Verbs
As we already know, verbs in Greek change their ending based on the gender and number of the person or thing the verb is referring to. This is called “conjugation” and the same effect happens in English (consider “I want” compared to “he wants“) but the two differences are that, firstly, in Greek the conjugation is a bit more complicated, and secondly the conjugation of the verb replaces the need for a pronoun (εγώ, εσύ…) So instead of saying “I want” in Greek we just say θέλω where the “I” is completely implied by the Omega at the end of the verb.
Group A verbs
Group A verbs end in an unstressed –ω [ soft ω]. All you have to do is to find the stem of the verb by removing the ending [ μεν– ω]and then add the endings to form the other persons. [ most Greek verbs are type A]
μένω Ι live
μένεις you live
μένει he/ she/it lives
μένουμε we live
μένετε you live
μένουν they live
- There is a consonant before the ending [ μένω]
- The ending is never stressed [μένω]
Common type A-verbs
| έχω = have αγοράζω= buy διαβάζω=read γράφω = write θέλω= want βάζω= put ξέρω= know μαθαίνω= learn παίζω = play |
Activity: Complete the gaps with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Then translate each sentence into English.
- O Γιώργος ……… [ έχω] δύο αδέρφια.
- Η Μαρία και ο Νίκος ……. [μαθαίνω] γαλλικά.
- Η οικογένεια μου ………… [ θέλω] να ξέρω ελληνικά.
- Ο σύντροφος μου ……….. [έχω] πυρετό.
- Η κοπέλα μου ………. [ξέρω] να μιλάει αγγλικά.
- Σου αρέσει να ……. [ παίζω] μπάσκετ;
Group B1 verbs
Group B verbs end in a stressed ώ [strong ώ]. All you have to do is to find the stem of the verb by removing the ending [ αγαπ–ώ]and then add the endings to form the other persons.
αγαπώ Ι love
αγαπάς you love
αγαπάει he/ she/ it loves
αγαπάμε we love
αγαπάτε you love
αγαπούν they love
The first and third person singular and the third person plural have a second conjugation:
Αγαπώ or αγαπάω
Αγαπάει or αγαπά
Αγαπούν or αγαπάνε
Recognizing Group B1 verbs ?
There are two characteristics common to type B1 verbs:
- The εγώ conjugation always ends in –άω or –ώ
- They have two conjugations for the 1st and 3rd person singular and 3rd person plural.
Common type B1 verbs
| μιλάω or μιλώ = speak πεινάω or πεινώ= be hungry διψάω or διψώ=be thirsty κολυμπάω or κολυμπώ= to swim ζητάω or ζητώ = to ask for ρωτάω or ρωτώ =to ask |
Activity: Complete the gaps with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Then translate each sentence into English.
- O Γιώργος ……. [ ρωτάω] μία ερώτηση.[ a question]
- Θέλω ένα τοστ. ……. [ πεινάω] πολύ.
- Οι γονείς μου ………. [ κολυμπώ] στην παραλία.
- Ένα νερό παρακαλώ γιατί …….. [ διψάω].
- Η Μαρία [ αγαπώ]……. πολύ τα αδέρφια της.
- Η Σίλβια και ο Γιώργος …….. [ μιλώ] γερμανικά.
- Η οικογένεια μου δεν …… [ μιλώ] αγγλικά.
Group B2 Verbs
Group B2 verbs end in a stressed ώ [strong ώ] like B1 verbs. However, their declension is much more close to A type verbs. The good news is that there are only a few verbs that belong to this category. The bad news is that there is no way to predict whether a verb ending in a strong ώ is a Group B1 verb or a Group B2 verb unless you learn Group B2 verbs by heart.
μπορώ Ι am able/ I can
μπορείς you are able/ you can
μπορεί he/ she/ it is able/ can
μπορούμε we are able/ can
μπορείτε you are able / can
μπορούν they are able/ can
In fact, Group B2 verbs are like Group A verbs (μένω). The only change is the second plural person (-είτε instead of –ετε).
There are only 7 Group Β2 verbs.
| αργώ slow down ζω live μπορώ be able οδηγώ drive συγχωρώ forgive τηλεφωνώ call χρησιμοποιώ use |
Activity: Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form. Then translate each sentence into English.
- Oι γονείς μου ……… [ μπορώ] να μιλούν ελληνικά.
- Μου αρέσει να ……… [ χρησιμοποιώ] το λεξικό
- Ο Γιάννης ………. [ οδηγώ] Mercedes Benz.
- H Μαρία ………… [ συγχωρώ] το λάθος σου.
- Η Εύα ……. [ ζω] στο Λονδίνο.
Activity: Classify the following verbs into the correct Group.
| Verbs | Group A | Group B1 | Group B2 |
| διαβάζω | |||
| γράφω | |||
| διψάω | |||
| μπορώ | |||
| αργώ | |||
| μιλάω | |||
| ζω |
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Thank you for this! It’s really helped. One question: to which group does αναπνέω belong?
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