The aorist: the simple past
The storytelling tense: a past action, completed. Χθες έγραψα ένα γράμμα — yesterday I wrote a letter.
When to use it
For a past action seen as one finished whole: yesterday, last year, once. If it was a habit or background (“every day, while…”), Greek uses the imperfect (παρατατικός) instead.
- Χθες αγόρασα ψωμί.Yesterday I bought bread.
- Πέρσι έζησα τρεις μήνες στην Κρήτη.Last year I lived three months in Crete.
- Διάβαζα όταν τηλεφώνησες.I was reading when you called.
Formation: -σα and the stress
Stem + σ + endings -α, -ες, -ε, -αμε, -ατε, -αν. The stress moves to the third syllable from the end; when the verb is too short, an augment έ- is added (γράφω → έγραψα, but γράψαμε needs no augment — it already has three syllables).
- Έγραψα ένα γράμμα.I wrote a letter.
- Γράψαμε μαζί την άσκηση.We wrote the exercise together.
- Οι φίλοι μου έγραψαν χθες.My friends wrote yesterday.
| πρόσωπο | γράφω → αόριστος |
|---|---|
| εγώ | έγραψα |
| εσύ | έγραψες |
| αυτός/αυτή | έγραψε |
| εμείς | γράψαμε |
| εσείς | γράψατε |
| αυτοί | έγραψαν |
The sound changes
Before the σ, the stem’s final consonant merges: π/β/φ + σ → ψ, κ/γ/χ + σ → ξ, and ζ/θ become σ. It is the same logic as ψ = πσ and ξ = κσ in the alphabet.
- γράφω → έγραψαto write → I wrote (φ + σ → ψ)
- ανοίγω → άνοιξαto open → I opened (γ + σ → ξ)
- αγοράζω → αγόρασαto buy → I bought (ζ + σ → σ)
| ενεστώτας | αόριστος | αλλαγή |
|---|---|---|
| γράφω | έγραψα | φ + σ → ψ |
| ανοίγω | άνοιξα | γ + σ → ξ |
| διαβάζω | διάβασα | ζ → σ |
| αγοράζω | αγόρασα | ζ → σ |
| προσέχω | πρόσεξα | χ + σ → ξ |
The irregulars you can’t avoid
The most frequent verbs change their whole stem. They must be memorised — but their endings are still the ones in the table above.
- πηγαίνω — πήγαto go — I went
- βλέπω — είδαto see — I saw
- τρώω — έφαγαto eat — I ate
| ενεστώτας | αόριστος |
|---|---|
| πηγαίνω | πήγα |
| λέω | είπα |
| τρώω | έφαγα |
| βλέπω | είδα |
| πίνω | ήπια |
| δίνω | έδωσα |
| παίρνω | πήρα |
| έρχομαι | ήρθα |
Your turn
Pick the aorist form that fits.
Често задавани въпроси
How do you form the aorist (simple past) in Greek?
Stem + σ + the endings -α, -ες, -ε, -αμε, -ατε, -αν: «γράφω» → «έγραψα» (I wrote). The stress falls on the third syllable from the end, so short verbs take the augment έ-: «έγραψα», while «γράψαμε» needs none.
When do you use the aorist instead of the imperfect in Greek?
Aorist for a single, completed action: «Χθες αγόρασα ψωμί» (yesterday I bought bread). Imperfect for a habit or a background: «Διάβαζα όταν τηλεφώνησες» (I was reading when you called).
Which Greek verbs have an irregular aorist?
The commonest ones change their whole stem: «πηγαίνω → πήγα» (go → I went), «βλέπω → είδα» (see → I saw), «τρώω → έφαγα» (eat → I ate). The endings stay regular.