Greek Verb Endings

Initial appearances in Groton notwithstanding, you will do well to absorb the following words of
wisdom from K.L. McKays Greek Grammar for Students (8.6.1):

Basically there are only four sets of personal endings (although a few alternative forms occur),
but due to various sound changes, analogical borrowings, etc. ( 2.7-17), the variety of suffices in
which they are incorporated is much greater.

The basic personal endings, used in all moods except the imperative, are as follows:

Active Middle or Passive

Primary Secondary Primary Secondary
-, - - - -
- (-) - - -
- (-) - - -
- - - -
- - -, - -, -
- (-) -, - - -

The above chart omits the dual forms (for two subjects), which are uncommon and need not be
mastered in the first year of Greek.

The corresponding imperative forms are as follows:

Active Middle or Passive

-- Doesnt Exist -- -- Doesnt Exist --
-, -, - -
- -
-- Doesnt Exist -- -- Doesnt Exist --
- -
- -

Here too, the duals are omitted.

You will recall that the verb stem or root denotes the basic meaning of the verb, e.g. - (train).
Verbs with a personal ending are called finite verbs (regardless of tense, mood, or voice). The
infinitive and participle are not finite forms.

There are two basic verb groups in Greek. Thematic verbs place an intervening vowel a.k.a.
thematic vowel -- between the stem and the personal ending. Most verbs, especially in GKC
1301, fall in this category. Athematic verbs attach the personal ending to the stem directly, with no
thematic vowel.

In the present, future, and imperfect tenses, the thematic vowels occur in the following pattern.

Singular Plural
-- --
-- --
-- --