Weeks 3–4: Introduction to Definite Articles

Introduction

In English, we use “the” to point to something specific: the man, the book, the disciple. Greek also uses definite articles, but they are far more significant and flexible than in English.

In fact, the Greek article is one of the most common words in the New Testament. To understand Greek sentences, you must learn how the article works.

Step 1: What Is the Greek Definite Article?

The definite article in Greek functions much like “the” in English, but it also plays additional roles:

• Identifies a noun as definite (specific, known, or particular).

• Agrees with the noun in gender, number, and case.

• Helps mark noun phrases (e.g., distinguishing between subject and predicate).

👉 Key idea: The Greek article always “tags along” with a noun, matching it in case, gender, and number.

Step 2: Forms of the Definite Article

The article has different forms depending on case, gender, and number.

Here are the singular and plural forms:

👉 Notice:

• Masculine, feminine, and neuter each have their own forms.

• The genitive plural (τῶν) is the same for all genders.

Step 3: Agreement with Nouns

The article must always agree with its noun in three ways:

1. Case (subject, object, etc.)

2. Number (singular or plural)

3. Gender (masculine, feminine, neuter)

Example:

• ὁ λόγος (ho logos) → “the word” (masculine nominative singular).

• τῆς γραφῆς (tēs graphēs) → “of the Scripture” (feminine genitive singular).

• τὰ δῶρα (ta dōra) → “the gifts” (neuter nominative/accusative plural).

Step 4: Articles in the New Testament

1. John 1:1

• ὁ λόγος (ho logos) → “the Word.”

• The article marks λόγος as the subject.

2. Matthew 5:1

• τοὺς ὄχλους (tous ochlous) → “the crowds.”

• Accusative plural masculine → object of “he saw.”

3. Luke 24:32

• ἡ καρδία (hē kardia) → “the heart.”

• Feminine nominative singular.

Step 5: Articles with Abstract or General Nouns

Greek often uses the article where English would not.

Example:

• ἡ ἀλήθεια (hē alētheia) → literally “the truth,” but often translated simply as “truth.”

• ἡ ἁμαρτία (hē hamartia) → “sin,” but literally “the sin.”

Practice Assignments

1. Article Recognition
Identify the gender, case, and number of each article:

• ὁ λόγος

• τῆς γραφῆς

• τοῖς μαθηταῖς

• τὰ δῶρα

2. Translation
Translate the following into English:

1. ὁ ἀνθρωπος βλέπει τὸν μαθητήν.

2. διδωσιν τὸ δῶρον τῷ παιδίῳ.

3. ἡ γραφὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀληθής ἐστιν.

3. Article + Noun Practice
Write out phrases pairing articles with nouns you know:

• “the disciple”

• “the Scriptures”

• “the kingdom”

4. Daily Practice
Memorize the article chart above (singular + plural). Recite it aloud each day until you can recall it without looking.

5. Scripturial App Practice
The Scripturial App does a phenomenal job of introducing these challenging topics in a logical way that gives your brain space and time to make room for the concepts to sink in. As you practice on the app, you will find that these concepts become more concrete for you. Do your best on the assignments above. Strive to understand and memorize the various forms. Give yourself time and don’t get frustrated. After working on this lesson, take a break and spend time on the app. Then return and take another stab at it. You will find that by going back and forth between this lesson and the app, the concepts will take root in your mind.

Encouragement

The Greek article is one of the most common and important features of the language. At first, memorizing all the forms may feel like a lot. But here’s the good news: because the article is so frequent, you will see it constantly, and it will quickly become second nature.

Every time you see an article in your reading, stop and ask:

• What noun is it attached to?

• What case, number, and gender does it indicate?

Do this consistently, and you’ll soon be able to read Greek sentences with much greater confidence and accuracy.

Keep pressing forward—you are building the foundation for real biblical exegesis.