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Questions & Answers about Ο αριθμός είναι εκατό.
What does ο mean here?
ο is the masculine singular definite article in the nominative case. In simple terms, it means the.
So:
- ο αριθμός = the number
Greek articles change for gender, number, and case, unlike English the, which never changes.
Why is it ο αριθμός and not some other form of the?
Because αριθμός is a masculine singular noun and it is the subject of the sentence.
Greek definite articles change depending on the noun:
- ο = masculine singular nominative
- η = feminine singular nominative
- το = neuter singular nominative
Since αριθμός is masculine, the correct article is ο.
What case is αριθμός in?
It is in the nominative case, because it is the subject of the sentence.
In Ο αριθμός είναι εκατό, the subject is the number — that is what the sentence is talking about.
The nominative is the basic dictionary form for many Greek nouns, so you will often meet αριθμός in this form first.
Why does αριθμός end in -ος?