LESSON 6
·
Unit II — The Noun System
·
~40 minutes
By the End of This Lesson
- Decline 2-1-2 adjectives (καλός, ή, όν) in all forms
- Recognize the three positions an adjective can take and what each means
- Distinguish attributive use ('the good word') from predicate use ('the word is good')
- Use adjectives substantivally (i.e. as nouns, like "the holy ones" = the saints)
- Memorize the 17 vocabulary words for this lesson
How Adjectives Agree
In English, adjectives don't change form: 'the good man,' 'the good woman,' 'the good men,' 'the good women' — 'good' is identical in all four. In Greek, the adjective agrees with its noun in three categories at once: gender, number, and case.
So 'good' has 24 possible forms — masculine/feminine/neuter × singular/plural × four cases. The good news: most adjective endings are exactly the same as the endings you've already learned for 1st and 2nd declension nouns.
The 2-1-2 Adjective Pattern
Most adjectives use 2nd declension endings for masculine and neuter, and 1st declension endings for feminine. Hence "2-1-2." The full paradigm of καλός, καλή, καλόν ("good, beautiful").
|
Masculine (2nd decl) |
Feminine (1st decl) |
Neuter (2nd decl) |
|
sg | pl |
sg | pl |
sg | pl |
| Nom |
καλός | καλοί |
καλή | καλαί |
καλόν | καλά |
| Gen |
καλοῦ | καλῶν |
καλῆς | καλῶν |
καλοῦ | καλῶν |
| Dat |
καλῷ | καλοῖς |
καλῇ | καλαῖς |
καλῷ | καλοῖς |
| Acc |
καλόν | καλούς |
καλήν | καλάς |
καλόν | καλά |
Lexical convention
Adjectives are listed in dictionaries by their three nominative singular forms: καλός, ή, όν (masc, fem, neut). When you see this format, the second and third entries show only the endings — the stem stays the same.
A few adjectives use 2-2-2 (no separate feminine form, just M/F together and N): αἰώνιος, ον ('eternal'). Listed with two endings means M/F share the masculine forms, only the neuter differs.
The Three Positions
An adjective can stand in three positions relative to its noun. Each conveys a different meaning. This is the most important concept in this lesson.
| Position | Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|
| Attributive (1st) |
article + adj + noun |
ὁ καλὸς λόγος |
"the good word" |
| Attributive (2nd) |
article + noun + article + adj |
ὁ λόγος ὁ καλός |
"the good word" (slightly emphatic) |
| Predicate |
adj + article + noun (or article+noun+adj, no second article) |
καλὸς ὁ λόγος |
"the word is good" |
⚠ The decisive rule
The adjective is attributive if it sits inside the article-noun group; predicate if it sits outside.
Compare: ὁ καλὸς λόγος = "the good word" (a noun phrase). ὁ λόγος καλός = "the word [is] good" (a complete sentence — Greek doesn't need 'is').
The article placement is what changes the meaning. If the adjective is preceded by an article, it's attributive. If it stands alone (no article in front of it, even though there's an article in front of the noun), it's predicate.
Substantival Use — Adjectives as Nouns
An adjective with an article but no noun functions as a noun in its own right. The gender tells you what kind of person or thing.
ὁ ἀγαθός
— ho agathos
"the good [man]" — masculine, so "the good man" or just "the good [person]." Article + adjective alone, with the noun left implied.
οἱ ἅγιοι
— hoi hagioi
"the holy ones" = "the saints." Masculine plural — Paul's standard term for believers.
τὸ ἀγαθόν
— to agathon
"the good [thing]" — neuter, so "the good" as an abstract concept. Frequent in Romans 7.
οἱ νεκροί
— hoi nekroi
"the dead [ones]" — i.e. "the dead." Masculine plural.
Sentences with Adjectives
ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος ἀκούει τοὺς λόγους τοῦ θεοῦ.
— ho agathos anthrōpos akouei tous logous tou theou.
"The good man hears the words of God." Adjective in attributive position (article + adj + noun).
ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἀγαθός.
— ho anthrōpos agathos.
"The man is good." Predicate — no article in front of the adjective. Greek omits 'is' freely.
ἡ καινὴ ἐντολὴ ἡ καλή
— hē kainē entolē hē kalē
"the new commandment, the good [one]" — second attributive position, with two adjectives stacked.
μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί.
— makarioi hoi ptōchoi.
"Blessed [are] the poor." The first beatitude (Matt 5:3, paraphrased). μακάριοι is predicate (no article in front); οἱ πτωχοί is substantival ("the poor [ones]"). Word order is reversed for emphasis — "Blessed!" comes first.
Translation Exercises
Translate, paying attention to position
- ὁ πιστὸς δοῦλος ἔχει τὴν αἰώνιον ζωήν.
- ὁ δοῦλος πιστός.
- οἱ μαθηταὶ βλέπουσι τὰ καλὰ ἔργα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
- ὁ θεὸς ἀγαθός, καὶ ὁ νόμος αὐτοῦ ἅγιος.
- ἀγαπῶμεν τοὺς ἀγαπητοὺς ἀδελφούς. [ἀγαπῶμεν = "we love"]
Answers
1. The faithful slave has eternal life. (Both adjectives attributive.)
2. The slave is faithful. (Predicate — no article on πιστός.)
3. The disciples see the good works of Jesus.
4. God is good, and his law is holy. (Both predicate. Note αὐτοῦ = "his.")
5. We love the beloved brothers.
Practice — drill the concepts
Six drill sets for adjectives — concept basics, the καλός paradigm, the three positions (attributive/predicate/substantival), agreement with the noun, and translating sentences where position carries the meaning.
Vocabulary — Lesson 6
17 adjectives
| Greek | Translit. | Meaning |
|---|
| ἀγαθός, ή, όν | agathos | good |
| ἅγιος, α, ον | hagios | holy; (pl) saints |
| ἀγαπητός, ή, όν | agapētos | beloved |
| αἰώνιος, ον | aiōnios | eternal (2-termination) |
| ἄλλος, η, ο | allos | other (of same kind) |
| δίκαιος, α, ον | dikaios | righteous, just |
| ἕτερος, α, ον | heteros | other (of different kind) |
| ἴδιος, α, ον | idios | one's own |
| καινός, ή, όν | kainos | new (in quality) |
| κακός, ή, όν | kakos | bad, evil |
| καλός, ή, όν | kalos | good, beautiful |
| μέγας, μεγάλη, μέγα | megas | great, large (irregular) |
| μόνος, η, ον | monos | only, alone |
| νεκρός, ά, όν | nekros | dead |
| πιστός, ή, όν | pistos | faithful, believing |
| πονηρός, ά, όν | ponēros | evil, wicked |
| πρῶτος, η, ον | prōtos | first |