Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ

Overview λόγος

Verbs in English are somewhat limited.

Overview of Verbs They only communicate the action being performed:
“hunting.” More words are needed to be more precise.

Chapter 4 “I am hunting”
I pronoun
am helping verb
hunting main verb

Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Overview λόγος Person λόγος

Verbs in Greek are very compact. Person refers to the subject of the verbal idea.
They communicate a considerable amount of
information through a single word. First person: “I” or “we”
Second person: “you” [sg. or pl.]
Third person “he/she/it” or “they”
λύοµεν
οµεν
“we are loosing” 1st person – The subject is speaking.
Greek verbs express both person and number through 2nd person – The subject is being spoken to.
different endings.
3rd person – The subject is being spoken about.

Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Number λόγος Voice λόγος

Number refers to how many things are related Voice indicates the way the subject relates to
to the action of the verb. the action or state expressed by the verb.
Singular Plural
• Active: the subject performs the action.
First I we
• Middle: the subject both performs and is
Second you (sg) you (pl)
affected by the action.
Third he, she, it they • Passive: the subject receives the action.

1
 Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Active Voice λόγος Middle Voice λόγος

The subject of the verb performs the action. The subject both performs the action and is
in some way affected by the action.
Transitive: “I see a tree.”
Intransitive: “I am walking.”
1) Reflexive: The subject performs the action upon
himself (“I see myself”).
ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσµον

“God loved the world” περιζώσεται “he will dress himself”

Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Middle Voice λόγος Middle Voice λόγος

2) Special Interest: The subject may have some
special interest in the action or benefit from the action
(“I see for myself”).
πάντα ὅσα προσεύχεσθε καὶ αἰτεῖσθε
“All things you pray and ask for”
Categories of Middle Voice Verbs
• Reciprocity: involves two parties (δέχοµαι, ἀποκρίνοµαι).
• Movement (ἔρχοµαι, πορεύοµαι).
• Self-Involvement: thinking, feeling, and deciding
(λογίζοµαι, βούλοµαι).
• Passivity: the subject does not choose or cannot refuse to be
the subject of the action (γίνοµαι).

Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Passive Voice λόγος Passive Voice λόγος

The subject of the verb receives the action Greek Examples

English Examples Active Voice: θεραπεύει

ει τὴν γυναῖκα
(“He is healing the woman”)

Active Voice: “Elvis has left the building.” Passive Voice:

ἡ γυνὴ θεραπεύεται
εται
(“The woman is being healed”)
“Captain, sensors report we Notice: We don’t know who the agent of the action is.
Passive Voice: The agent can be added to a passive verb by using ὑπό (+ gen):
are being scanned.”
ἡ γυνὴ θεραπεύεται ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου

2
 Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Mood λόγος Mood λόγος

Mood: indicates an author’s understanding of • Indicative: represents something as certain or asserted (“He went
the verbal action’s relation to reality—factual, fishing” or “Will he go fishing?”).
possible, desired, commanded, contingent, etc. • Subjunctive: represents something as probable, contingent, or
indefinite (“He might go fishing” or “whenever he goes fishing”).
• Optative: represents something as possible or hoped for (“I wish he
would go fishing”).
Indicative Subjunctive Optative Imperative • Imperative: represents something as requested or commanded
(“Go fishing!” “Please, go fishing”).

Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Tense & Aspect λόγος Tense & Aspect λόγος

Tense: Greek has 6 tense-forms. Aspect: the subjective perspective or viewpoint from
which an author communicates the action of the verb.
• Present λύω “I am loosing” or “I loose” • Imperfective Aspect (present and imperfect tenses): the author depicts
• Imperfective ἔλυον “I was loosing” the action as ongoing or in process, without attention to the action’s
• Future λύσω “I will loose” beginning or ending.
• Aorist ἔλυσα
ἔλυσα “I loosed” • Perfective Aspect (aorist tense): the author depicts the action as
• Perfect λέλυκα
λέλυκα “I have loosed” complete or as a whole.
• Pluperfect ἐλελύκειν “I had loosed” • Stative Aspect (perfect and pluperfect tenses): the author depicts a state
of affairs or ongoing relevance resulting from a previous action or state.

Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Present Indicative of εἰµί λόγος Present Indicative of εἰµί λόγος

Copulative Verbs in English Copulative Verbs in English

The verb “to be” is called a “copulative” verb

The verb “to be” is very irregular in English:
because it joins words together. As such, it does not
take a direct object but a predicate nominative.
I am I will be
you are I was I am he
him
he is we were They are good

3
 Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Present Indicative of εἰµί λόγος Vocabulary λόγος

Singular Plural
ἄγω,
ἄγω I lead, bring (pedagogical)
1st Person εἰµί ἐσµέν βλέπω,
βλέπω I see, look at
διδάσκω,
διδάσκω I teach (didactic)
2nd Person εἶ ἐστέ
ἐγείρω,
ἐγείρω I raise up
3rd Person ἐστίν εἰσίν κρίνω,
κρίνω I judge, condemn (critic)

Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ
Vocabulary λόγος Vocabulary λόγος

µένω,
µένω I remain, abide, dwell (remain) ὥρα,
ὥρα ἡ, hour (hour)
ὑπάγω,
ὑπάγω I go away, depart εἰ,
εἰ if, whether
δοῦλος,
δοῦλος ὁ, slave (doula) εἴτε,
εἴτε if, whether
θάνατος,
θάνατος ὁ, death καθώς,
καθώς as, just as, even as
ψυχή,
ψυχή ἡ, soul, life, living being ὡς,
ὡς as, like
(psychology)