Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/Active-and-passive-verbs

Active and Passive Verbs in Modern Greek

Voice of verb – Φωνή του ρήματος

Verbs usually have two voices, the active voice and the passive voice. We see it in the suffix of the verb and some verbs have only one voice.Voice is the property of the verb that indicates how the subject is related to the action or state expressed by the verb. The voice of the verb may indicate that the subject is doing the action (active), receiving the action (passive), or both doing and receiving  the action (middle). We see it in the suffix of the verb and some verbs have only one voice.

Active Voice - Ενεργητική φωνή

Active voice (ενεργητική φωνή): used when the Subject of the sentence is performing an action.A verb is in the active voice if its subject is active, that is to say if it does the action.

All verbs in the active voice end in either “-ω” or “-ώ” (the second one has an accent).

Examples :

τρώω (I eat)

φεύγω (I leave)

τρέχω (I walk)

χτενίζω (I comb)

Passive Voice - Παθητική φωνή

The Passive Voice  «Παθητική Φωνή» it is used to emphasize the action and not the subject in a sentence. It is also used when the subject is unknown.

In the passive voice the subject is acted upon or receives the action expressed by the verb.

That is, the subject may or may not be aware, its volition may or may not be involved. The Modern Greek Passive Voice is formed differently from the active.

The Modern Greek Passive Voice is formed differently from the active.

Greek verbs can be active, passive, or have both an active and passive form. It is generally easy to distinguish a passive from an active verb.

For example, Greek passive verbs in the present tense end in -μαι -σαι -ται -μαστε -στε -νται.

For example :

"Ο μάγειρας ετοιμάζει (act.) το φαγητό. Το φαγητό ετοιμάζεται (pas.)."

“The cook is preparing the food. The food is being prepared.”

Η Μαρία χτενίζει (act.) τα μαλλιά της. – Maria is combing her hair.

Η Μαρία χτενίζεται (pass.). – Maria is combing (herself – implied).

• There are also verbs which occur only in one or the other voice
• Active Only
• έχω – I have
• τρέχω – I run
• Passive Only
• γίνομαι – I become
• κοιμάμαι – I sleep
• φοβάμαι – I fear (I am afraid)

Spelling tip

Verbs in the active voice, when they end with the sound “ο”, are always spelled with an “-ω” (omega) and when they end with the sound “ε”, are always spelled with an “ - ε” (epsilon in plural or imperative).

Examples:

περπατάω (I walk),

θέλω (I want),

να φύγω (to leave)

φύγε (imp) (leave),

ελάτε (imp.) (come)

παίζατε (plur.) (you were playing)

θα διαβάσουμε (plur.) (we will read)

Active Voice	Passive Voice
χτενίζω – I comb (something)	χτενίζομαι – I comb (myself)
ντύνω – I dress (something)	ντύνομαι – I dress(myself)
πλένω – I wash (something)	πλένομαι – I wash (myself)
σηκώνω – I lift	σηκώνομαι – I get up

Author

➡ Marianthi

• Ευγενική χορηγία που στοχεύει να βοηθήσει μαθητές ή μη, απανταχού της Γης, που επιδίδονται στην εκμάθηση της ελληνικής γλώσσας!
• Contribution bénévole visant à aider les personnes, partout dans le monde, qui sont engagées dans l'apprentissage de la langue grecque !
• Voluntary contribution aimed at helping people, all over the world, who are committed to learning the Greek language! 

Other Lessons

• Negations
• Words written with γγ or γκ
• Pronouns
• Negation
• Definite and Indefinite Article
• Particles
• The final v
• Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives
• Sentense Structure