English - Modern Greek

The following parts of speech are declined in Modern Greek:

• Articles
• Nouns
• Adjectives
• Personal pronouns
• Numerals

The following parts of speech are not declined in Modern Greek:

• Adverbs
• Possessive pronouns
• Conjunctions
• Prepositions

In Modern Greek we have to deal with the following cases:

• the nominative [1st case] - η ονομαστική
• the genitive [2nd case] - η γενική
• the dative [ 3rd case (only occurs in some ancient expressions)] - η δοτική
• the accusative [4th case] - η αιτιατική
• the vocative [5th case] - η κλητική

The verbs are conjugated in Modern Greek:

• The active Greek verb is always indicated in the first person singular, e.g. «γράφω» - I write.
• The personal pronoun is generally not used.
• The ending indicates the finite verb (person) and there are six finite verb forms.
• Most verbs have three voices viz. the active, the mid-passive and the passive voice.
• The ending «-μαι», e.g. «γράφομαι» - I register, indicates the mid-passive and the passive voice in the first person singular.

In Greek you may greet each other in different ways

On entry, for example, you can say the following:

When leaving you can, for example:

Grammar

The weak personal pronouns are one syllable words without stress and used when nothing has to be emphasized. The second case is the basis for the possessive pronouns.

The weak form of the personal pronouns

Singular - Ενικός Αριθμός

cases	1st person	2nd person	3rd pers.masculine	3rd pers.feminine	3rd pers.neuter
1st case	--	--	τος	τη	το
2nd case	μου	σου	του	της	του
4th case	με	σε	τον	τη(ν)	το

Plural - Πληθυντικός Αριθμός

cases	1st person	2nd person	3rd pers.masculine	3rd pers.feminine	3rd pers.neuter
1st case	--	--	τοι	τες	τα
2nd case	μας	σας	τους	τους	τους
4th case	μας	σας	τους	τις/τες	τα

The use of the nominative (1st case) of the weak pronouns is limited to exclamations and interrogative constructions using the particle «να» and the adverb «πουν'» («να πουν'» - to say)

The weak personal pronouns are used in close context with verbs, nouns and adverbs and some other words with which they are linked. They cannot be separated from the verb, in fact, they are inextricably linked to the verb that they precede or follow.

When the imperative or the gerund is used the weak personal pronoun immediately follows the verb.

Examples of the weak personal pronoun as a direct object or indirect object of the verb:

 

When a weak personal pronoun is used as a direct object, the case appears in the accusative (4th case, sent. 1, 3, 4). When a weak personal pronoun is used as a indirect object, the case appears in the genitive (2nd case, sent. 2 and 5). When both objects are used the first one should be a person-form and the second one a third person-form. In such an occasion the indirect object precedes the direct object, (sent 6 and 7).

The same occurs when a weak personal pronoun is used with an imperative, (sent. 8, 9 en 10) or the gerund, the indirect object may precede the direct object, (sent. 11 and 12).

The emphasized form of the possessive pronoun is a combination of a weak personal pronoun in the genitive (2nd case) preceded by the adjective «δικός, -ή, -ό» - own:

The emphasized form of the possessive pronoun:

cases	masculine singular - αρσενικό ενικός
	one owner	more owners	one owner	more owners	one owner	more owners
	1st	δικός μου	δικός μας	δικός σου	δικός σας	δικός του	δικός τους
	2nd	δικού μου (μουδικό)	δικού μας	δικού σου (σουδικό)	δικού σας	δικού του	δικού τους
4th		δικό μας		δικό σας	δικό του	δικό τους

cases	masculine plural - αρσενικό πληθυντικός
	one owner	more owners	one owner	more owners	one owner	more owners
	1st	δικοί μου	δικοί μας	δικοί σου	δικοί σας	δικοί του	δικοί τους
	2nd	δικών μου	δικών μας	δικών σου	δικών σας	δικών του	δικών τους
4th	δικοί μου	δικοί μας	δικοί σου	δικοί σας	δικοί του	δικοί τους

