άλλος looks like an easy word: other, another, done. It is not, and the reason is that English splits this territory three ways — another, the other, more — while Greek uses one word and lets the article and the little particle κι carry the difference. Getting Θέλεις άλλο κρασί; to mean "do you want more wine?" rather than "do you want different wine?" is a matter of knowing which frame you are in, and that is what this page builds.
The paradigm
άλλος is a plain -ος / -η / -ο adjective, of the type on regular adjectives in -ος / -η / -ο. The stress never moves off the first syllable, however long the ending gets.
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. sg. | άλλος | άλλη | άλλο |
| Gen. sg. | άλλου | άλλης | άλλου |
| Acc. sg. | άλλο(ν) | άλλη | άλλο |
| Nom. pl. | άλλοι | άλλες | άλλα |
| Gen. pl. | άλλων (one form for all three genders) | ||
| Acc. pl. | άλλους | άλλες | άλλα |
The masculine accusative keeps its -ν when the word is standing alone as a pronoun (τον άλλον) and usually loses it in front of a noun (τον άλλο μήνα). Both spellings are accepted in either position. And note the double λ, which is silent — Greek does not lengthen consonants — but which is written throughout the whole family: άλλος, αλλού, αλλιώς, άλλωστε.
Πάμε άλλη μέρα, σήμερα είμαι πτώμα.
páme áli méra, símera íme ptóma
Let's go another day — I'm dead on my feet today.
Ήρθε ένας άλλος τεχνικός και το έφτιαξε σε δέκα λεπτά.
írthe énas álos technikós ke to éftiakse se dhéka leptá
A different engineer came and fixed it in ten minutes.
Τα ονόματα των άλλων υποψηφίων δεν ανακοινώθηκαν ποτέ.
ta onómata ton álon ipopsifíon dhen anakinóthikan poté
The other candidates' names were never announced.
The article decides: "another" or "the other"
This is the core distinction, and it works exactly as the definite article works everywhere else — it says you already know which one I mean.
- άλλος + noun, with no article: another, a different one, out of an open set.
- ο άλλος + noun: the other one, out of a closed set you have both got in mind.
Ρώτα κι έναν άλλο γιατρό πριν αποφασίσεις για το χειρουργείο.
róta ki énan álo yatró prin apofasísis ya to chiruryío
Ask another doctor as well before you decide about the operation.
Ο άλλος μου αδερφός δουλεύει σε καράβι, δεν τον βλέπουμε συχνά.
o álos mu adherfós dhulévi se karávi, dhen ton vlépume sichná
My other brother works on a ship — we don't see him often.
Τα άλλα παιδιά είχαν ήδη φύγει για το γήπεδο.
ta ála pedhiá íchan ídhi fíyi ya to yípedho
The other children had already left for the pitch.
The second sentence is the one that catches English speakers, because English my other brother shows no article at all — the possessive has eaten it. Greek keeps both: ο άλλος μου αδερφός, or equally ο άλλος αδερφός μου. Leave the article off and the phrase stops meaning "the other".
Standing alone, οι άλλοι means the others and, by a small extension, other people — the ones whose opinion you are worrying about:
Και τι θα πουν οι άλλοι; Έτσι σκέφτεται όλη η γειτονιά.
ke ti tha pun i áli; étsi skéftete óli i yitoniá
And what will people say? That's how the whole neighbourhood thinks.
The sense English never predicts: "more"
Here is the part no textbook warns you about. With a mass noun, or in an offer, the reading that comes first is not "different" but more of the same. English uses a completely different word here, so nothing in your first language points you at άλλος.
Θέλεις άλλο κρασί ή προτιμάς να πάμε για καφέ;
thélis álo krasí i protimás na páme ya kafé;
Do you want more wine, or would you rather we went for a coffee?
