Download Summary of Greek Verbs Usage – Non-Indicative Forms

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Study Sheet for Greek Final – Beginning Greek, CO310, By Corey Keating
Finite Verbal Forms (Non-indicative mood)
Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive mood is the mood of probability. It can be used in both independent and dependent clauses. It
is found in the present and aorist tenses (with 10 occurrences of the word oi\da in the ‘perfect subjunctive’ in
the NT.)
Uses in Independent Clauses:
When it is used in the 1st person (usually plural) and comes at the beginning of a sentence, it is called a
hortatory subjunctive, used like a 1st person imperative, and is translated into English as “let us”.
When it is used to ask a question in which it wants the audience to think about a certain course of action,
it is called a ‘deliberative subjunctive’. The question may be one expecting a real answer or may be a rhetorical
question.
The ‘subjunctive of emphatic negation’ is the strongest way to negate something in Greek. It is formed
by using a double negative (ouj mhV) with an aorist subjunctive verb. In English, it is translated "certainly not" or
"never", with the English future tense.
The subjunctive can be used with the negative adverb mh to forbid an action. This is roughly equivalent to
using a negated imperative to prohibit an action.
Uses in Dependent Clauses:
The most common use of the subjunctive is when it is used with the word i{na, often as a dependent
purpose clause.
The subjunctive mood can be used with a relative pronoun and the Greek particle a]n to indicate an
indefinite or uncertain person.
The subjunctive is used in third class conditional sentences (again with the Greek particle a]n) to
indicate either a 'Present General Condition' or 'More Probable Future Condition'.
Imperative Mood
The imperative mood is often used to give a command or instruction to the hearer, charging the hearer to carry
out or perform a certain action. It is found only in the present and aorist tenses.
Non-Finite Verbal Forms
Participles and Infinitives are both referred to as non-finite verbal forms because their action is not limited by a
specific subject and thus they do not use the personal endings.
Participles
A participle is a verbal adjective. In broad terms, the participle can be used as a(n) adverb or as a(n) adjective.
In other words, it can modify a finite verb or a noun. When it is used as a(n) adverb, it will never (cannot) have a
definite article as a modifier. It is fully declinable with case, number and gender, and is found in the present,
aorist, and perfect tenses.
When being used adjectivally, it can be used in any way that a normal adjective would be used: to modify
or take the place of a noun.
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Although the Greek participle can be translated like the English participle, (using an –ing), when being
used adverbially it can be used to show the ‘time’ when something happened, related to the time of another action
(called a temporal use). When used in this way, one would often translate it with the addition of the helping
words ‘while’ or ‘after’, depending on whether the finite verb was present or aorist tense. When used to show the
‘time’ when something happened, the time of the participle is not absolute time, but time that is relative to the
time of the finite verb it is modifying. The adverbial participle can also be used to show the ‘cause’ or reason for
some action, the ‘purpose’ for some action, the ‘means by which’ something happened, or that something
happened ‘in spite of’ something else.
The participle can also be used to form a genitive absolute construction. In this situation, the clause
containing the participle has no relation to the rest of the sentence in the sense that the logical subject of the
participle is different than the subject of the finite verb. There are three characteristics that help identify when a
participle is used in this way (the first one below being absolutely necessary):
1. There will be a participle in the genitive case.
2. There usually will be a noun or pronoun in the genitive case, which acts as the logical subject of the
participle.
3. This clause will usually come at the beginning of a sentence.
Infinitives
An infinitive is a verbal noun that is indeclinable (which means it has no case); but when it is modified by an
article, it is treated as neuter gender, singular number. As such, it can function as a substantive, taking the place
of a noun. When used verbally, it often is used as a ‘complementary infinitive’, to complete the meaning of
certain other verbs (the verb duvnamai being the most common used in this way). When it is used this way, it is
translated like an English infinitive, using the word ‘to’ (e.g. ‘to sing’, ‘to be’, to give’, etc). It is found in the
present, aorist, and perfect tenses.
It can be used with an article (as an ‘articular infinitive’) in a prepositional phrase. Although an
infinitive is not limited by a subject, the logical “subject” of the verbal action of the infinitive is usually in the
accusative case. When it is used with a preposition, it can show ‘cause’ (with diaV), or ‘purpose’ (with eij" and
proV"), or time (with ejn, metaV, and proV).
The infinitive often shows purpose, being translated ‘in order that …’. Besides being used in a
prepositional phrase (as explained above), it may also show purpose when it is used all by itself, or with a
definite article in the genitive case.
The infinitive can also show result, oftentimes with the preposition w{ste.
Notes about the Indicative form of the verb eijmiv
The verb eijmiv only comes in the present, imperfect, and future tenses.
Summary of Verb Mood Uses
The subjunctive mood is the mood of probability. It is used in a hortatory use, to show emphatic negation,
often showing purpose when used in a i{na clause, and in third class conditional sentences.
The imperative mood is usually a command or instruction. (Although addressed to a superior, it can act as a
request.)
A participle is a verbal adjective. In broad terms, the participle can be used adverbially or adjectivally. It can
sometimes be translated like the English participle, with an –ing.
An infinitive is a verbal noun. It can function as a substantive, or as a verbal complement. It is often used as
an articular infinitive in a prepositional phrase. It is commonly used to show purpose or result.
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