# PAst Tense ( Greek)



## poika-

Could sb please tell me about this tense? Good and clear links also work. 


Regards.

( I have exam in Thursday that I have to pass  )


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## Δημήτρης

Do you need information on the Past tenses in general or help with a specific one? We have 3 past tenses in Modern Greek

Παρατατικός - Imperfect
Αόριστος - Aorist
Υπερσυντέλικος - Past Perfect

(or should I include Παρακείμενος too?)

A good overview of greek tenses: http://community.livejournal.com/greek_lessons/8915.html
In depth: http://modern-greek-verbs.tripod.com/home.html


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## poika-

Δημήτρης said:


> Do you need information on the Past tenses in general or help with a specific one? We have 3 past tenses in Modern Greek
> 
> Παρατατικός - Imperfect
> Αόριστος - Aorist
> Υπερσυντέλικος - Past Perfect
> 
> (or should I include Παρακείμενος too?)
> 
> A good overview of greek tenses: http://community.livejournal.com/greek_lessons/8915.html
> In depth: http://modern-greek-verbs.tripod.com/home.html




Thanks a lot. 


Irregular verbs cause problem :/


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## poika-

( Firstly, I wanna ask; I could not see any difference between Past Progressive ( was writing) and Simple Past ( did). Is there any difference?


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## winegrower

poika- said:


> ( Firstly, I wanna ask; I could not see any difference between Past Progressive ( was writing) and Simple Past ( did). Is there any difference?


Off-hand, the difference between the two tenses is the same in greek and in english. Past Progressive is for an action that started in the past and continues at the time of speeking, while Simple Past is for an action that's already finished.


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## NikozOnVR

Actually the difference would be that in Past Progressive the action started in the past and the subject continued doing it for a certain ammount of time and at the time of speaking the action may is over or not p.e. I was writing it all day long.
Simple Past refers to an action that the subject just did some time in the past and its already finished p.e. I wrote it yesterday


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## iyavor

Speaking of Greek verbs- does anyone know of a website where you can enter a verb- any verb- and have it conjugated in the various tenses?


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## Δημήτρης

@ iyvor
There is a Java application here but is not very accurate. For example, I tried the verb "νικώ" and I got some weird conjugations for Imperfect and Imperative.


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## Bigglesthecat

iyavor said:


> Speaking of Greek verbs- does anyone know of a website where you can enter a verb- any verb- and have it conjugated in the various tenses?


 
There's an absolutely fabulous site at Neurolingo for this, but make sure you have the correct Greek spelling using the first person singular form (the equivalent 'infinitive' form in Greek). Eg, βλεπω for "to see".

neurolingo.gr/online_tools/lexiscope.htm. (I left out the www because it won't let me post a proper link!)

You'll need to know the Greek terminology for the verb forms, some of which have mentioned in the posts above. 

GREEK GRAMMATICAL TERMS:

ΕΝΕΡΓΗΤΙΚΗ ΦΩΝΗ (indicative/active voice) -- top half of the each table (on the website)

Ενεστώτας-Οριστική -- present simple
Αόριστος-Οριστική -- simple past (perfective = one-off/time-specific action)
Ενεστώτας-Μετοχή -- present participle
Αόριστος-Υποτακτική --  deponent stem for perfective subjunctive (after να) & future tenses (after θα)
Αόριστος-Προστακτική -- perfective imperative (eg, "go!" -- one-time, as a specific act)
Ενεστώτας-Προστακτική -- imperfective imperative (eg, "go!" -- as a general recommended activity)
Αόριστος-Απαρέμφατο -- past participle -- used after "to have" in the perfect tenses
Παρατατικός-Οριστική -- past continuous (imperfective = ongoing/non time-specific action)

ΠΑΘΗΤΙΚΗ ΦΩΝΗ (passive voice) -- the lower half of each table (if applicable to the verb in question)

Hope this helps!


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