Δεν έχω άλλα λεφτά μέχρι την Παρασκευή, δανείζεσαι από αλλού.
dhen écho ála leftá méchri tin Paraskeví, dhanízese apó alú
I've got no more money until Friday — borrow from somewhere else.
Because άλλος can carry either reading, Greek has two ways of pinning down the additive one. The first is κι (the reduced και) in front of it: κι άλλος is unambiguously more, yet more, another one on top.
Θέλει κι άλλο παγωτό, δεν του φτάνει ποτέ.
théli ki álo paghotó, dhen tu ftáni poté
He wants more ice cream — it's never enough for him.
Ήρθαν κι άλλοι, δεν χωράμε πια στο τραπέζι.
írthan ki áli, dhen choráme pia sto trapézi
More people have turned up — we don't fit round the table any more.
The second is word order, and it is the sharper tool of the two. With the indefinite article the two orders split cleanly: ένας άλλος καφές is a different coffee, while άλλος ένας καφές is one more coffee — the same contrast as ένας άλλος τεχνικός further up. Numerals work the same way: άλλες δύο μπίρες is "two more beers", never "two different beers", so a numeral makes bare άλλος additive with no help from κι.
Έμεινε άλλη μία θέση στο μάθημα, αν βιαστείς.
émine áli mía thési sto máthima, an viastís
There's one more place left on the course, if you hurry.
Neuter άλλο on its own also works as an adverb meaning any more, any further, and it is one of the commonest ways to end an argument or a meal:
Δεν αντέχω άλλο αυτή τη ζέστη, ανοίγω κλιματιστικό.
dhen andécho álo aftí ti zésti, anígho klimatistikó
I can't stand this heat any longer — I'm putting the air conditioning on.
ο άλλος in time expressions: "next"
Attached to a time word, ο άλλος means next — and this is far more common in speech than the textbook επόμενος.
Την άλλη βδομάδα φεύγω για Κρήτη, δεν θα είμαι εδώ.
tin áli vdhomádha févgho ya Kríti, dhen tha íme edhó
I'm off to Crete next week — I won't be here.
Τον άλλο μήνα κλείνω τα σαράντα και δεν το έχω χωνέψει.
ton álo mína klíno ta saránda ke dhen to écho chonépsi
I turn forty next month and I haven't come to terms with it.
In a past narrative the same phrase shifts to the next day, the following morning — the "next one along" from wherever the story has got to:
Την άλλη μέρα ξύπνησε και δεν θυμόταν απολύτως τίποτα.
tin áli méra ksípnise ke dhen thimótan apolítos típota
The next day he woke up and couldn't remember a thing.
Without the article the same noun goes back to "some other, another": άλλη φορά is the standard soft refusal — another time, i.e. not now — and it is one of the most useful phrases on this page.
Άλλη φορά, σήμερα δεν προλαβαίνω με τίποτα.
áli forá, símera dhen prolavéno me típota
Another time — today there's no way I'll make it.
Teaming up with the indefinites
άλλος slots in after κάποιος, κανένας, κάτι, τίποτα and the question words, in the same order English uses for someone else:
| Greek | English | Context |
|---|---|---|
| κάποιος άλλος | someone else | statement |
| κάτι άλλο | something else | statement, question |
| κανένας άλλος | nobody else | with δεν |
| τίποτα άλλο | nothing / anything else | with δεν, or a question |
| ποιος άλλος; / τι άλλο; | who else? / what else? | question |
| πού αλλού; | where else? | question — note the adverb |
Θα βρούμε κάποιον άλλο να το κάνει, μην ανησυχείς.
tha vrúme kápion álo na to káni, min anisichís
We'll find someone else to do it — don't worry.
Κανένας άλλος δεν ήξερε τον κωδικό, μόνο εγώ κι εσύ.
kanénas álos dhen íksere ton kodhikó, móno eghó ki esí
Nobody else knew the code — only you and me.
