Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/Present-perfect-and-past-perfect-tense

Modern Greek (1453-) Grammar → Intermediate Grammar → Present perfect and past perfect tense

In the previous lesson, we learned about the simple past and future tense in Modern Greek. We explored how to construct sentences using verbs in these tenses. Building on that knowledge, we will now delve into the present perfect and past perfect tense. These tenses are used to express actions that have been completed or happened before a specific point in time. By mastering these tenses, you will be able to further enhance your ability to communicate in Modern Greek.

Present perfect tense

The present perfect tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and has a connection to the present. In English, this tense is often formed using the auxiliary verb "have" followed by the past participle of the main verb. In Modern Greek, we construct the present perfect tense by using the auxiliary verb "έχω" (eho) in its various conjugated forms, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

To form the present perfect tense, follow these steps:

1. Conjugate the verb "έχω" (eho) in the present tense according to the subject of the sentence. Here is the conjugation of "έχω" (eho) in the present tense:

  * έχω (eho) - I have
  * έχεις (eheis) - you have (singular)
  * έχει (ehei) - he/she/it has
  * έχουμε (ehoume) - we have
  * έχετε (ehete) - you have (plural)
  * έχουν (ehoun) - they have

2. Attach the past participle of the main verb to the conjugated form of "έχω" (eho). The past participle is formed by adding the suffix "-κα" (-ka) to the verb stem for regular verbs. However, irregular verbs have unique past participle forms.

Let's see some examples:

• Έχω διαβάσει ένα βιβλίο. (Eho diavasi ena vivlio) - I have read a book.
• Έχεις πει την αλήθεια. (Eheis pi tin alithia) - You have told the truth.
• Έχει πάει στον κινηματογράφο. (Ehei pai ston kinimatografo) - He/she has gone to the cinema.
• Έχουμε φάει πολύ σήμερα. (Ehoume faei poli simera) - We have eaten a lot today.
• Έχετε γράψει το μήνυμα; (Ehete grapsei to minima) - Have you written the message?
• Έχουν παρατηρήσει τις αλλαγές. (Ehoun paratirisi tis allages) - They have noticed the changes.

It is important to note that the present perfect tense in Modern Greek is often used in a similar way to the simple past tense in English. Therefore, it can be used to talk about past events without specifying a specific time frame.

Past perfect tense

The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that happened before another action or point in the past. In English, this tense is often formed using the auxiliary verb "had" followed by the past participle of the main verb. In Modern Greek, we construct the past perfect tense by using the conjugated form of the auxiliary verb "είχα" (eicha) in its various forms, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

To form the past perfect tense, follow these steps:

1. Conjugate the verb "είχα" (eicha) in the past tense according to the subject of the sentence. Here is the conjugation of "είχα" (eicha) in the past tense:

  * είχα (eicha) - I had
  * είχες (eiches) - you had (singular)
  * είχε (eiche) - he/she/it had
  * είχαμε (eichame) - we had
  * είχατε (eichate) - you had (plural)
  * είχαν (eichan) - they had

2. Attach the past participle of the main verb to the conjugated form of "είχα" (eicha). The past participle is formed by adding the suffix "-κα" (-ka) to the verb stem for regular verbs. However, irregular verbs have unique past participle forms.

Let's see some examples:

• Είχα διαβάσει το βιβλίο πριν πάω στον κινηματογράφο. (Eicha diavasi to vivlio prin pao ston kinimatografo) - I had read the book before I went to the cinema.
• Είχες πει την αλήθεια πριν φύγεις. (Eiches pi tin alithia prin figeis) - You had told the truth before you left.
• Είχε πάει στον κινηματογράφο πριν ξεκινήσει η ταινία. (Eiche pai ston kinimatografo prin xekinisi i tainia) - He/she had gone to the cinema before the movie started.
• Είχαμε φάει πολύ πριν ανοίξει το εστιατόριο. (Eichame faei poli prin anoixei to estiatorio) - We had eaten a lot before the restaurant opened.
• Είχατε γράψει το μήνυμα πριν τελειώσει η συνάντηση; (Eichate grapsei to minima prin teleiosei i sinantisi) - Had you written the message before the meeting ended?
• Είχαν παρατηρήσει τις αλλαγές πριν φύγουν. (Eichan paratirisi tis allages prin figoun) - They had noticed the changes before they left.

The past perfect tense is used to express actions that have already been completed or happened before a specific point in the past. It helps to establish a clear sequence of events in a narrative or to describe actions that occurred before another action.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have now learned how to construct the present perfect and past perfect tense in Modern Greek. These tenses will allow you to express actions that have been completed or happened before a certain point in time. By mastering these tenses, you will be able to communicate more effectively in Greek and express yourself with greater precision.

In the next lesson, we will explore the passive voice in Modern Greek. We will learn how to form passive sentences and understand their usage in different contexts. Keep up the good work and see you in the next lesson!

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

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

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Greek Traditions and Customs

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Greek Cuisine

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Greek History and Geography

• Historical Overview
• Geographical Regions

Sources

• Modern-greek-1453 Grammar - Verbs Conjugation Groups
• Modern-greek-1453 Grammar - Participle spelling

Other Lessons

• How to Use Be
• Relative Pronouns
• Give your Opinion
• Adjectives
• Pronouns
• Question words and basic sentence structure
• Verb To Be
• How to Use Have
• Contract Verbs
• The conjugations in Greek