cases	feminine singular - θηλυκό ενικός
	one owner	more owners	one owner	more owners	one owner	more owners
	1st	δική μου	δική μας	δική σου	δική σας	δική του	δική τους
	2nd	δικής μου	δική μας	δικής σου	δική σας	δικής του	δική τους
4th	δική μου	δική μας	δική σου	δική σας	δική του	δική τους

cases	feminine plural - θηλυκό πληθυντικός
	one owner	more owners	one owner	more owners	one owner	more owners
	1st	δικές μου	δικές μας	δικές σου	δικές σας	δικές του	δικές τους
	2nd	δικών μου	δικών μας	δικών σου	δικών σας	δικών του	δικών τους
4th	δικές μου	δικές μας	δικές σου	δικές σας	δικές του	δικές τους

cases	neuter singular - ουδέτερο ενικός
	one owner	more owners	one owner	more owners	one owner	more owners
	1st	δικό μου	δικό μας	δικό σου	δικό σας	δικό του	δικό τους
	2nd	δικού μου	δικού μας	δικού σου	δικού σας	δικού του	δικού τους
4th	δικό μου	δικό μας	δικό σου	δικό σας	δικό του	δικό τους

cases	neuter plural - ουδέτερο πληθυντικός
	one owner	more owners	one owner	more owners	one owner	more owners
	1st	δικά μου	δικά μας	δικά σου	δικά σας	δικά του	δικά τους
	2nd	δικών μου	δικών μας	δικών σου	δικών σας	δικών του	δικών τους
4th	δικά μου	δικά μας	δικά σου	δικά σας	δικά του	δικά τους

Some examples with his form are:

As shown in above schedules the forms are declined according to the type adjective with «-ός, -ή, -ό» - endings, in the masculine, feminine and neuter forms viz: «δικός μου», «δική μου», «δικό μου» in compliance with the noun, defining the gender, the case and the singular and plural, whereas the combination can also occur independently qualifying a noun:

In this lesson the following verbs, nouns, prepositions, articles, adverbs and adjectives, personal and possessive pronouns are used in sentences, including above-mentioned notes:

Greek	English
	meaning	part of speech
ανοίγω	to open	regular verb with an active and passive voice
γελάω, γελώ	to smile, laugh, giggle	regular verb with an active and passive voice
γράφω	to write	regular verb with an active voice and an irregular passive voice
δίνω	to give	irregular verb with an active and passive voice
θέλω	to want, will	irregular verb with an active voice
κάνω	to do, make	irregular verb with an active voice
ξέρω	to know	irregular verb with an active voice
η πόρτα	door, gate	feminine noun
το βιβλίο	the book	neuter noun
το λάθος *	the error	neuter noun
το ποδήλατο	the bicycle	neuter noun
η στιγμή	the moment	feminine noun
λάθος *	wrongly	adverb
τώρα	now	adverb
γιατί	why	conjunction
λάθος *	bad, incorrect	adjective
κόκκινος, -η, -ο	red	adjective
πλούσιος, -α, -ο	rich	adjective
με	with	preposition

* «το λάθος» is an irregular noun of which the declension is a.f.:

cases	singular	plural
nominative	λάθος	λάθη
genitive	λάθους	λαθών
accusative	λάθος	λάθη
vocative	λάθος	λάθη

It is used in the indeclinable form as an adjective, e.g. « λάθος στιγμή» - wrong moment and as an adverb e.g. «κατά λάθος» - by mistake

Some sentences formed with the words of lesson 1 and 2:

