The Basics of Greek Verbs Flashcards
What is the Greek Present Tense?
The Greek present tense usually describes action that is in the process of happening, or action that continues over a period of time. (I am releasing)
εἰμί
I am (1st Sg)
εἶ
you are (2nd Sg)
ἐστίν
he/she/it is (3rd Sg)
ἐσμέν
we are (1st Pl)
ἐστέ
you all are (2nd Pl)
εἰσίν
they are (3rd Pl)
What is the Indicative Mood
The indicative mood represents something as certain or asserted (“He went fishing” or “Will he go fishing?”).
What is the Active Voice?
In the active voice, the subject performs the action (“I see a tree”).
What is the Middle Voice?
In the middle voice, the subject both performs the action and is in some way affected by the action. (“I see myself”, “I see for myself”, “I go”)
Most Middle Verbs are “Middle-only verbs”, whose lexical forms end in ομαι, rather than ω. Middle only verbs are verbs that were thought to be actions that are always done to ones self, such as ἔρχομαι, meaning to come or go, something you can only really do to yourself.
What is the Passive Voice?
In the passive voice, the subject does not perform the action but receives the action (“I was seen [by someone else]”)
What is the Imperfective aspect, and which tense(s) follow this aspect?
Imperfective Aspect (present and imperfect tenses): the author depicts the action as ongoing or in process, without attention to the action’s beginning or ending.
What is the Perfective aspect, and which tense(s) follow this aspect?
Perfective Aspect (aorist and future tense): the author depicts the action as complete or as a whole. The beginning and ending of the action (and everything in-between) are included in the depiction of the action.
What is the Stative aspect, and which tense(s) follow this aspect?
Stative Aspect (perfect and pluperfect tenses): the author depicts a state of affairs or ongoing relevance resulting from a previous action or state (“it has happened, and it is relevant to the present context”).
What English pronoun(s) define the 1st Person?
I and we
