Cases are the part of Greek that scares learners most. They are simpler than their reputation if you learn them in small steps and start with the cases you will use every day.
What is a case?
In English, word order tells you who does what: “The dog sees the cat” is different from “The cat sees the dog”. In Greek, the ending of the word also shows the role. Greek has four cases:
- Nominative: the subject, the one doing the action.
- Accusative: the object, and the case after most prepositions.
- Genitive: belonging, like “of” or ‘s.
- Vocative: calling or addressing someone.
The three articles
Every noun is masculine, feminine or neuter, and the article shows which one.
| Gender | Nominative | Accusative | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | ο | τον | ο φίλος (the friend), τον φίλο |
| Feminine | η | την | η θάλασσα (the sea), την θάλασσα |
| Neuter | το | το | το σπίτι (the house), το σπίτι |
One noun, four cases
| Case | Greek | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | Ο φίλος έρχεται. | The friend is coming. |
| Accusative | Βλέπω τον φίλο. | I see the friend. |
| Genitive | Το σπίτι του φίλου. | The friend’s house. |
| Vocative | Γεια σου, φίλε! | Hi, friend! |
Where to start
- Nominative and accusative first. They cover most everyday sentences.
- Learn the article with every noun. Say ο φίλος, not just φίλος.
- Memorise prepositions with the accusative. After σε (to, in), από (from), με (with) and για (for), use the accusative: με τον φίλο μου (with my friend).
- Add the genitive and vocative later. You will pick them up naturally.
Handy shortcut: σε + τον becomes στον, σε + την becomes στην, and σε + το becomes στο. That is why you hear στο σπίτι (at home) all the time.
Don’t try to memorise tables in one go. Meet each form in real sentences, and the endings start to feel natural.
Frequently asked questions
How many cases does Greek have?
Modern Greek has four cases: nominative, genitive, accusative and vocative.
Do I need to learn all the Greek cases at the start?
No. Start with the nominative and accusative, which cover most everyday sentences, and add the genitive and vocative gradually.
What are the Greek articles?
The definite articles are ο (masculine), η (feminine) and το (neuter). They change form with case and number.