In this lesson, we will learn:
- Personal Pronouns: Declension & Use
- Greek verbs, Part 4: Future tense (Simple & Continuous)
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Personal Pronouns
Case | Singular number | Plural number |
Nominative | εγώ | εμείς |
Genitive | εμένα | εμάς |
Accusative | εμένα | εμάς |
Case | Singular number | Plural number |
Nominative | εσύ | εσείς |
Genitive | εσένα | εσάς |
Accusative | εσένα | εσάς |
Case | Singular number | Plural number |
Nominative | αυτός | αυτοί |
Genitive | αυτού | αυτών |
Accusative | αυτόν | αυτούς |
Case | Singular number | Plural number |
Nominative | αυτή | αυτές |
Genitive | αυτής | αυτών |
Accusative | αυτή(ν) | αυτές |
Case | Singular number | Plural number |
Nominative | αυτό | αυτά |
Genitive | αυτού | αυτών |
Accusative | αυτό | αυτά |
Case | Singular number | Plural number |
Nominative | — | — |
Genitive | μου | μας |
Accusative | με | μας |
Case | Singular number | Plural number |
Nominative | — | — |
Genitive | σου | σας |
Accusative | σε | σας |
Case | Singular number | Plural number |
Nominative | τος | τοι |
Genitive | του | τους |
Accusative | τον | τους |
Case | Singular number | Plural number |
Nominative | τη | τες |
Genitive | της | τους |
Accusative | τη(ν) | τις / τες |
Case | Singular number | Plural number |
Nominative | το | τα |
Genitive | του | τους |
Accusative | το | τα |
Of this “weak” form, the nominative case is used very rarely, only in the phrases
“Να τος” (There he is), “Να τη” (There she is), etc
– How to use Personal Pronouns in a sentence
We already know how to use the nominative case of personal pronouns (“strong” forms) as subject to verbs. Let us now see how we can use them as
Direct Object (accusative case, “weak” form)
I looked at him. –> Τον κοίταξα.
(Confused? In Greek, the verb κοιτάζω takes a direct object)
I know this. –> Το γνωρίζω.
I used the tools. –> I used them. –> Τα χρησιμοποίησα.
Indirect Object (possessive case, “weak” form)
I wrote her a letter. –> Της έγραψα ένα γράμμα.
I miss you. –> Μου λείπεις.
(Now, this is a tricky one: In English the subject of the verb “to miss” is the person feeling the lack. In Greek though, “λείπω” literally means “being absent” — thus, the subject is the person being absent and the person feeling the lack becomes the indirect object.)
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The Future
Future tenses are marked by the presence of the Future Particle — θα — (=will)
Future Continuous is very simple to form: it is the Present tense preceded by the future particle. Thus, we have:
κάνω ( to do) –> θα κάνω (I will be doing)
πηγαίνω (to go) –> θα πηγαίν-ω (I will be going)
βλέπ-ω (to see) –> θα βλέπω (I will be seeing)
αγαπώ (to love) –> θα αγαπώ (I will be loving)
χρησιμοποιώ (to use) –> θα χρησιμοποιώ (I will be using)
Simple Future is based on the theme of Simple Past:
πηγαίν-ω –> είπα –> θα πω
ακού-ω –> άκουσα –> θα ακούσω
βλέπ-ω –> είδα –> θα δω
λέ-ω –> είπα –> θα πω
φτάν-ω –> έφτασα –> θα φτάσω
γνωρίζ-ω –> γνώρισα –> θα γνωρίσω
γράφ-ω –> έγραψα –> θα γράψω
διαβάζ-ω –> διάβασα –> θα διαβάσω
αρχίζ-ω –> άρχισα –> θα αρχίσω
λείπ-ω –> έλειψα –> θα λείψω
τελειών-ω –> τελείωσα –> θα τελειώσω
αγαπώ –> αγάπησα –> θα αγαπήσω
νικ-ώ –> νίκησα –> θα νικήσω
πετ-ώ –> πέταξα –> θα πετάξω
πηδ-ώ –> πήδηξα –> θα πηδήξω
κοιτ-ώ –> κοίταξα –> θα κοιτάξω
κρατ-ώ –> κράτησα –> θα κρατήσω
πον-ώ –> πόνεσα –> θα πονέσω
πειν-ώ –> πείνασα –> θα πεινάσω
βοηθ-ώ –> βοήθησα –> θα βοηθήσω
λειτουργ-ώ –> λειτούργησα –> θα λειτουργήσω
χρησιμοποι-ώ –> χρησιμοποίησα –> θα χρησιμοποιήσω
καλ-ώ –> κάλεσα –> θα καλέσω
ωφελ-ώ –> ωφέλησα –> θα ωφελήσω
We see that the prefix –ε-that denotes the past tense is dropped and that the stress also drops onto the next syllable.
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Exercise:
Transfer the verbs to the tenses requested. Do not change the number or person.
- πεινάς : Imperfect, Simple Future
- δείχνουμε (=point to) : Simple Past, Future Continuous
- βάφετε ( = to paint) : Imperfect, Future Continuous
- λαδώνουν (=to oil) : Simple Future, Future Continuous
- στραγγίζει (=to drain) : Simple Past, Imperfect
- μαγειρεύεις (=to cook) : Imperfect, Future Continuous
Key to the exercise:
- πεινούσες, θα πεινάσεις
- δείξαμε, θα δείχνουμε
- βάφατε, θα βάφετε
- θα λαδώσουν, θα λαδώνουν
- στράγγισε, στράγγιζε
- μαγείρευες, θα μαγειρεύεις