Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/Present-Tense

Modern Greek (1453-) Grammar → Verbs and Tenses → Present Tense

As a modern Greek (1453-) language teacher, I have been teaching the Greek language for 20 years. Welcome to this lesson that will teach you how to form and use the present tense of verbs in Modern Greek. This lesson belongs to a larger course titled "Complete 0 to A1 Modern Greek (1453-) Course". Students are complete beginners and this course will take them to the A1 level.

Introduction

The present tense is used to describe actions that are happening now or are currently in progress. For example, "I am studying Greek grammar." In Modern Greek, the present tense is broadly categorized into two forms: the simple present tense and the present continuous tense.

In this lesson, we will be focusing on the formation and usage of the simple present tense. You will learn how to conjugate regular verbs, irregular verbs, and stem-changing verbs in the present tense.

Formation of the Simple Present Tense

In Modern Greek, the simple present tense is a combination of a verb root or stem and a series of endings that help indicate the person, number, and gender of the subject. The endings are the same for regular and irregular verbs. However, in the case of irregular verbs, the stem will differ from the standard verb forms.

Here are some examples of regular verb endings:

Pronoun	Ending	Example verb form
Εγώ	-ω	μιλάω (miláo) - I speak
Εσύ	-εις	μιλάς (milás) - You speak
Αυτός/Αυτή/Αυτό	-ει	μιλάει (milái) - He/She/It speaks
Εμείς	-ουμε	μιλάμε (miláme) - We speak
Εσείς	-ετε	μιλάτε (miláte) - You all speak
Αυτοί/Αυτές/Αυτά	-ουν	μιλούν (miloun) - They speak

As mentioned earlier, irregular verbs have different stem forms that do not follow the usual verb patterns. Here is an example table of irregular verbs:

Verb	Stem	Example verb form
Έχω (ého)	Ε	έχω (écho) - I have
Πηγαίνω (peyéno)	Πηγαίν-	πηγαίνω (peyéno) - I go
Είμαι (íme)	Εισ-	είμαι (íme) - I am

Now that you know how to form the present tense, let's look at when to use it.

Usage of the Simple Present Tense

Use the simple present tense when talking about:

• Actions happening now: "Βλέπω τηλεόραση" (Vlépo tileórasi) - I am watching television.
• Habits/Regular occurrences: "Καθόμαι στο γραφείο κάθε πρωί" (Kathómé sto grafió káthe proí) - I sit in the office every morning.
• General truths: "Η Γη περιστρέφεται γύρω από τον Ήλιο" (I Gi peristréfetai gýro apó ton Ílio) - The Earth orbits around the Sun.
• Events that will happen in the future: "Αναχωρώ αύριο το πρωί" (Anachoró ávrio to proí) - I leave early tomorrow morning.

Examples

Here are some examples of verbs in the present tense:

Greek	Pronunciation	English
Μιλάω (Miláo)	miˈla.o	I speak
Φτιάχνω (Ftiáhno)	ftiˈa.no	I make
Τρώω (Tróo)	trɔ.ɔ	I eat
Σηκώνω (Sikóno)	siˈko.no	I lift

Tips for Learning the Present Tense

Here are some tips that will help you master the present tense:

1. Practice forming regular and irregular verbs in the present tense daily. 2. Pay attention to the gender of the subject, especially with irregular verbs. 3. Try and build vocabulary around regular verbs and the present tense. This will help you remember the pronunciation of the verbs and the forms quickly. 4. Listen to Greek speakers and analyze the verb forms they are using.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you have learned how to form and use the simple present tense in Modern Greek. Remember that practice is key to mastering this tense. We hope this lesson has been helpful to you in your journey to learn Modern Greek.

Table of Contents - Modern Greek (1453-) Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Greek Alphabet

• Greek Letters and Pronunciation
• Diphthongs and Special Combinations

  ---

Basic Greetings and Phrases

• Greetings and Introductions
• Common Everyday Phrases

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Noun Gender and Plurals

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods and Drinks
• Ordering in a Restaurant

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

  ---

Greek Traditions and Customs

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Greek Cuisine

  ---

Greek History and Geography

• Historical Overview
• Geographical Regions

Related Lessons

• Questions
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• The predicate
• Personal Pronouns
• Writing and spelling
• Paronyms and Homonyms
• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Give your Opinion
• Direct and indirect speech
• The Greek sentence types