Modern Greek/Lesson 09.2
Aorist
[edit | edit source]The aorist is the simple past in English. It is used for:
- Narrating past events (those that lie entirely in the past)
Note that the aorist stem is not just associated with the past, it is also used:
- In subordinating constructions such as "θα" and "θέλω/μπορώ να".
1st Conjugation
[edit | edit source]The past tense is used to indicate an action that occurred at one time in the past, or that has been completed. It is formed in the same way as the imperfect, but from the aorist stem.
Past:
| διάβασα | διαβάσαμε |
| διάβασες | διαβάσατε |
| διάβασε | διάβασαν |
Example:
| Χτες, διάβασε την εφημερίδα. | Yesterday, he read the newspaper. |
Formation of the aorist stem in the first conjugation
[edit | edit source]We have already seen that aorist stems are often formed by adding an "s" sound. The following list shows more of the common patterns:
| λύνω | λύσω | έλυσα | loosen |
| θέτω | θέσω | έθεσα | put, place |
| ακούω | ακούσω | άκουσα | hear |
| νιώθω | νιώσω | ένιωσα | feel |
| διαβάζω | διαβάσω | διάβασα | read |
| αλλάζω | αλλάξω | άλλαξα | change |
| υπάρχω | υπάρξω | υπήρξα | exist |
| ανοίγω | ανοίξω | άνοιξα | open |
| επιδιώκω | επιδιώξω | επίδιωξα | aim |
| σπρώχνω | σπρώξω | έσπρωξα | push |
| διδάσκω | διδάξω | δίδαξα | teach |
| γράφω | γράψω | έγραψα | write |
| λείπω | λείψω | έπειψα | lack |
| σκύβω | σκύψω | έσκυψα | lean, bend over |
Examples:
| Έλυσαν τις ζώνες τους. | They loosened their belts. |
| Μπορούμε να ακούσουμε τους σκύλους. | We can hear the dogs. |
| Ο Ευκλείδης ήταν Έλληνας μαθηματικός, που δίδαξε στην Αλεξάνδρεια της Αιγύπτου. Στις μέρες μας είναι γνωστός ως ο πατέρας της γεωμετρίας.[1] | Euclid was a greek mathematician who taught in Alexandria, Egypt. Today (lit. "in our days") he is known as the father of geometry. |
2nd Conjugation
[edit | edit source]Verbs use one of the suffixes -ασ-, -ησ, -εσ-. The accent also goes to the previous syllable:
The verb αγαπώ (to love) becomes αγάπησα
| αγάπησα | αγαπήσαμε |
| αγάπησες | αγαπήσατε |
| αγάπησε | αγάπησαν |
The verb διψώ (to go thirsty) becomes δίψασα
| δίψασα | διψάσαμε |
| δίψασες | διψάσατε |
| δίψασε | δίψασαν |
The verb καλώ (to call, to invite) becomes κάλεσα
| κάλεσα | καλέσαμε |
| κάλεσες | καλέσατε |
| κάλεσε | κάλεσαν |
Examples:
| Η μητέρα κάλεσε το παιδί της. | The mother called her child. |
| Τα παιδιά δίψασαν. | The children went thirsty. |