Greek on The Edge Cases

Simple Future and Aorist Irregular Verbs

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 17:07:14 +0000

Shortened Irregulars

These verbs become very short in the simple future, in the aorist they are prefixed with ει-

verb	simple future	aorist
βλέπω	θα δω	είδα
λέω	θα πω	είπα
πίνω	θα πιω	είπα

Main -αίνω verbs

These lose the -αίν- root in the simple future and it is replaced with -ηκ in the aorist.

verb	simple future	aorist
βγαίνω	θα βγω	βγήκα
μπαίνω	θα μπω	μπήκα
βρίσκω	θα βρω	βρήκα
ανεβαίνω	θα ανεβώ	ανέβηκα
κατεβαίνω	θα κατεβώ	κατέβηκα

Non-pattern -αίνω verbs

For these, the construction of the aorist follows the pattern of reguar verbs: take the simple future, change the ending, and add ε- if needed.

Forming The Feminine of Certain Adjectives

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 03:01:50 +0000

Some adjectives in Greek have different endings when in the feminine gender. Adjectives that end in -χος or -θος in the masculine become -χια or -θια for people and -χη or -θη for things or places. Adjectives that end in -υς in the masculine become -ια in the feminine.

Examples

-χος/-θος -> -χια/-θια (people)	-χος/-θος -> -χη/-θη (things/places)	-υς -> -ια
ξανθός - Η Μαρία είναι ξανθιά	ξανθός - Μου αρέσει η ξανθή σταφίδα	μακρύς - μακριά
φτωχός - Αυτή η οικογένεια είναι φτωχιά	φτωχός - Αυτή η χώρα είναι φτωχή

Gkatzoyiannis Etymology

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 14:35:19 +0000

A listing of some theories for the name Γκατζογιάννης that I’ve heard and researched myself. Specifically, the decidedly non-Greek γκατζο part.

Yiayia’s Story

One time I asked my Yiayia about what the name meant. According to her, it was the name of a famous chicken in a nearby village. To this day I never found out if she was joking with me or not.

Nick Gage’s Serbian Theory

According to Nick Gage, Γκατζο comes from an old Serbian dialect, meaning “black,” with the name meaning “black John.”

Uses of μπορώ and μπορεί

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 17:41:43 +0000

It Is Possible/Might

Depending on context, μπορεί (and only μπορεί - impersonal form) can mean “might.”

See Wiktionary entry

Examples

Δεν μπορεί! ― It is not possible! Μπορεί να βρέξει αύριο. ― It may rain tomorrow. Tα παιδιά μπορεί να πάνε σινεμά. ― Τhe children/guys might go to the cinema. Mπορεί να είμαι καλύτερα αύριο ― I might be better tomorrow.

Can/May

This meaning does not use the impersonal, and so will take the full personal conjugation of μπορώ.

Aorist Tense

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 00:28:04 +0000

same: The Past Imperfect (Continuous Past) Tense

The Aorist Tense (ο αόριστος)

Meaning

The aorist is one of the main tenses of Modern Greek. It is also known as the simple past, as it is perfective, referring to a single completed past action. Not only will other tenses in the perfective aspect take the aorist root for their formation, but so will some derivatives of adjectives.

Conjugation Examples

Group A

Group B1

Group B2

Irregulars

Additional Notes

Adjective Derivatives

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 00:24:42 +0000

Verb Derivatives

These are generally formed with a verb’s aorist stem and the requisite ending.

-τός

This means that the noun being modified can be affected by the action of the verb.

Examples

present tense	Aorist Tense	Adjective	Adjective meaning
-ω	χαμογέλασα	-ό	smiling
ταιριάζω	ταιρίασα	-ό	fitting

-τικός

This means that the object is suitable for/associated with

Examples

-άτος

Examples

Noun Derivatives

-ινος

-ινός/-ιανός

-ιακός

More information

Greekpod 101 Level 3 Greek Lesson 11 notes

The Passive Participle -μένος, -μένη, -μένω

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 15:18:30 +0000

The Passive Participle -μένος, -μένη, -μένω

Example

τυπώνω (to print) -> τυπωμένος - printed

Sources

Greekpod101 Level 3 Greek Lesson 2

Uses of Να

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 22:44:54 +0000

[down: Να with noun or pronoun Simple Subjunctive]

The Many Uses of Να

Να is a Grammatical Particle

Subjunctive Particle

The particle να can be used to indicate the subjunctive. Θέλω να μαγειρέψω σήμερα -> I want to cook today

Indicative Particle

Να can also be used to indicate where something is. This is constructed as να + noun or να + pronoun.

When using να with αυτός/αυτή/αυτό, the αυ gets cut off: να αυτός -> να τος (here he is). This can also be translated as “here he comes.”

Object Pronouns

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 21:51:01 +0000

Order of Indirect and Direct Object Pronouns

When using indirect and direct object pronouns together, the indirect comes first, followed by the direct object pronoun. Any non-pronoun objects can be referred to in any order.

