# Infinite aorist



## grandcanyonaz

Okay, I'm confused what infinite aorist means. Here's the sentence I ran into with the aorist inf. verbs underlined.


Μόλις η μαμά πετύχει τον στόχο της και γράψει τους στίχους και τη μουσική, διδάσκει το καινούριο τραγούδι σε όλους τους σνθρὡπους που έχουν σχέση με την ίδια και το μωρό που πρόκειται να γεννηθεί στο μέλλον, το διδάσκει, δηλαδή, στον πατέρα του παιδιοὐ, στις ηλικιωμένες γυναίκες του χωριού, στις μαίες, στους συγγενείς της.


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## sotos

It means "_every time (as soon as)  mom succeeds in her target and writes her lyrics and music, .._.".  

I suppose the preceding context prepares the reader to understand that this is a situation that happens often, a routine.


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## bearded

But are those really 'infinite aorists' or (subjunctive) aorists?


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## Perseas

bearded said:


> But are those really 'infinite aorists' or (subjunctive) aorists?


It's subjunctive aorist for sure but I think that "infinite" is the regular form of the verb (i.e. not the infinitive) and so that's also correct.


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## grandcanyonaz

moderngreekverbs calls it infinite aorist. It shows just the one form like γράψει. So it is used only for third person singular? No, έγω γράψει ?


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## jcot05

I think the infinitive aorist form is indeed γράψει (subjunctive aorist form of γράφω at the 3rd pers, singular).
It is used to form the 'perfect' tense (and pluperfect):
έχω γράψει
έχεις γράψει
...
But the example of grandcanyonaz uses subjunctive aorist (which in this case happens to be used at the 3rd pers sing.).


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## bearded

grandcanyonaz said:


> So it is used only for third person singular? No, έγω γράψει


No, to my knowledge it can be used in all persons: grapso, grapseis, grapsei...

Although I understand what Perseas wrote in #4, the terminology ''infinite aorist'' is a bit confusing for  Italians, since we call _infinito _the infinitive mood..Sorry.


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## Perseas

grandcanyonaz said:


> It shows just the one form like γράψει. So it is used only for third person singular? No, έγω γράψει ?


"Μόλις η μαμά πετύχει ... και γράψει": The verbs are in third person singular because "η μαμά" is the subject.
But:
"Μόλις εγώ πετύχω ... και γράψω"  
"Μόλις εσύ πετύχεις ... και γράψεις"


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## grandcanyonaz

So if I do something often I use this conjugation?

Εγώ διαβάσω ελληνικά καθημερινά.

Like past continuous?


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## jcot05

Here you need to use the continuous aspect of the verb:
Εγώ διαβά*ζ*ω ελληνικά *καθημερινά *- I study greek every day

As for the past continuous:
Εγώ διάβα*ζ*α ελληνικά όταν έσβησε το φως - I was studying greek when the lights came out.

"διαβά*σ*ω" is subjunctive aorist and is used with a particle introducing the subjunctive mood (να, πριν να, για να, μόλις, όταν, ας, ...), and also with "θα" to form the simple future.

*Σήμερα *πρέπει να διαβά*σ*ω τα ελληνικά - I have to study greek today
*Αύριο *θα διαβά*σ*ω τα ελληνικά - I will study greek tomorrow.


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## bearded

Perseas said:


> I think that "infinite" is the regular form of the verb (i.e. not the infinitive) and so that's also correct.


Actually, in English the distinction is between finite and nonfinite verb forms. What is not 'infinitive' is a finite verb mood. Finite and non-finite verbs.
An 'infinite' mood is unknown to me.


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## Perseas

@ bearded


grandcanyonaz said:


> moderngreekverbs calls it *infinite aorist*. It shows just the one form like *γράψει*. So it is used only for third person singular? No, έγω *γράψει* ?


OK, I see. I guess then that grandcanyonaz refers to the *infinitive* aorist, which is *γράψει* indeed, and is used to form the perfect tenses.


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