Subject and object
In Greek it is not word order that says who does what — it is the form of the word.
What a case is for
Case marks the word’s role: the one acting (nominative) or the one acted on (accusative). Because the form carries that information, word order becomes flexible.
- Ο Νίκος βλέπει τον Γιώργο.Nikos sees Giorgos.
- Τον Γιώργο βλέπει ο Νίκος.Same meaning — the order changed, the roles did not.
The forms
The article changes most visibly. The masculine drops its -ς; the neuter never changes.
| ονομαστική | αιτιατική | |
|---|---|---|
| αρσ. | ο φίλος | τον φίλο |
| θηλ. | η φίλη | τη φίλη |
| ουδ. | το παιδί | το παιδί |
| πληθ. | οι φίλοι | τους φίλους |