Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/Present-Tense
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Introduction[edit | edit source]
Welcome to the lesson on the present tense in Modern Greek! In this lesson, you will learn how to form and use the present tense of verbs in Modern Greek. The present tense is used to describe actions that are happening now or situations that are currently true. It is an essential part of everyday communication, so mastering the present tense will greatly improve your ability to express yourself in Modern Greek.
Forming the Present Tense[edit | edit source]
When a verb is conjugated, we notice, we find that some part stays the same and some change
The present tense is formed by adding specific endings to the theme of the verb. The theme is the part of the verb that remains unchanged, while the endings indicate the subject and person performing the action. Let's take a look at the different verb endings in the present tense for each person.
e.g.
δέν-ω (bind)
δέν-εις
δέν-ει
δέν-ουμε
δένετ-ε
δέν-ουν
The part that changes : ω, -εις,-ει, -ουμε, -ετε, -ουν is called ending.
The part that remains constant (δέν-) is called theme.
The last sound of the theme - ν - is called the character.
* Note: The same thing is observed for the noun, the adjective, the pronoun and the participle.
The tenses are formed by three different subjects:
1. the present tense
2. the aorist (active infinitive)
3. the aorist (passive infinitive)
- The theme is an absolutely necessary element for the existence of a word.
- It is possible to have words without prefixes or suffixes (eg. άνθρωπ-ος: human).
- it is possible to exist words even without inflectional suffixes (eg. χτες /χθες : yesterday).
- But it is not possible to exist words or verbs without theme.
- Times referring to the present and future are called arctic, while times referring to the past are called historical in greek
First Person Singular[edit | edit source]
In the first person singular, we use the ending -ω (-o) for verbs ending in -ω (-o) and -ώ (-ó) for verbs ending in a vowel or a consonant. Here are a few examples to illustrate this:
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| φέρνω ('ferno) | férno | I bring |
| μιλώ ('milo) | mílo | I speak |
| αγαπώ ('agapó) | agapó | I love |
Second Person Singular[edit | edit source]
In the second person singular, we use the ending -εις (-is). Here are a few examples:
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| φέρνεις ('fernis) | férnis | you bring |
| μιλείς ('mílis) | mílis | you speak |
| αγαπείς ('agapís) | agapís | you love |
Third Person Singular[edit | edit source]
In the third person singular, we use the ending -ει (-i) for verbs ending in -ω (-o) and -εί (-í) for verbs ending in a vowel or a consonant. Here are a few examples:
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| φέρνει ('ferní) | férni | he/she/it brings |
| μιλάει ('milái) | milái | he/she/it speaks |
| αγαπάει ('agapái) | agapái | he/she/it loves |
First Person Plural[edit | edit source]
In the first person plural, we use the ending -ουμε (-oume). Here are a few examples:
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| φέρνουμε ('fernoume) | férnoume | we bring |
| μιλάμε ('miláme) | miláme | we speak |
| αγαπάμε ('agapáme) | agapáme | we love |
Second Person Plural[edit | edit source]
In the second person plural, we use the ending -ετε (-ete). Here are a few examples:
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| φέρνετε ('fernete) | férnete | you bring |
| μιλάτε ('miláte) | miláte | you speak |
| αγαπάτε ('agapáte) | agapáte | you love |
Third Person Plural[edit | edit source]
In the third person plural, we use the ending -ουν (-oun). Here are a few examples:
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| φέρνουν ('fernoun) | férnoun | they bring |
| μιλάνε ('miláne) | miláne | they speak |
| αγαπάνε ('agapáne) | agapáne | they love |
Using the Present Tense[edit | edit source]
Now that you know how to form the present tense, let's see how it is used in sentences. In addition to describing actions that are happening now or situations that are currently true, the present tense is also used to talk about habitual actions or general truths.
Habitual Actions[edit | edit source]
When using the present tense to talk about habitual actions, we often use adverbs or time expressions to indicate frequency. Here are a few examples:
- κάθε πρωί, πηγαίνω στο γυμναστήριο (káthe proí pigènw sto ymnastírio ) - I go to the gym every morning.
- Τρώω υγιεινά. (Tróo yiiná) - I eat healthily.
- Πάντα πίνουμε τον καφέ μας το πρωί. (Pánta pínume ton kafé mas to proí) - We always drink our coffee in the morning.
General Truths[edit | edit source]
The present tense is also used to express general truths or universal facts. Here are a few examples:
- Η γη γυρίζει γύρω από τον ήλιο. (I yi yirízi yíro apó ton ílio) - The Earth revolves around the sun.
- Το νερό βράζει στους 100 βαθμούς Κελσίου. (To neró vrázi stous 100 vathmús Kelsíou) - Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
- Ο άνθρωπος αναπνέει για να ζήσει. (O ánthropos anapnéi ya na zísi) - Humans breathe to live.
Irregular Verbs[edit | edit source]
While most verbs follow the regular patterns for conjugation in the present tense, there are some irregular verbs that have unique forms. Here are a few examples:
- είμαι (íme) - to be
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| είμαι ('íme) | íme | I am |
| είσαι ('íse) | íse | you are (singular) |
| είναι ('íne) | íne | he/she/it is |
| είμαστε ('ímaste) | ímaste | we are |
| είσαστε / είστε ('íste) | issaste / íste | you are (plural) |
| είναι ('íne) | íne | they are |
- έχω (ého) - to have
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| έχω ('ého) | ého | I have |
| έχεις ('éhis) | éhis | you have (singular) |
| έχει ('éhi) | éhi | he/she/it has |
| έχουμε ('éhoume) | éhoume | we have |
| έχετε ('éhete) | éhete | you have (plural) |
| έχουν ('éhoun) | éhoun | they have |
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Congratulations on completing the lesson on the present tense in Modern Greek! You have learned how to form the present tense for different persons and use it to describe actions happening now, habitual actions, and general truths. Make sure to practice using the present tense in various contexts to improve your fluency and accuracy. Keep up the good work, and soon you will be confidently using the present tense in your conversations in Modern Greek!
| ◀️ Ordering in a Restaurant — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Past Tense ▶️ |