in form with the number one, but not in meaning.)
Singular - ενικός αριθμός
| Cases | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1stcase | ένας | μια, μία | ένα |
| 2nd case | ενός | μιας, μίας | ενός |
| 4th case | ένα(ν) | μια(ν), μία(ν) | ένα |
- The indefinite article is used when we describe a person or object with no specific identification.
- The indefinite article is in singular.
- Occasionally the stressed «μία» is used for the feminine singular form instead of «μια». These two form only differ in pronunciation, not in meaning. Two examples in which it is used:
- μια κατάσταση - one situation
- μόνο μία κατάσταση - only one situation
A few churches in Naxos:
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