Lesson 2 | Greek Nouns: The First Noun Pattern

Grammar Point 1: The Parts of a Greek Noun

In this lesson, we’re going to learn about the parts of a Greek noun, the different forms they can have, and one specific pattern of forms called the First Noun Pattern.

Parts of a Greek Noun
Greek nouns have four elements: stem, case, gender, and number.
Stem: A noun’s stem is its root or core. A noun’s stem communicates its meaning and cannot change (except for its final letter which may be dropped or altered when absorbing an ending).
Case: A noun’s case tells us its function or role in the sentence. A noun’s case will change when it plays different roles.
Gender: A noun’s gender cannot change. Its gender will either be masculine, feminine, or neuter. This is grammatical gender not biological. It does not mean that ἀγάπη is a feminine concept and that προφήτης is masculine. A noun’s gender tells us about what pattern it will follow and what other words it relates to.
Number: Finally, every Greek noun communicates number: singular or plural. And like a noun’s case, its number can change between singular and plural. This happens in English too. When I’m speaking about one of my sons, I say: “He is my son.” But when I’m speaking about all of my sons, I say: “They are my sons.” “He” changes to “they” and “son” changes to “sons.”

The Forms of ἀγάπη
Now, let’s look at the different forms a noun can take. Look at the chart below to see how ἀγάπη changes and does not change.


What do you notice about the different forms of ἀγάπη? What stays the same? What is different?
The noun’s stem (ἀγάπη) and gender (feminine) stay the same, but its case and number change. What happens when the case and number change? The noun’s ending changes. This is important. Whenever you encounter a Greek noun, you need to identify its stem and then look at the ending to determine its role in the sentence.
Note: Remember that extra information for nouns in our vocabulary? For example, you did not just learn ἀγάπη, but ἀγάπη, -ης, ἡ. The first piece of extra information -ης is the genitive singular ending. More on this in a future lesson.
Let’s practice. You will see a form of ἀγάπη on the quizlet flashcards below. Use the chart to parse the noun. That means I want you to tell me the noun’s lexical form (what it looks like in the nominative case), along with its case, gender, and number. Remember, a noun’s case and number can change, but its stem and gender do not change. For example, if the card shows ἀγάπας, you should parse it this way: “accusative, feminine, plural from ἀγάπη.”
(If the parsing currently appears first because you flipped cards around on a previous quizlet, flip them around again by clicking the double arrow button underneath the cards.)


Now let’s try again. But this time, let’s start from the parsing. In the quizlet above, click the double arrow button underneath the cards to flip them around. Then, find the form which corresponds with each parsing on the chart. For example, if the card says “accusative, feminine, plural from ἀγάπη,” then you should find: ἀγάπας.
I know that this is a lot of information. We are getting deep into grammar here, and we are going to go much deeper in this lesson and future lessons. But remember that this is not just grammar. We are learning so that we can read God’s Book. God has written a book for us. In the Greek grammar and words of the NT, we can know God! He shares his thoughts and his heart with us! So, press on. If you need some more encouragement, watch this five minute video from Pastor John Piper about reading the Bible as God’s book: