The present tense
The present-tense endings, the most useful verb in Greek, and why είμαι follows no rule.
What the present covers
One tense, three uses: what is happening now, what happens repeatedly, and what is generally true. Greek does not distinguish “I write” from “I am writing”.
- Γράφω ένα μήνυμα.I am writing a message (now).
- Γράφω κάθε μέρα.I write every day (habit).
The endings
The great majority of verbs follow this pattern. The stem does not move; only the ending changes, and these six endings serve hundreds of verbs.
- Γράφω ένα γράμμα.I’m writing a letter.
- Τι γράφεις;What are you writing?
- Γράφουμε στα ελληνικά.We write in Greek.
| πρόσωπο | γράφω | κατάληξη |
|---|---|---|
| εγώ | γράφω | -ω |
| εσύ | γράφεις | -εις |
| αυτός/ή/ό | γράφει | -ει |
| εμείς | γράφουμε | -ουμε |
| εσείς | γράφετε | -ετε |
| αυτοί/ές/ά | γράφουν | -ουν |
One tense, three moods
The same endings serve to state a fact (οριστική), to depend on another verb with να (υποτακτική), and to give an order (προστακτική). Seeing that it is one form dressed differently saves learning three tables.
- Εσύ γράφεις πολύ ωραία.You write very nicely.
- Η Μαρία γράφει ένα μήνυμα.Maria is writing a message.
- Οι φίλοι γράφουν στον πίνακα.The friends are writing on the board.
| υποκείμενο | σωστός τύπος | παράδειγμα |
|---|---|---|
| εσύ | -εις | Εσύ γράφεις. |
| αυτός / αυτή / αυτό | -ει | Αυτή γράφει. |
| οι φίλοι | -ουν | Οι φίλοι γράφουν. |
είμαι and έχω
The two verbs you will use most. έχω is perfectly regular; είμαι is not regular at all and has to be memorised — it is the one verb here that cannot be derived from anything.
- Είμαι από την Ελβετία.I am from Switzerland.
- Έχω δύο αδέλφια.I have two siblings.
| πρόσωπο | είμαι | έχω |
|---|---|---|
| εγώ | είμαι | έχω |
| εσύ | είσαι | έχεις |
| αυτός/ή/ό | είναι | έχει |
| εμείς | είμαστε | έχουμε |
| εσείς | είστε | έχετε |
| αυτοί/ές/ά | είναι | έχουν |
The subject is often left out
The ending already says who is speaking, so εγώ, εσύ… appear only for emphasis or contrast. Saying εγώ γράφω without reason sounds marked, like “I’m the one writing”.
- Μιλάω ελληνικά.I speak Greek (neutral).
- Εγώ μιλάω ελληνικά.I speak Greek (contrast).