Day One: Explaining Third Declension Nouns

• You have learned the first and second declension noun endings.
  • First declension: predominantly feminine.
  • Second declension: predominantly masculine and neuter.
• Third declension nouns can be masculine, feminine, or neuter.
• They have more complicated endings, but remembering the noun stem is enough. The stem of ἀγάπη is ἀγάπ, or simply αγαπ.

Third Declension endings

• The forms are the same in the G/A and D/L/I.
• Third Declension nouns are irregular because letters are sometimes added inside the word. You do not need to memorize these internal changes.
• You already know a Third Declension noun: πατήρ, ὁ father.

Declension of πατήρ

• Do not be stressed by the third declension. Remember the nominative form, stem, and endings; do not worry about internal changes.
• Here the stem is πατ. Match it with the endings above to recognize and parse the word.
• If you recognize πατ with the G/A plural ending ων, or the D/L/I plural ending σι(ν), you can translate without remembering the internal vowel.
• You already used this method with first and second declension endings: remember the stem and endings, then combine them.
• Today’s nouns have “liquid stems,” ending in λ, μ, ν, or ρ. Next week’s “mute stems” end in β, γ, δ, θ, κ, π, τ, φ, or χ. The stem and endings remain enough to translate them.
• Nouns have only first, second, or third declensions, so there are no more noun declensions to learn.

Day Two: New word: man, male, husband

• ἀνήρ, ἀνδρός, ὁ
• Pronounced: ah (short a) - nar (“ar” as in “arm”); second form: an (short a) - dros.
• For third declension nouns, the first word is nominative singular, the dictionary form. The second is genitive/ablative singular, the form used throughout the rest of the noun. Vocative forms are usually like the nominative forms.
• A vocative command stands out in context: “Father, love your children.”

Day Three: New word: mother

• μήτηρ, μητρός, ἡ
• Pronounced: may - tear; second form: may - tros.
• This is a third declension feminine noun. Remember the root μητ- and the endings, not the internal changes.

Day Four: New word: daughter

• θυγάτηρ, θυγατρός, ἡ
• Pronounced: thu - ga (short “a”) - tar; second form: thu - ga (short “a”) - tros.
• Root: θυγατ-; then identify the ending.

Day Five: New word: because, that; may mark the beginning of a quote

• ὅτι
• Pronounced: ho (short “o”) - ti (as in “tick”).
• It may begin a quote, but Greek has no closing quotation mark. Context usually makes the ending obvious.
• ὁ πατήρ λέγει τῷ υἰῷ ὅτι γράφεις μητέρα. The father says to the son, “You write mother.” μητέρα is accusative singular.

Day Six: Weekly Exercises

1. Ὁ υἱός καί ἡ θυγάτηρ λεγοῦσιν είς τον πατρός ὅτι θελόμεν βλέπειν Θεόν.
2. Ἰησοῦς δέ λέγει εἰς τόν ὂχλον ὅτι οὐ βλέπω τόν ἂγγελον.
3. Διά τόν ἀδελφόν πεμπομεν τόν προφήτην εἰς αἱ ἐκκλησίαι.
4. Ἔχουσι καί μητέρα καί πατέρα πρός τῷ ἰερῷ.
5. Ὁ μαθητἠς εύρισκει τό δῶρον ἐν τῷ οἰκῷ.
6. Αἱ βασιλείαι ἂνθρωπου ἀκούουσι λόγους Θεοῦ.
7. Διδάσκετε παραβολής ἐν τῇ ἠμερᾷ.
8. Λαμβάνει ἂρτον ἀπο τέκνου.
9. Ἡ μήτηρ τῆς μαθητοῦ πέμπει καρπόν εἰς τήν μαθητόν.
10. Πρός Θεοῦ πέμπω καρπόν πρός Ἰησουν.

Answers

1. The son and the daughter say to the father, “We wish to see God.”
2. But Jesus says to the crowd, “I do not see the messenger.”
3. Because of the brother we send the prophet to the churches.
4. We have both a mother and a father at (or near) the temple.
5. The disciple finds the gift in the house.
6. The kingdoms of people hear words of God.
7. You (plural) teach parables in the day.
8. He/she takes bread away from a child. Or: He/she receives bread from a child.
9. The mother of the disciple sends fruit to the disciple.
   • ὁ μαθητής has a masculine article and feminine noun endings, so the article uses masculine endings and the noun uses feminine endings.
10. For the sake of God I send fruit with Jesus.

What you have learned so far

1. Present Active Indicative endings

2. Present active indicative of εἰμί

3. Masculine definite article

4. Neuter definite article

5. Feminine definite article

6. First Declension endings: Feminine

7. Second Declension: Masculine

8. Second Declension: Neuter

9a. Third Declension: Masculine and Feminine

9b. Third Declension: Neuter

Vocabulary