| Greek | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ἀληθής, ἀληθές | true | |
| μέγας, μεγάλη, μέγα | great | megaton, megaphone, megalomania |
| πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν | every, all | pantheistic, pandemonium |
| πολύς, πολλή, πολύ | much, many | polygon, polygamy |
| ἰσχυρός, -α, -ον | strong |
Adjectives
- We have already studied adjectives in a previous lesson where we said that adjectives modify nouns.
- Those adjectives followed the second declension in the masculine and neuter and the first declension in the feminine.
- The adjectives μέγας and πολύς follow the 2nd declension in the masculine and neuter and 1st declension in the feminine; but they also have some short forms.
| Singular | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc | Fem | Neut | |
| Nom | μέγας | μεγάλη | μέγα |
| Gen | μεγάλου | μεγάλης | μεγάλου |
| Dat | μεγάλῳ | μεγάλῃ | μεγάλῳ |
| Acc | μέγαν | μεγάλην | μέγα |
| Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc | Fem | Neut | |
| Nom | μεγάλοι | μεγάλαι | μεγάλα |
| Gen | μεγάλων | μεγλών | μεγάλων |
| Dat | μεγάλοις | μεγάλαις | μεγάλοις |
| Acc | μεγάλους | μεγάλας | μεγάλα |
| Singular | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc | Fem | Neut | |
| Nom | πολύς | πολλή | πολύ |
| Gen | πολλοῦ | πολλῆς | πολλοῦ |
| Dat | πολλῷ | πολλῇ | πολλῷ |
| Acc | πολύν | πολλήν | πολύ |
| Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc | Fem | Neut | |
| Nom | πολλοί | πολλαί | πολλά |
| Gen | πολλῶν | πολλῶν | πολλῶν |
| Dat | πολλοῖς | πολλαῖς | πολλοῖς |
| Acc | πολλούς | πολλάς | πολλά |
- The adjective ἀληθής follows the 3rd declension for all forms, but there is only one form for both the masculine and feminine.
| Singular | Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masc & Fem | Neut | Masc & Fem | Neut | |
| Nom | ἀληθής | ἀληθές | ἀληθεῖς | ἀληθῆ |
| Gen | ἀληθοῦς | ἀληθοῦς | ἀληθῶν | ἀληθῶν |
| Dat | ἀληθεῖ | ἀληθεῖ | ἀληθέσι (ν) | ἀληθέσι (ν) |
| Acc | ἀληθῆ | ἀληθές | ἀληθεῖς | ἀληθῆ |
- The adjective πᾶς follows the 3rd declension in the masculine and neuter and the 1st declension in the feminine.
| Singular | Plural | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masc | Fem | Neut | Masc | Fem | Neut | |
| Nom | πᾶς | πᾶσα | πᾶν | πάντες | πᾶσαι | πάντα |
| Gen | παντός | πάσης | παντός | πάντων | πασῶν | πάντων |
| Dat | παντί | πάσῃ | παντί | πᾶσι (ν) | πάσαις | πάσι (ν) |
| Acc | πάντα | πᾶσαν | πᾶν | πάντας | πάσας | πάντα |
- Notes:
- In the predicate position (no "the" in front of the adjective) translate as "all the" – πᾶσα ἡ πόλις = "all the city."
- Attributive position ("the" in front of the adjective) translate as the whole – ἡ πᾶσα πόλις = "the whole city."
- Anarthrous noun (no "the" in front of the noun) translate as every – πᾶσα πόλις = "every city."
- Predicate position with a participle: πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων = "everyone who believes."
Degrees of adjectives
- Just like English, adjectives in Greek have three degrees:
- positive, comparative, and superlative
- Example: good, better, best
- The positive form is the one we have been using all along.
- In English the comparative is strictly used when there are only two items or groups being compared.
- Bob is faster than Bill.
- Honey is sweeter than bread.
- Roses are more beautiful than pansies.
- In Greek, the comparative form is usually used between two groups, but sometimes used among several groups
- To the stem of the adjective, add -τερος, -α, -ον and decline it like a regular adjective (2nd declension in masculine and neuter, 1st declension in feminine)
- If there is an article ("the") in front of the comparative adjective, then it acts like a superlative.
