Understanding the Nominative Case in Greek
In the Greek language, the nominative case is used to show the subject of a sentence. The subject is the person, animal, or thing doing the action or being described. Think of it as the 'who' or 'what' in the sentence that is the main focus.
Important Points
- The nominative case is used for the subject of the sentence.
- It is also used for the predicate noun, which comes after the verb 'to be' and describes the subject.
- Nouns, pronouns, and adjectives must all agree in the nominative case.
- The nominative case is the dictionary form of a noun.
In Greek, nouns change their form depending on their role in the sentence. This is called 'declension.' For example, the word for 'cat' in Greek is 'γάτα.' In the nominative case, it stays as 'γάτα' when it is the subject.
Examples
- Η γάτα κοιμάται. (The cat is sleeping.)
- Ο σκύλος τρέχει. (The dog is running.)
- Το παιδί παίζει. (The child is playing.)
Adjectives in the nominative case must match the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. For example, if you have a feminine noun in the nominative case, the adjective should also be feminine and in the nominative case.
Examples
- Η μεγάλη γάτα κοιμάται. (The big cat is sleeping.)
- Ο καλός σκύλος τρέχει. (The good dog is running.)
- Το μικρό παιδί παίζει. (The small child is playing.)
The nominative case is also used for naming things or when pointing them out. For example, when you say 'This is a cat,' the word 'cat' would be in the nominative case.
Examples
- Αυτός είναι ο σκύλος. (This is the dog.)
- Αυτή είναι η γάτα. (This is the cat.)
- Αυτό είναι το βιβλίο. (This is the book.)