Example

Αγοράσατε το κινητό στο παιδί σας/Αγοράσατε στο παιδί σας το κινητό. (both valid constructions)
- Του το αγοράσατε

Pronouns with Indefinite Articles

If you would normally use an indefinite article with an object, you can’t use an object pronoun for it. This is because object pronouns refer to a specific instance of an object, rather than any instance.

Short Stories in Greek Vocabulary and Exercises

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 02:54:54 +0000

Chapter 1 Vocabulary

επόμενος/η/ο - next η παιδική χαρά - playground η κούνια - swing η τραμπάλα - see-saw η τσουλήθρα - slide πέρα δώθε - back and forth ξεκουράζομαι - to rest, relax opposite of κουράζομαι με τίποτα - in no way η άμμος - sand πλατσουρίζω - splash in/wade (only in water) κάνοντας - making/doing (present participle) Κάνοντας πως δεν μας είδε, συνέχισε να περπατάει. Pretending (lit: making as if) he didn’t see us, he kept on walking μαζεύω - gather, pick up, collect το περίπτερο - kiosk, newsstand συνήθως - usually απολαυστικός/ή/ό - enjoyable/pleasurable

Indirect Object Pronouns

Sun, 03 Apr 2022 20:07:59 +0000

same: Direct Object Prounouns

Indirect object pronouns are pronouns that are affected by verb’s action in place of the object itself. In English, an example would be “I gave the book to her” where her is the indirect object pronoun that (indirectly) receives the action of gave. In Greek, this example would be Της έδωσα το βιβλίο. Indirect object pronouns can be used for any object of a sentence that in English would be accompanied by a preposition.

Direct Object Prounouns

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 22:25:14 +0000

same: Indirect Object Pronouns

Direct object prounouns are pronouns that receive a verb’s action in place of the object itself. In English, an example would be “I borrowed it” where it is the direct object pronoun of borrowed. In Greek, an example would be Το διαβάζω or “I am reading it”.

Strong and Weak Forms

Direct object pronouns have two forms: the “strong” and the “weak” forms. The strong form can stand on its own and comes after the verb - it is also considered an “emphatic” form. The weak form can not, is placed before the verb (except with imperative and gerund verbs, e.g. πάρε την), and can’t be used after prepositions.

The Past Imperfect (Continuous Past) Tense

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 17:49:12 +0000

The Past Imperfect or Continuous Past Tense (ο Παρατατικός)

Meaning

A habitual or continuous action that happened in the past with no fixed temporal boundary.

Example

I was reading the book -> Διάβαζα το βιβλίο

Conjugation

Past imperfect (continuous past) is the same as the present tense but has the ending of the aorist (simple past) as well as the accent shift:

Present	Continuous past (παρατατικός)	Aorist (αόριστος)
νοικιάζω	νοίκιαζα	νοίκιασα (aorist)
διαβάζω	διάβαζα	διάβασα
νιώθω	ένιωθα	ένιωσα
πθγαίνω	πήγαινα	πήγα (*)
θέλω	ήθελα	ήθελα (*)
μένω	έμενα	έμεινα (*)

Group A (-ω) Endings

-α -εσ -ε -αμε -ατε -αν

The Diminutive in Greek

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 23:06:53 +0000

Nouns

Diminutive Uses

Actual diminutive
- παιδάκι - little kid
Affection
- παιδάκι for adult kids
Insult
- ανθρωπάκι - a little man

Diminutives

Neutral
- -ακι
Feminine
- -ιτσα
- -ουλα
Masculine
- -ακης
  - Mostly found on names
- -ούλης
  - Mostly found on adjectives

Adjectives

-ούτσικος turns a masculine adjective into a diminutive form

Example

καλός (good) -> καλούτσικος (not bad, so-so)

Να with noun or pronoun

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 23:01:17 +0000

Θέλω να αγοράσω - να means “to” να πάμε για φαγητό - να means “shall” (shall we go for food) να ο Γιάννης, τον βλέπω, έρχεται - να means “here is” να is an indicative particle

να + noun or να + pronoun -> “here is” Πού είναι ο Γιάννης; Αυτός είναι εδώ -> Να τος
Basically for αυτός/αυτή/αυτό αυτοί/αυτές/αυτό you take out the αυ to prepend the να
- να τος - here he is
- να τη
- να το
- να τοι
- να τες
- να το

εμείς είμαστε εδώ (we are here) -> να μαστε See also Ελληνικά για σας Α2 p. 124 γραμματική 2

Simple Subjunctive

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 11:56:52 +0000

να + aorist verb stem indicates the simple subjunctive (one time)

Example

Αυτό το Σάββατο όμως αποφασίσαμε να μη βγούμε.
Εγώ και η Τάνια αποφασίσαμε να βγαίνουμε έξω κάθε Σάββατο.