The Ultimate Greek "Cheat" Sheet: An Outline of Basic Greek Grammar

SUCCINCT OUTLINE OF BASIC BIBLICAL GREEK GRAMMAR I. NOUNS: 3 declensions: 1st 1. cw,ra (long a) 2. skhnh, (h) 3. do,xa (mixed) 4. avlh,qeia (sh a) 5. neani,aj (m) 6. maqhth,j (m) Sg a1 h2 a3 a4 aj5 hj6 Pl ai (1st rows, cf. Mueller, 17ff.) (a) w[ra fwnh, do,xa avlh,qeia n/a profh,thj aj hj hj aj ou ou wn (2nd rows, cf. Croy, 204ff.) 2nd 1. lo,goj (oj, m/f) 2. dw/ron (on, n) Sg ojM ou w| on Pl oi wn oij ouj a| h| h| a| a| h| aij (o) lo,goj e;rgon onN ou w| on a wn oij a an hn an an an hn aj ↕Parsing: case, gender, number, DF 3rd 1. sa,rx (mute m) 2. o;noma (mn) 3. poimh,n (liq) 4. path,r (lq sync) 5. krea,j (j) 6. po,lij (vowel i) 7. ivcqu,j (v u) 8. basileu,j (dipht) jMF -N (cons) sa,rx sw/ma a;rcwn n/a ge,noj po,lij n/a basileu,j oj oj II. ADJECTIVES: Types: 1. kalo,j, h,, o,n (1st & 2nd Decl) 2. avlhqh,j (3rd Decl) 3. like active participle 4. irregular: pa/j( polu,j( me,gaj i i Positions: 1. Attributive 2. Predicate 3. Substantive ii.case' + compar + h; + case' Prim act Prim m/pass Sec act Sec m/pass a III. VERB Comparison: Form: &teroj( &a( &on; &iwn( &ion. Use: i.compar + gen vb ends + w omen omai omeqa on omen omhn omeqa ej a 1. Conjugation: tense, voice, mood, person, number, dictionary form o/e connect vowel eij ete h| esqe ej ete ou esqe wn wn 2. Formation: for familiar-pattern (w), e.g., lu,w, pisteu,w, etc.; for -mi verbs, s. below
ei ousi etai ontai e on (san) eto onto si si PRESENT♥: stem + o/e + primary endings aj a IMPERFECT■: augment + stem + o/e + secondary ends (&2nd aor AM) def. article FUTURE●: active & middle: stem + s + o/e + primary endings o`/to,MN h`F passive: stem + qh + s + o/e + primary endings tou/ th/j AORIST: active & middle: augment + stem + sa + sec’y ends (1S -n, 3S e, M2S w) tw|/ th|/ passive: augment + stem + qh + sec’y active ends (2nd aor -q) to,n/to, th,n PERFECT: active: reduplication + stem + ka + sec’y endings (3P si or kan) oi`/ta, ai` middle & passive: reduplication + stem + primary endings (2S sai) tw/n tw/n PLUPERFECT: active: (augment +) reduplication + stem + kei + secondary endings toi/j tai/j middle & passive: (augment +) reduplication + stem + secondary endings (2S so) tou,j/ta, ta,j 3. Distinguishing the past indicatives, i.e., those with augments: The AORIST says the least; the IMPERFECT says more (the action was customary or repeated, only attempted or only begun). True also for the present versus aorist infinitive, participle, subjunctive, and imperative. 4. Imperative, with mh,: 2S e/on/ti ou/ai formation 6. Augment forming: a. e + consonant b. vowel length: a/e→h, o→w, i/u→i/u, ai/a|→h|, oi→w| a. Pres freq=“stop doing...” te-tw-twsan sqe-sqw-sqwsan 7. Reduplicate: a. initial conson: i. conson + e + conson. ii. aspirate: q→teq, c→kec, f→pef b. Aorist prohibition: subjunc v. impv eivmi, h;mhn e;somai b. initial vowel: lengthen like augment c. initial 2+ consonants (unless #2 = l/r) OR sibilant (z, x, y): e augment 5. Optative: ge,noito, ei;h. S. Croy §234. ei= ♥ h=j ■ e;sh| ● IV. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD evsti,n h=n e;stai V. PARTICIPLE FORMATION and CONJUGATION: vb markers + s k q 1. As the verb in an independent clause: evsme,n h=men evso,meqa 1. Tense Formatives: Pres 1Aor 2Aor Perf (redup +) p b f y f f(q) a. hortatory: “Let us . . .” evste, h=te e;sesqe Active ont sant ont kotMN/kuiF mute k g c x c cq b. deliberative ques., usu in 1st person eivsi,n h=san e;sontai Middle omen samen omen men t d q z s k sq c. prohibitions – aorist only: ei=nai w;n-ou=sa-o;n Passive omen qent ent men contract a/e →→→ h contract i. used (with mh,) instead of an aorist imperative 2. Tense Formative Endings: verbs o →→→ w ii. ouv mh, + subjunctive = strong future negation subjunctive formation a. men M/N: 2nd decl fut liq connect v D: l/m/n/r l/m/n/r+ou/ei liquid 2. As the verb in a dependent clause : pres: long connect vow b. men F: 1st decl aor liq stem D:a/e+l/m/n/r h/ei/+l/m/n/r rd a. those with a;n (but w/ past ind–2CC apodosis): aorist: s + c. nt/kot M/N: 3 decl (final t drops in N nom/acc) personal demonstrative eva,n (eiv a;n) = “If,” “If ever...” (Conditional) aor pass: q + d. nt/kui F: 1st decl