Modern Greek/Lesson 09.3
Perfect and Pluperfect
[edit | edit source]As in English, the perfect tenses are formed using the helping verb to have.
The Perfect tense (same as Present Perfect in English) is called Παρακείμενος (parakeimenos, "being close") is formed by the verb έχω in present tense followed by the third person singular of the past subjunctive of the verb. The past subjunctive is formed by the aorist stem plus the suffix -ει.
| Έχω γραψει. | I have written. |
| Έχουμε γραψει. | We have written. |
The Pluperfect tense (same as Past Perfect in English) is called Υπερσυντέλικος (hypersyndelikos, "hyper-perfect") is formed by the verb έχω in past tense followed by the third person singular of the past subjunctive of the verb
| Είχα γραψει. | I had written. |
| Είχαμε γραψει. | We had written. |
| Είχε αποχαιρετήσει τη γυναικα του. | He had said goodbye to his wife. |