Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/Simple-past-and-future-tense
In the previous lesson, we learned about the present tense and how to form and use verbs in Modern Greek. We discovered the different verb conjugations and practiced constructing sentences using the present tense. In this lesson, we will continue our exploration of Greek grammar by focusing on the simple past and future tense. These tenses allow us to talk about actions that have already happened or will happen in the future. Let's dive in!
Simple Past Tense[edit | edit source]
The simple past tense is used to talk about actions that have already taken place in the past. In Greek, the simple past tense is formed by adding specific endings to the verb stem. The verb stem is obtained by removing the -ω (o) ending from the present tense form of the verb.
To form the simple past tense in Greek, follow these steps:
1. Remove the -ω (o) ending from the verb stem 2. Add the appropriate ending based on the subject of the sentence
Let's take a look at the conjugation of the verb "to speak" (μιλάω - miláo) in the simple past tense:
- Εγώ μίλησα (Egó mílisa) - I spoke
- Εσύ μίλησες (Esí mílises) - You spoke (singular, informal)
- Αυτός/Αυτή/Αυτό μίλησε (Aftós/Aftí/Aftó mílise) - He/She/It spoke
- Εμείς μιλήσαμε (Emís milísame) - We spoke
- Εσείς μιλήσατε (Esís milísate) - You spoke (plural, formal)
- Αυτοί/Αυτές μίλησαν (Aftí/Aftés mílisan) - They spoke
It's important to note that the verb endings change based on the subject of the sentence. Pay close attention to these changes as you practice forming sentences in the simple past tense.
Let's see some examples:
- Χθες μίλησα με τη φίλη μου. (Hthes mílisa me ti fíli mou) - Yesterday, I spoke with my friend.
- Ο πατέρας μου μίλησε στο τηλέφωνο. (O patéras mou mílise sto tiléfono) - My father spoke on the phone.
- Τα παιδιά μίλησαν για τις διακοπές τους. (Ta pediá mílisan gia tis diakopés tous) - The children talked about their vacations.
Now that we have learned how to form and use the simple past tense, let's move on to the future tense.
Future Tense[edit | edit source]
The future tense is used to talk about actions that will happen in the future. In Greek, the future tense is formed by adding specific endings to the verb stem. The verb stem is obtained by removing the -ω (o) ending from the present tense form of the verb.
To form the future tense in Greek, follow these steps:
1. Remove the -ω (o) ending from the verb stem 2. Add the appropriate ending based on the subject of the sentence
Let's take a look at the conjugation of the verb "to speak" (μιλάω - miláo) in the future tense:
- Εγώ θα μιλήσω (Egó tha milíso) - I will speak
- Εσύ θα μιλήσεις (Esí tha milíseis) - You will speak (singular, informal)
- Αυτός/Αυτή/Αυτό θα μιλήσει (Aftós/Aftí/Aftó tha milísei) - He/She/It will speak
- Εμείς θα μιλήσουμε (Emís tha milísume) - We will speak
- Εσείς θα μιλήσετε (Esís tha milísete) - You will speak (plural, formal)
- Αυτοί/Αυτές θα μιλήσουν (Aftí/Aftés tha milísun) - They will speak
Similar to the simple past tense, the verb endings in the future tense change based on the subject of the sentence. Practice constructing sentences in the future tense to familiarize yourself with these changes.
Let's see some examples:
- Θα μιλήσω με τον δάσκαλο αύριο. (Tha milíso me ton dáskalo ávrio) - I will speak with the teacher tomorrow.
- Η μητέρα μου θα μιλήσει στην εκδήλωση. (I mitéra mou tha milísei stin ekdílōsi) - My mother will speak at the event.
- Τα παιδιά θα μιλήσουν για τα σχέδιά τους. (Ta pediá tha milísun gia ta schédia tous) - The children will talk about their plans.
Congratulations! You have now learned how to construct sentences in the simple past and future tense in Modern Greek. Keep practicing these tenses to become more comfortable with their usage and conjugation patterns.
In the next lesson, we will continue our journey through the Greek language by exploring the present perfect and past perfect tense. These tenses allow us to talk about completed actions in the past. Get ready to expand your knowledge and take your Greek skills to the next level!
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Modern-greek-1453 Grammar - Verbs Conjugation Groups
- Modern-greek-1453 Grammar - Greek voices verbs Φωνή και ...
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Pronoms interrogatifs
- Sentense Structure
- Greek voices verbs Φωνή και συζυγίες ρημάτων
- Pronoms possessifs
- Passive voice
- Prepositions and conjunctions
- Definite and Indefinite Article
- The paronyms
- Pronouns and verbs