Θέλετε τίποτα άλλο ή να φέρω τον λογαριασμό;
thélete típota álo i na féro ton loghariazmó;
Would you like anything else, or shall I bring the bill?
Ποιος άλλος ξέρει γι' αυτό; Γιατί το έμαθε όλο το γραφείο.
pios álos kséri yaftó; yatí to émathe ólo to ghrafío
Who else knows about this? Because the whole office has heard.
Under negation the partner word switches to the negative series, as always: κάποιος άλλος becomes κανένας άλλος, κάτι άλλο becomes τίποτα άλλο. That swap is the subject of κανένας and μερικοί, κάποιος, κάτι.
ο ένας… τον άλλον: "each other"
Greek builds its everyday reciprocal out of one and other: ο ένας… τον άλλον, with the first half in the case of the subject and the second half in the case the verb assigns. It agrees for gender, so two women are η μία… την άλλη.
Κοιτάχτηκαν ο ένας τον άλλον και δεν είπαν λέξη.
kitáchtikan o énas ton álon ke dhen ípan léksi
They looked at each other and didn't say a word.
Στηρίζουν ο ένας τον άλλον από τότε που έχασαν τη δουλειά τους.
stirízun o énas ton álon apó tóte pu échasan ti dhuliá tus
They've supported each other ever since they lost their jobs.
The variant ο ένας μετά τον άλλον ("one after the other") and the more formal αλλήλους series belong to reciprocal pronouns, where the case rules are worked out properly.
The adverbs from the same root
Three high-frequency words share άλλος's stem and its double λ, and all three are adverbs, so they never agree with anything: αλλού (elsewhere, of a place), αλλιώς (otherwise, differently, or else) and άλλωστε, a sentence adverb that tacks on a clinching afterthought — besides, in any case.
Πάμε αλλού, εδώ έχει πολλή φασαρία και δεν ακουγόμαστε.
páme alú, edhó échi polí fasaría ke dhen akughómaste
Let's go somewhere else — it's too noisy here and we can't hear each other.
Άλλωστε, δεν είχαμε και πολλές επιλογές εκείνη τη στιγμή.
áloste, dhen íchame ke polés epiloyés ekíni ti stighmí
Besides, we didn't have many options at that moment.
Finally, the contrastive frame άλλο… κι άλλο is how Greek says X is one thing and Y is another:
Άλλο πράγμα η θεωρία κι άλλο η πράξη.
álo prághma i theoría ki álo i práksi
Theory is one thing and practice is another.
Common Mistakes
1. Freezing άλλο as if it were the English word more. It is an adjective and has to agree.
❌ Φέρε μας άλλο μπίρες, παρακαλώ.
Incorrect — μπίρες is feminine plural, so it is άλλες: Φέρε μας άλλες δύο μπίρες.
✅ Φέρε μας άλλες δύο μπίρες, παρακαλώ.
fére mas áles dhío bíres, parakaló
Bring us another two beers, please.
2. Dropping the article in "my other …". English hides the article behind the possessive; Greek does not.
❌ Άλλη μου αδερφή μένει στην Πάτρα.
Incorrect — 'the other' needs the definite article: Η άλλη μου αδερφή.
✅ Η άλλη μου αδερφή μένει στην Πάτρα με τα παιδιά της.
i áli mu adherfí méni stin Pátra me ta pedhiá tis
My other sister lives in Patras with her children.
3. Reaching for the article to mean "another". Greek uses the definite article in many places English does not, so learners add it here too — but it does not strengthen "another", it switches the phrase to "the other one". Both sentences below are correct Greek; they order different coffees.
