Queens College, ELL, GRKMD 112  I. Zikoudis 
               
                                       MODERN GREEK VERBS  
                                (without much grammatical jargon) 
              Verbs are words describing actions. Modern Greek verbs are divided into two main categories:  
              A) verbs ending in – ω                     B) verbs ending in –μαι
               
              A) – ω verbs are further divided into 3 subcategories (call them ‘omega 3’ and think of them as being very 
              ‘healthy’ for one to learn!):  
              1) verbs ending in consonant + ω : e.g. θέλω, ξέρω, καταλαβαίνω, καθαρίζω 
              2) verbs ending in vowel + ω, most of them ending in ά + ω: e.g. μιλάω, γελάω, 
              τραγουδάω, φοράω, πονάω (κλαίω, φταίω, λέω, ακούω, εμπνέω) 
              3) verbs having the stress on the last syllable – ώ e.g. ζω, μπορώ, οδηγώ, ταλαιπωρώ, 
              απορώ, αδιαφορώ, τιμωρώ, ανησυχώ 
              Verb endings indicate the person responsible for the action of the verb and as a result the 
              speaker/writer of M. Greek does not have to provide the name of the person responsible for the 
              action or even a personal pronoun in his or her place.  Verb endings are standardized and have 
              the following form: 
              verbs ending in consonant      verbs ending in vowel +   verbs having the stress on the 
                                                                       last syllable 
              + ω                            ω                                    – ώ
              θέλω           -ω              πονάω        -άω          μπορώ          -ώ 
              θέλεις         -εις            πονάς        -άς          μπορείς        -είς 
              θέλει          -ει             πονάει       -άει         μπορεί         -εί 
              θέλουμε        -ουμε           πονάμε       -άμε         μπορούμε   -ούμε 
              θέλετε         -ετε            πονάτε       -άτε         μπορείτε       -είτε 
              θέλουν         -ουν (ε)        πονάν        -άν (ε)      μπορούν        -ούν (ε) 
               
            Queens College, ELL, GRKMD 112  I. Zikoudis 
             
            B) verbs ending in –μαι could be classified as verbs describing: 
               1. EMOTIONS                 Χαίρομαι: to be glad 
                                           Λυπάμαι: to be sorry 
                                           Φοβάμαι: to be afraid 
                                           Αισθάνομαι: to feel  
                                           Ντρέπομαι: to feel shame, to be embarrassed  
                                           Ζαλίζομαι: to feel dizzy  
               2. BRAIN ACTIVITY           Θυμάμαι: to remember 
                                           Φαντάζομαι: to imagine 
                                           Ονειρεύομαι: to dream 
                                           Σκέφτομαι: to think 
                                           Αφαιρούμαι: to get lost in daydreaming, to get distracted 
               3. STATIVE VERBS            στέκομαι: to stand 
               (indicating the state       κάθομαι: to sit 
               the body is in)             σηκώνομαι: to stand up 
                                           έρχομαι: to come 
                                           βρίσκομαι: to be 
                                           κουράζομαι: to get tired 
                                           ξεκουράζομαι: to relax 
                                           πλένω τα πιάτα / πλένομαι: to wash myself 
               4. REFLEXIVE                καθαρίζω το σπίτι / καθαρίζομαι: to clean myself 
                  VERBS                    γράφω ένα βιβλίο / γράφομαι στο κολλέγιο: to register myself 
               (things I do to             ντύνω τα παιδιά / ντύνομαι: to dress myself 
               myself)                     γυμνάζω αθλητές / γυμνάζομαι: to train myself, to work out 
                                           ασχολούμαι: to keep myself busy 
                                           εργάζομαι: to employ myself, to work 
                                           διορθώνομαι: to correct myself 
                                           ενδιαφέρομαι: I find myself interested in 
                  Queens College, ELL, GRKMD 112  I. Zikoudis 
                   
