DEFINITE ARTICLE

The definite article is the word for ‘the’.

This does not exist in Latin, and we simply supply the word. In Greek, if it is before a noun, we use ‘the’; if it is not present, we use ‘a’.

It agrees with its noun in number, gender and case. E.g. ὁ δοῦλος (masculine, nominative, singular)

Here is how it declines:

*Notice the masculine/feminine, nominative, singular/plural begin with a vowel and have a rough breathing!

** Also notice the iota subscript in the dative singulars.

Uses of the Definite Article:

• It can be used with a noun (E.g. ὁ δοῦλος = the slave)

• It can be used with an adjective (E.g. οἱ σοφοί = the wise men)

• It can also be used with a participle (E.g. οἱ παύοντες = Those stopping) - This is also known as an attributive participle, the participle has become a noun.

  • Here, the participle can take an object or prepositional phrase also! It is sandwiched between the definite article and the participle (E.g. οἱ τὸν ἳππον παύοντες = the men stopping the horse)

• It can also be used with an adverb (E.g. οἱ ἐκεῖ = the men there)

• It can also be used with a prepositional phrase (e.g. οἱ ἐν τῇ κώμη = the men in the village)

• It can be used to show contrast, with μέν…δέ… and no noun (E.g. οἱ μὲν ἒπαυσαν, οἱ δὲ ἒφυγον = Some men stopped, but others ran away.)

• They are also used in partitive genitives (E.g. οἱ τῶν ἳππων = some of the horses)

If there is no noun, we simply infer the noun from the number and gender of the definite article - for example, if it is masculine it will be a man/men etc.