✅ Θα ήθελα άλλον έναν καφέ, αυτός κρύωσε.
tha íthela álon énan kafé, aftós kríose
I'd like another coffee — this one's gone cold. (a second coffee)
✅ Θα ήθελα τον άλλο καφέ, αυτός κρύωσε.
tha íthela ton álo kafé, aftós kríose
I'd like the other coffee — this one's gone cold. (the second of the two already on the tray)
4. Leaving άλλος uninflected after a question word. Who else is ποιος άλλος, with both words agreeing.
❌ Ποιος άλλο ήρθε μαζί σου στο νοσοκομείο;
Incorrect — άλλος agrees with ποιος, so it is masculine: Ποιος άλλος ήρθε;
✅ Ποιος άλλος ήρθε μαζί σου στο νοσοκομείο;
pios álos írthe mazí su sto nosokomío;
Who else came with you to the hospital?
5. Repeating the article in the reciprocal. The second half of ο ένας… τον άλλον takes the case the verb assigns, not a copy of the nominative.
❌ Βοηθάνε ο ένας ο άλλος όποτε χρειάζεται.
Incorrect — βοηθάω takes an accusative object, so the second half is τον άλλον.
✅ Βοηθάνε ο ένας τον άλλον όποτε χρειάζεται κάτι.
voitháne o énas ton álon ópote chriázete káti
They help each other out whenever anything's needed.
Key Takeaways
- άλλος declines like a regular -ος / -η / -ο adjective with fixed initial stress, and the genitive plural άλλων covers all three genders.
- No article = "another / a different one"; the definite article = "the other one" — άλλος γιατρός against ο άλλος γιατρός. English my other brother still needs the Greek article: ο άλλος μου αδερφός.
- With a mass noun or in an offer, άλλος means more: Θέλεις άλλο κρασί; Add κι to force that reading — κι άλλο is unambiguously "more of the same".
- Neuter άλλο doubles as an adverb, any more: Δεν αντέχω άλλο.
- Την άλλη βδομάδα / τον άλλο μήνα = next week / next month, and in a past narrative την άλλη μέρα is the next day.
- άλλος follows its partner in κάποιος άλλος, κάτι άλλο, κανένας άλλος, τίποτα άλλο, ποιος άλλος — and the partner switches to the negative series under δεν.
- ο ένας… τον άλλον is everyday "each other"; the same root gives the invariable adverbs αλλού, αλλιώς and άλλωστε.
Now practice Greek
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Greek →Related Topics
- Some: μερικοί, κάποιος, κάτιB1 — The three ways Greek says 'some' — plural-only μερικοί/μερικές/μερικά for a handful of countable things, the fully declined κάποιος for a single unidentified one ('some man or other'), and invariable κάτι, which is 'something' but also, in speech, a vague plural quantifier (κάτι παιδιά) — plus why κάτι and κάποιος must become τίποτα and κανένας under negation.
- Reciprocal: 'each other'B1 — The full inventory of Greek's 'each other' devices: the verb ending, the everyday μεταξύ τους, and the precise ο ένας τον άλλον — how the phrase is built out of two slots (a nominative echo of the subject, then whatever case the verb or preposition wants), why the preposition goes in the middle, the feminine η μία την άλλη and neuter το ένα το άλλο, the genitive ο ένας του άλλου, the sequential ο ένας μετά τον άλλον, and the learned αλλήλων you read but never say.
- κανένας: 'no/any' and NegationA2 — κανένας / καμιά / κανένα is Greek's 'nobody' and its 'any' in one word, and it never works alone: Δεν ήρθε κανείς needs both δεν and κανείς, because Greek stacks negatives instead of cancelling them. Full paradigm, the κανείς/κανένας doublet, the obligatory δεν even in Κανείς δεν ήρθε, and the friendly spoken reading in Πάμε για κανένα ποτό;
- κάθε and καθένας: 'each/every'A2 — κάθε is the one determiner in Greek that never changes shape and never takes an article — κάθε μέρα, κάθε άνθρωπος, κάθε δύο ώρες — and it forces a singular noun and a singular verb where English says 'everyone… their'. Its pronoun partner does decline (ο καθένας, του καθενός, της καθεμιάς), and with the article it is the everyday word for 'everyone'.