                  B)  –μαι verbs are divided into 4 subcategories: 
                  1) verbs ending in -ομαι : χαίρομαι, έρχομαι, βρίσκομαι 
                  2) verbs ending in -άμαι : λυπάμαι, θυμάμαι, κοιμάμαι 
                  3) verbs ending in -ιέμαι : κρατιέμαι, γελιέμαι, γαργαλιέμαι 
                  4) verbs ending in -ούμαι : ασχολούμαι, αιτούμαι, θεωρούμαι 
                       
                  Verb endings indicate the person responsible for the action of the verb and as a result the 
                  speaker/writer of M. Greek does not have to provide the name of the person responsible for the 
                  action or even a personal pronoun in his or her place.  Verb endings are standardized and have 
                  the following form: 
                  verbs ending in                                        verbs ending in                
                  -ομαι                                                  -άμαι
                  χαίρομαι                    -ομαι                      κοιμάμαι                      -άμαι 
                  χαίρεσαι                    -εσαι                      κοιμάσαι                      -άσαι 
                  χαίρεται                    -εται                      κοιμάται                      -άται 
                  χαιρόμαστε                  -όμαστε                    κοιμόμαστε                    -όμαστε 
                  χαιρόσαστε/χαίρεστε         -όσαστε/-εστε              κοιμόσαστε/κοιμάστε           -όσαστε/-άστε 
                  χαίρονται                   -ονται                     κοιμούνται                    -ούνται 
                  verbs ending in                                        verbs ending in                
                  -ιέμαι                                                 –ούμαι
                  βαριέμαι                    -ιέμαι                     θεωρούμαι                     -ούμαι 
                  βαριέσαι                    -ιέσαι                     θεωρείσαι                     -είσαι 
                  βαριέται                    -ιέται                     θεωρείται                     -είται 
                  βαριόμαστε                  -ιόμαστε                   θεωρούμαστε                   -ούμαστε 
                  βαριόσαστε/βαριέστε         -ιόσαστε/-ιέστε            θεωρείστε                     -είστε 
                  βαριούνται                  -ιούνται                   θεωρούνται                    -ούνται 
               Queens College, ELL, GRKMD 112  I. Zikoudis 
                
               General note on verbs 
               A number of Tenses are formed after the stem (root) of the verb in the Present Tense. These 
               Tenses are called here ‘Continuous’ (others call them ‘Imperfective’) and  characteristically 
               leave the action of the verb open in time, incomplete, repeated constantly or simply going on 
               forever and ever. Such Tenses are the Future Cont., Subjunctive Cont., Continuous Negative 
               Command and Past Continuous (also called Past Progressive or Imperfect by some grammar 
               books). 
               Another number of Tenses are formed after the stem (root) of the verb in the Past Tense. They 
               are called ‘Simple’ or ‘Perfective’ Tenses and describe the action of the verb as one to be 
               completed once or during a specific (restricted, limited) time. Such Tenses are the Future 
               Simple, Subjunctive Simple, Simple Command and Simple Negative Command. The form of the 
               Present Perfect Tense is also based on the stem of the Past Tense and indicates an action that 
               has been completed in the past but its effects are still visible or hold true in the Present.    
                
                  –ω  verbs 
               Α. 
               Α1. Regular verbs 
               μαθαίνω  μαθαίνω            Present         Έμαθα            έμαθα          Simple 
                                                                                           Past 
               μαθαιν -    θα μαθαίνω      Fut. Cont.      μαθ-             θα μάθω        Fut. Simple
                           να μαθαίνω      Subj. Cont.                      να μάθω        Subj. 
                                                                                           Simpl. 
                           μην μαθαίνεις   Neg. Comm.                       μην μάθεις     Neg. 
                                                                                           Comm. 
                           μάθαινα         Past                             έχω μάθει      Pres. 
                                           Cont./Progr.                                    Perfect 
                                           Imperfect 
                     είχα μάθει  Past 
                                                                                           Perfect 
                           Μάθαινε,        Command                          Μάθε,          Simp. 
                           μαθαίνετε                                        μάθετε         Comm.