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Tenses – Simple past 1st Conjugation Posted by on Mar 23, 2012 in Grammar

Verbs are the words that indicate an action or feeling. If you are looking in a dictionary the verbs will be presented in the I-form of the verb. This is the form that is used to reference the Greek verbs, like the infinitive form on English. Verbs can indicate a different point in time such as the past, the present and the future. Remember that personal pronouns like I, you , he, she etc. are not necessary in Greek because this can be seen from the ending of the verb.

Ενεστώτας / Simple present

Πεινάω I am hungry Peenao
Πεινάς You are hungry peenas
Πεινά(ει) He,she, it is hungry Peena(ee)
Πεινάμε We are hungry Peename
Πεινάτε You are hungry Peenate
Πεινούν(ε) They are hungry Peenoon(e)

 

Αόριστος / Simple past   1st conjugation:

  • Verbs which end in νω,-ζω and θω, like: Πεινώ, επιζώ, ποθώ.

Πείνασα

Cannot give translation. Peenasa
Πεινάσες Sometimes the simple past Peenases
Πεινάσε in Greek is translated into Peenase
Πεινάσαμε present perfect in English Peename
Πεινάσατε Peenasate
Πεινάσαν Peenasan

 

  • Verbs with ending κω,-γω,-χω,-σκω,-χνω and ζω, like : Διδάσκω,ανοίγω,προσέχω,ψάχνω, νυστάζω.

Άνοιξα

I opened Aneeksa
Άνοιξες You opened Aneekses
Άνοιξε He,she,it opened Aneekse
Ανοίξαμε We opened Aneeksame
Ανοίξατε You opened Aneeksate
Άνοιξαν They opened Aneeksan

Two syllable  verbs take  “ε“ in the front to form the past tense.

Ex.:  χά-νω τρέ-χω

Ετρεξα I run Etrexa
Έτρεξες You run Etrexes
Έτρεξε He,she,it run Etrexe
Τρέξαμε We run Trexame
Τρέξατε You run Trexate
Έτρέξαν They run Etrexan

 

  • Verbs with ending πω,-βω,-φω,-εύω and αύω, like : επιτρέπω,θάβω,βάφω,πιστεύω.

Δουλεψα

I worked Doolepsa
Δουλεψες You worked Doolepses
Δουλεψε He,she,it worked Doolepse
Δουλεψαμε We worked Doolepsame
Δουλεψατε You worked Doolepsate
Δουλεψαν They worked Doolepsan

 Example with “ε“: Γρά-φω

Έγραψα

I wrote Egrapsa
Έγραψες You wrote Egrapses
Έγραψε He,she,it wrote Egrapse
Γράψαμε We wrote Grapsame
Γράψατε You wrote Grapsate
Έγράψαν They wrote Egrapsan

 

When we add a preposition to a two-syllable verb which start with a consonant and thus we obtain another verb, then we place the  “ε“ between the preposition and the verb in the past (except the first and the second of the plural).If instead of a consonant a vowel exist after the preposition, then instead of “ε“ we place “η” in all persons

Ex: γράφω (to write) – υπογράφω(to sign) -> Yπέγραψα

                                        Υπάρχω(to exist ) -> Υπήρξα

Υπέγραψα Υπήρξα
Υπέγραψες Υπήρξες
Υπεγραψε Υπήρξε
Υπογράψαμε Υπήρξαμε
Υπογράψατε Υπήρξατε
Υπέγραψαν Υπήρξαν

 

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Comments:

  1. Rana:

    gia sas,

    I think there is a mistake: if Etrexa is the past tense of the verb Trexo, the English translation should be “I ran, You ran, etc.”
    Thank you for these wonderful pages!

  2. Lenny:

    α -ες -ε -αμε – ατε -ανε, the last should read ανε not αν as you had it.

    Thank you. I live in Cyprus and learning Greek self taught.

    • Ourania:

      @Lenny Thank you for your comment. Actually, both endings are correct, the difference is that the -ανε ending is only used in oral speech.

  3. Lenny:

    Ourania, that also is correct, I was merely checking. Thank you.