Greek Present Tense Verbs: Γράφω and Αγαπάω Patterns
How the two main groups of Greek verbs conjugate in the present tense, why Greek has no infinitive, and how 'να' clauses replace it.
Greek verbs look intimidating, but the present tense follows just two main patterns. And there's a surprise: modern Greek has no infinitive. Instead, it uses a small word να (that, to) with a conjugated verb.
Group A: verbs like γράφω (I write)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| εγώ | γράφω |
| εσύ | γράφεις |
| αυτός / αυτή / αυτό | γράφει |
| εμείς | γράφουμε |
| εσείς | γράφετε |
| αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά | γράφουν(ε) |
Other verbs of this type: πίνω (I drink), τρέχω (I run), ψάχνω (I search), παίρνω (I take), βλέπω (I see), ακούω (I hear), μένω (I stay, live), δουλεύω (I work), πληρώνω (I pay).
Group B: verbs like αγαπάω (I love)
Verbs ending in -άω or -ώ have two equivalent sets:
| Person | Form 1 | Form 2 |
|---|---|---|
| εγώ | αγαπάω | αγαπώ |
| εσύ | αγαπάς | αγαπάς |
| αυτός | αγαπάει | αγαπά |
| εμείς | αγαπάμε | αγαπούμε |
| εσείς | αγαπάτε | αγαπάτε |
| αυτοί | αγαπάνε | αγαπούν |
Other verbs: μιλάω / μιλώ (I speak), ρωτάω / ρωτώ (I ask), περπατάω / περπατώ (I walk), ξεκινάω / ξεκινώ (I start).
The irregular pair: είμαι and έχω
- είμαι (to be): είμαι, είσαι, είναι, είμαστε, είστε, είναι
- έχω (to have): έχω, έχεις, έχει, έχουμε, έχετε, έχουν
Reflexive-type verbs (middle voice)
Some verbs end in -ομαι or -ώμαι and have their own pattern: έρχομαι (I come), κοιμάμαι (I sleep), σκέφτομαι (I think), θυμάμαι (I remember), ζεσταίνομαι (I feel hot).
No infinitive: the "να" construction
Where English says "I want to go", Greek says "I want that I go": Θέλω να πάω. The verb after να is conjugated to match the subject:
- Θέλω να φάω. — I want to eat.
- Θέλεις να έρθεις; — Do you want to come?
- Μπορώ να σε βοηθήσω; — Can I help you?
- Πρέπει να φύγουμε. — We must leave.
This is why Greek dictionaries list verbs in the first person singular present: γράφω, not "to write".
One present for many meanings
The Greek present translates English "I write", "I am writing" and sometimes "I will write": Γράφω ένα μήνυμα. — I'm writing a message.
Subject pronouns are optional
Verb endings show the person, so pronouns are usually dropped: Μιλάω ελληνικά. — I speak Greek. Add them for emphasis: Εγώ μιλάω, εσύ ακούς.
Word order
Greek word order is flexible, but a natural default is subject-verb-object: Ο Γιάννης πίνει καφέ. Questions have the same order, with a rising tone.
Stress
Stress is marked with an accent, and can move: γράφω (GRAH-fo), γράφουμε (GRAH-foo-meh).
Learning tips
- Learn the endings for Groups A and B.
- Learn είμαι and έχω first.
- Use θέλω να, μπορώ να, πρέπει να to build sentences.
- Learn verbs in the first person, as dictionaries list them.
Common mistakes
- Looking for an infinitive in the dictionary.
- Forgetting to conjugate the verb after να.
- Mixing up the endings of Groups A and B.
English Greek Dictionary
Offline English–Greek dictionary with meanings in proper Greek script
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