mixed ff s evgw,1st su,2nd ou-tojMN• au[thF o]j a;n = “Whoever...” (Relative) 3. Notes on endings: (ont→ouj, sant→saj, qent→qeij) evmou/* sou/♦ tou,tou tau,thj o[tan (o[te a;n)= “Whenever...” (Temporal) “Tip-off” a. vowel + nt + s = doubled vowel + s evmoi,* soi,♦ tou,tw| tau,th| b. i[na (or o[pwj) clauses words!! b. PresActPtcMNS: ont→wn pronouns evme,* se,♦ tou/ton• tau,thn * i. purpose iii. substantive (= noun) mood BUT answer c. PerfActPtcMNS: kot→kwj mou( moi( me •Ntou/to( tou/to ♦ ii. result iv. as equivalent of infin ouv ind →↓ “yes” d. PerfActPtcNNS: kot→koj sou( soi( se °Ntau/ta( tau/ta VI. PARTICIPLE SYNTAX: mh, non 2CC &→ “nay” 4. Conjugation: tense, voice, mode (i.e., participle), h`mei/j u`mei/j ou-toi° au-tai i.Rough-and-ready translations (classroom only): present = “-ing”(simultaneous) case, gender, number, dictionary form h`mw/n u`mw/n tou,twn tou,twn ii.Verbal a. “verb-ness”: tense, voice aorist = “having -ed”(antecedent; but makes tense = time too important) h`mi/n u`mi/n tou,toij tau,taij adjectives b. “adjective-ness” i.gender, number ii.attributive, predicate, or substantive contraction w>o>a>h>e h`ma/j u`ma/j tou,touj° tau,taj iii.Adjectival iv.Adverbial a.time b.manner c.means d.cause e.condition f.concession g.purp/result h.att. circ. h w ei h| ou oi e o a. attributive b. substantive Art: id case noun follows = Attr N = Subst or modify id case n = Attr o w w oi oi ou oi ou ou v.Genitive absolute vi.Periphrastic No: Nom: verb of being = Peri N = Adv Participle recognition clues a a w a| a| w w| a w VII. INFINITIVES: vii.Supplement’y Gen-gen subj, ind of main clause = GAbs; Acc-sensory vb, ff DO = Supplementary e h w ei h| ou oi ei ou i.Verbal nouns: a. “verb-ness”: have tense & voice; may have a “subject” or object (both in accusative case), may have adverbial modifiers, etc. use: purpose-simple, tou/, eivj, pro,j. result-simple, tou/, w[ste. time-pro,, evn, meta,. cause-dia,. auvto,j( &h,( o,* evkei/noj( &h( &o* Conjugation: tense, voice, mode, DF b. “noun-ness”: may have article, may be the subject or object of a verb or object of a preposition, etc. *nom/acc sg *nom/acc sg ii.Indirect discourse (ff. vbs of “discoursing”) iii.w/ impersonal verbs (e.g., dei/) (e.g., qe,lw( me,llw( du,namai( ovfei,lw( ivscu,w) 3rd perspron far near VIII. CASES – basic uses: Infinitive active: lu, e in lu/ sa i le lu ke,nai relatv: o[j/h[ o[ agree: antec gender “self”(nom) pronoun or adj Nominative formation m/p: sqai sqai/luqh/nai sqai interr: ti,j, ti,noj ti, case: relat. to vb “same”(attr) pred w/ attr mng 1. subject (usually [a] neuter pl takes sg verb; [b] verb # agrees w/ 1st of compound) indef: no accent avllh,lwn -oij -ouj evm/se + sg reflex pronoun Genitive 2.predicate nominative 3. names and titles 4.dictionary form ind rel: rel + ind evm/so,j h`/u`me,teroj e` + pl “of –self,” etc. 1. translated with “of” 4. apposition 7. partitive 10. comparison 13. adverbial: time, place, reference, price, quantity 2. possession & relationship 5. objective 8. separation 11. pers’l agent: passive + u`po, + gen 14. article + infin (no preposition) = purpose or result 3. description 6. subjective 9. source 12. genitive absolute (participle) 15. object of certain verbs (e.g., avkou,w) & prepositions Dative
-mi verbs no connect vowel pres/impf act sg aor-AI PAI redupli no aug aug avna, u`pe,r 1. indirect object 4. ethical 8. sphere within which long stem vowel s→k mi men i:di,ti,i` present impf evpi, 2. advantage or disadvantage 5. cognate 9. impersonal means, cause, manner j te e:de,te,e` perfect plup pro,j peri, avpo, 3. reference or respect 6. place at which 10. measure 12. object of certain vbs si asi Z future aorist eivj evn evk Accusative 7. time at which 11. association (e.g., pisteu,w) & prepositions Z & non-indicative aorist para, meta, 1. direct object: limits verbal action directly 3. w/ certain verbs: a. double acc i.personal & impers obj ii.dir obj & pred obj dia, 2. adverbial: limits verbal action indirectly b. cognate: accusative contains same meaning as verb kata, u`po, a. Extent or measure (time or space) b. reference or respect c. manner 4. “subject” of the infinitive 5. object of certain prepositions ©2009-10RobertMilliman