# ειλικρινής



## BrendaP

When an adjective ends in accented ής, how can you tell if it's in the category where masculine and feminine are the same?  For example, (masc.)ειλικρινής...(fem.)ειλικρινία, or ειλικρινής?  Is there a "rule" that can help me with this?


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## Perseas

The adjectives that end in -ης/ής have this ending for both the masculine and the feminine gender and the neutral has ending -ές/ες.

For example:
ο/η ειλικρινής, το ειλικρινές
 ο/η συνήθης, το σύνηθες


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## BrendaP

Thanks Perseas.  I was confused because my "_GREEK...An Essential Grammer of the Modern Language" _mentions several adjectives in which the endings are  ής, ιά, ί.  although it does mention that this category consists mostly of adjectives denoting colour or material.  So...you've cleared it up and made it easier for me!  Thanks, again.


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## Perseas

Hi Brenda,

I thought you were speaking of Ancient Greek grammar.
In Modern Greek there are indeed adjectives that have the endings you have mentioned; so you were right. 

For example:ο καφετ-ής/η καφετ-ιά/το καφετ-ί.

Or also: ο ζηλιάρ-ης/η ζηλιάρ-α/το ζηλιάρ-ικο.
Οr the endings I was referred to before: ο/η συνεχ-ής, το συνεχ-ές.
Or ο βαθ-ύς, η βαθ-ειά, το βαθ-ύ.


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## BrendaP

Oh, no!  That puts me back to my original confusion!  So, how can I tell which ones end which way?? And is  ο/η ειλικρινής, το ειλικρινές  correct for modern Greek?


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## Librarian44

You simply can't. You'll have to rely on your "feeling" of the language  ! And yes, ο/η ειλικρινής, το ειλικρινές is correct for modern Greek as there is no other way of saying it. But what about ο/η ευγενής, το ευγενές (which, being probably old enough to be your mother, I prefer) and ο ευγενικός, η ευγενική (you could also say ευγενικιά, to mean "noble", not "polite", as in η ευγενικιά μορφή του), το ευγενικό ? The only help I can offer is that adjectives like the ones Perseas mentions (ο καφετής, η καφετιά, το καφετί) are used mostly to denote colour.


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## BrendaP

Thank you so much for your help, Librarian!  I was afraid my question had fallen so far down the list it would never be seen again! Thank you for the other examples...but they make me wonder if I'm wrong in what I believe ειλικρινής means.  I'm thinking "honest" or "sincere" rather than "noble" or "polite".  Perhaps I should be using a better adjective?  Would τίμιος/τίμια/τίμιο be better?  Or, maybe something else?  And how would you express "Honestly!!" ?  I doubt if you're old enough to be my mother...she was born in 1920! I'm one of the few senior citizens working on learning Greek and I couldn't do it without the help I receive here! Thanks again.


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## sotos

BrendaP said:


> I'm thinking "honest" or "sincere" rather than "noble" or "polite".  Perhaps I should be using a better adjective?  Would τίμιος/τίμια/τίμιο be better?  Or, maybe something else?  And how would you express "Honestly!!" ?  I doubt if you're old enough to be my mother...she was born in 1920! I'm one of the few senior citizens working on learning Greek and I couldn't do it without the help I receive here! Thanks again.


 ειλικρινής means sincere, honest, with the sense of "telling the truth, not a liar" . Tίμιος means honest in the sense of "not cheating of betraying". Of course these meanings are overlaping in some cases. A τιμιος (or έντιμος) is a permanent characteristic and he should also be ειλικρινής. The latter may refer to something temporary, e.g. "Θέλω να είμαι ειλικρινής μαζί σου ..." (I want to tell you the truth). Honestly is ειλικρινά (ειλικρινώς in katharevoussa).


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## BrendaP

Thank you sotos!  That really clears it all up and now I can put this question to rest!


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