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

Active and Passive Verbs in Modern Greek

Voice - Φωνή

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.

In Greek, when a verb ends in -ω or -ώ in the first person singular, it is the active voice.

When the verb ends in -αι, it is the passive voice.

The active voice (energiti'ki) shows that the subject performs an action while the passive voice (pathiti'ki) denotes that the subject is affected by the action.

The passive voice is also used to show that someone is performing an action towards themselves or that an action is being performed mutually or collectively between two or more people.

Example (παράδειγμα)

Ενεργητική φωνή (active voice)

• Ψήνω μπισκότα (I bake cookies)

Παθητική φωνή (passive voice)

• Τα μπισκότα ψήνονται (Cookies are baked)