Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/Active-and-passive-verbs
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The Greek verb has two voices: the active and the passive, and it is formed in the first person of the present singular, in both voices. The active voice, when the subject makes the action expressed by the verb and the passive voice, when the subject undergoes the action. The average voice, when the subject is directly interested in the action, exists only in the old grammar. Nevertheless, it is replaced by the passive voice. It should be understood that not all verbs always come in two forms: active or passive: There are verbs possessing both voices or others that have one voice: active without passive and vice versa.
Ενεργητική φωνή - The Active Voice
Verbs can end in -ω or -ώ (omega accented)
A verb is in the active voice if its subject is active, that is to say if it does the action.
- Eg. : παίζω, αγαπάω, μπορώ κλπ. Στα ρήματα της ενεργητικής φωνής, όταν ακούμε τον ήχο "ε" γράφουμε ΠΑΝΤΑ "-ε" (έψιλον).
In the verbs of the active voice, when we hear the sound "ε", we ALWAYS write "- ε" (epsilon).
- Π.χ. φύγε (va)
- ελάτε (come)
- παίζατε (you were playing)
- θα διαβάσουμε (we'll read)
Παθητική φωνή - The Passive Voice
Passive voice verbs, in the present, usually end with -μαι.
They can end: In -ομαι, -ιέμαι, -άμαι and more rarely in -ούμαι or -ώμαι.
For example:
- σκέφτομαι (to think),
- κρατιέμαι (to hold oneself),
- περιποιούμαι (to heal),
- εγγυώμαι (to guarantee oneself).
The verb: κοιμάμαι (to sleep) has the average form, which no longer exists grammatically. We say then that the verb "κοιμάμαι" is in the passive form.