- ὁ μικρότερος ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν "the least in the kingdom of heaven."
| Comparative Singular | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc. | Fem. | Neut. | |
| NOM | -τερος | -τέρα | -τερον |
| GEN | -τέρου | -τέρας | -τέρου |
| DAT | -τέρῳ | -τέρᾳ | -τέρῳ |
| ACC | -τερον | -τέραν | -τερον |
| Comparative Plural | |||
| Masc. | Fem. | Neut. | |
| NOM | -τεροι | -τεραι | -τέρα |
| GEN | -τέρων | -τέρων | -τέρων |
| DAT | -τέροις | -τέραις | -τέροις |
| ACC | -τέρους | -τέρας | -τέρα |
- The superlative form is used among several items or groups
- To the stem of the adjective, add -τατος, -η, -ον or -ιστος, -η, -ον.
- There are only three superlative forms in the New Testament.
- When the superlative form is used in the New Testament it has an elative sense and is translated "very" or "exceedingly."
| Superlative Singular | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc. | Fem. | Neut. | |
| NOM | -τατος -ιστος | -τάτη -ίστη | -τατον -ιστον |
| GEN | -τάτου -ιστου | -τάτης -ίστης | -τάτου -ιστου |
| DAT | -τάτῳ -ίστῳ | -τάτῃ -ίστῃ | -τάτῳ -ίστῳ |
| ACC | -τατον -ιστον | -τάτην -ίστην | -τατον -ιστον |
| Superlative Plural | |||
| Masc. | Fem. | Neut. | |
| NOM | -τατοι -ιστοι | -ταται -ισται | -τατα -ιστα |
| GEN | -τάτων -ίστων | -τάτων -ίστων | -τάτων -ίστων |
| DAT | -τάτοις -ίστοις | -τάταις -ίσταις | -τάτοις -ίστοις |
| ACC | -τάτους -ίστους | -τάτας -ίστας | -τατα -ιστα |
Pattern:
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| ἰσχυρός ἰσχυρά ἰσχυρόν strong | ἰσχυρότερος ἰσχυρότερα ἰσχυρότερον stronger | ἰσχυρότατος ἰσχυρότατη ἰσχυρότατον strongest |
| νέος νέα νέον new | νεώτερος νεώτερα νεώτερον newer | νεώτατος νεώτατη νεώτατον newest |
| σοφός σοφή σοφόν wise | σοφώτερος σοφώτερα σοφώτερον wiser | σοφώτατος σοφώτατη σοφώτατον wisest |
| μικρός little | ἐλσσώ less | ἐλάχιστος least |
Adverbs
- Adverbs are formed by replacing the -ων ending of the Gen. plural of a noun with -ως
| Adjective | Meaning | Gen. Plur. | Adverb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἁπλοῦς | simple | ἁπλῶν | ἁπλῶς | simply |
| δίκαιος | just | δικαίων | δικαίως | justly |
| εὐδαίμων | happy | εὐδαιμόνων | εὐδαιμόνως | happily |
| ἡδύς | sweet | ἡδέων | ἡδέως | sweetly |
| κακός | bad | κακών | κακῶς | badly |
| καλός | good | καλών | καλῶς | well |
| πᾶς | all | πάντων | πάντως | in all ways |
| σαφής | clear | σαφῶν | σαφῶς | clearly |
| σοφός | wise | σοφῶν | σοφῶς | wisely |
| συνήθης | customary | συνήθων | συνήθως | customarily |
- Sometimes the neuter of an adjective serves as an adverb
- ταχύ = quickly
- πολύ = much
- μικρόν = a little
- Adverbs can also be expressed as comparative or superlative
- Comparative adverbs are expressed by the Acc Sing. Neut. of the comparative adjective
- Superlative adverbs are expressed by the Acc Plur. Neut. of the superlative adjective
- Examples:
| Adverb | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| ἁπλῶς simply | ἁπλούστερον more simply | ἁπλούστατα most simply |
| εὐδαιμόνως happily | εὐδαιμονέστερον more happily | εὐδαιμονέστατα most happily |
| σαφῶς clearly | σαφέστερον more clearly | σαφέστατα most clearly |
| σοφῶς wisely | σοφώτερον more wisely | σοφώτατα most wisely |
Translate the following:
- I John 2:1-6
2 καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστιν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, οὐ περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων δὲ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου.
3 καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν.
4 ὁ λέγων ὅτι ἔγνωκα αὐτὸν καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ μὴ τηρῶν, ψεύστης ἐστὶν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν·
5 ὃς δ᾿ ἂν τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον, ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ τετελείωται, ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν.
6 ὁ λέγων ἐν αὐτῷ μένειν ὀφείλει καθὼς ἐκεῖνος περιεπάτησεν καὶ αὐτὸς [οὕτως] περιπατεῖν.