Greek	English
01. Τώρα κάνεις λάθος.	Now you make a mistake.
02. Ο πατέρας μου ανοίγει την πόρτα.	My father opens the door.
03. Πηγαίνει στο σχολείο με το ποδήλατο.	He goes to school by bike.
04. Της δίνει ένα βιβλίο.	He gives her a book.
05. Η δική της οικογένεια είναι πολύ πλούσια.	Her own family is very rich.
06. Ο δικός μας δάσκαλος γράφει κάτι λάθος.	Our own teacher writes something incorect.
07. Γελάει σε λάθος στιγμή.	She/he laughs at the wrong moment.
08. Ο δικός της αδελφός ανοίγει την πόρτα, γελώντας.	Her own brother opens the door, laughing.
09. Γιατί είναι δύσκολο το μάθημα;	Why is the lesson difficult?
10. Δεν ξέρουν γιατί.	They don't know why.
11. Το σπίτι έχει κόκκινη πόρτα.	The house has a red door.
12. Θέλουν να πάνε στο σπίτι με το ποδήλατο.	They want to go home by bicycle.
13. Αγοράζουν το βιβλίο στο μαγαζί του.	The buy the book in his shop.
14. Δίνουν το βιβλίο στη μητέρα τους.	They give the book to their mother.

The sentences 3, 5, 9, 11 en 13 of the verbs of lesson 1, new nouns, adjectives, adverbs and possessive pronouns. In the sentences 5 and 6 the emphasized form of the possissive pronouns are used.

Verbs

The present tense in the indicative mood of the active voice of the verb «ανοίγω».

• In the second sentence «ανοίγω» is used in the third person masculine (because of «ο πατέρας»). It is a regular verb and also has a passive voice, viz «ανοίγομαι». It has several other meanings, among which, to bloom, to open fire, to undo, to turn on, to switch on and many others.
• «ανοίγει» in sentence 2 and 8 are in de 3rd person singular.

The present tense in the indicative mood of the active voice of the verb «γελάω, γελώ».

• «γελάω, γελώ» is a regular verb with an active and passive voice. This verb fits in category 2 of the second conjugation. See the stem for the second conjugation.
• «γελάει» in sentence 7 is de 3rd person singular.
• «γελώντας» is the present tense participle, (the english ing-form) of the verb

The present tense of the active voice in of the indicative mood of the verb «γράφω».

• The active voice of the verb «γράφω» is regular. It is conjugated as the verbs in category 3 of the first conjugation. However the passive voice «γράφομαι» is irregular, partly due to the formation of the past participle, which is formed with the stem «γραφ-», but by adjusting the two vowels «-φμ-», where the «φ» precedes the «μ» (of «-μένος») in Greek the combination «-μμ-» is used.
• In sentence 6 «γράφει» is used in the 3rd person singular
• See the stem for the first conjugation.

The present tense in the indicative mood of the active voice of the verb «δίνω».

• Both the active and the passive voices of the verb «δίνω» are irregular. In particular the aorist, the perfect tenses and the second (simple) future tense deviate from the normal pattern.
• In above sentence 4 «δίνει» is used, which means the 3rd person singular and «δίνουν» in sentence 14 the 3rd person plural.

The present tense in the indicative mood of the active voice of the verb «θέλω».

• The verb «θέλω» has only an active voice and it is irregular.
• «θέλουν» in sentence 12 is de 3rd person plural, followed by the particle «να», the marker of the subjunctive, plus the 3rd person plural of the verb's subjunctive form in the aorist tense of «θέλω».

The present tense in the indicative mood of the active voice of the verb «κάνω».

• The verb ««κάνω» has only an active voice.
• In sentence 1 «κάνεις» is used which means the 2nd person singular.
• The verb «κάνω» is used in standard sentences, but also in a variety of expressions with different meanings. Look at above link for the conjugation of the entire verb.

The present tense in the indicative mood of the active voice of the verb «ξέρω».

• The verb «ξέρω» is irregular, with only the active voice. Just a few tenses are used, viz, The present tense, the imperfect and the contiuous future tense of the indicative mood, the present tense of the subjunctive mood, the present tense of the imperative and the participle in the present tense.
• For «ξέρουν» in sentence 10 the 3rd person plural is used.