Greek grammar is always necessary is you want to speak correctly.
When you are at an intermediate language level in Greek, then learning the Past Tenses, is usually on the programme!
Most students, will learn the Αόριστος first, and then the Παρατατικός , or Simple Past and Past Continuous.
In this blog article, we will explain both tenses, their conjugations, and the difference in how and when to use them.
Some useful grammar to get started
When you conjugate a verb, you first need to know to which category the verb belongs.
This is also the case for present or future tenses, and something you learn from the very beginning.
If you are not sure what this means, then take a look at following eBooks, to repeat some essential grammar, before you start learning past tenses
Click here for for an eBook about
Verbs and conjugations belonging to Category A- verbs (this is the biggest category)
For example, verbs as Κάνω, δουλεύω, έχω, μένω…
Click here for for an eBook about
Verbs and conjugations belonging to Category B1 and B2- verbs
For example, B1 verbs μιλάω, πινάω…
B2 verbs; μπορώ, οδηγώ…
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1. The αόριστος – Simple past tense
The Aoristos is an ideal tense to describe an action that happens at a particular point in the past.
It gives no information on how long it took, but is used for an action that happened just once in the past,
—-> so NOT an action that was repeated often.
Ρήματα Α | Verbs of Category A
When you conjugate Verbs of Category A in “aoristos”, you need to change the last letter of the stem, as follows
ν, -θ, -ζ —> σ (πληρώνω – πλήρωσα) to pay
-κ, -γ, -χ, -χν, -γγ, -σκ —> ξ (ανοίγω – άνοιξα) to open
-π, -β, -φ, -πτ —> ψ (γράφω – έγραψα) to write
-αυ, -ευ —> αψ, εψ (δουλεύω – δούλεψα) to work
Take a look at an example ;
(we use the verb “πληρώνω» as an example, which means “I pay”)
Εγώ πλήρωσα I paid
Εσύ πλήρωσες you paid
Αυτός,ή,ό πλήρωσε he/she/it paid
Εμείς πληρώσαμε we paid
Εσείς πληρώσατε you paid
Αυτοί,ές,ά πληρώσανε OR πλήρωσαν they paid
NOTE: The accent must be always on the third last syllable.
When there is no 3rd syllable, then you add one, —> add –ε
example; γράφω (I write) – –> έγραψα (I wrote)
Ρήματα Β1 | Verbs Category B1
When you conjugate Verbs of Category B1 in “aoristos”,
you take the stem and you add; –ησα, –ησες, –ησε, –ήσαμε, –ήσατε, –ήσανε/-ήσαν
Take a look at the conjugation ;
(we use the verb “μιλάω” as an example, which means “I speak/ I talk”)
Εγώ μίλησα I talked
Εσύ μίλησες you talked
Αυτός,ή,ό μίλησε he/she/it talked
Εμείς μιλήσαμε we talked
Εσείς μιλήσατε you talked
Αυτοί,ές,ά μιλήσανε OR μίλησαν they talked
Ρήματα Β2 | Verbs Category B2
When you conjugate Verbs of Category B2 in “aoristos”, you follow the same rules with B1 verbs.
You take the stem and you add –ησα, –ησες, –ησε, –ήσαμε, –ήσατε, –ήσανε/-ήσαν
Take a look at the conjugation ;
(we use the verb “οδηγώ” as an example, which means “I drive”)
Εγώ οδήγησα I drove
Εσύ οδήγησες you drove
Αυτός,ή,ό οδήγησε he/she/it drove
Εμείς οδηγήσαμε we drove
Εσείς οδηγήσατε you drove
Αυτοί,ές,ά οδηγήσανε OR οδήγησαν they drove
Irregular Verbs
As in most languages, there are also irregular verbs, not following the rules…
Let’s see some very useful / common irregular verbs in the past tense
είμαι —> ήμουν (I am/ I was)
έχω —> είχα (I have / I had)
έρχομαι —> ήρθα (I come / I came)
πάω —> πήγα (I go / I went)
τρώω —> έφαγα (I eat / I ate)
πίνω —> ήπια (I drink / I drank)
βλέπω —> είδα (I see / I saw)
λέω —> είπα (I say / I said)
παίρνω —> πήρα (I take / I took)
etc…
(you can find more in the eBook mentioned at the end of this article)
2. The παρατατικός tense – Past continuous
This tense is used for an action that happened many times or was repeated in the past.
Ρήματα Α | Verbs Category A
For those Verbs, you now don’t need to change the stem of the verb, so you use the stem of the present tense and you add the past endings as follows.
However, keep in mind that the accent had to be on the 3rd last syllable again!
πληρώνω– πλήρωνα (to pay)
Εγώ πλήρωνα I was paying
Εσύ πλήρωνες you were paying
Αυτός,ή,ό πλήρωνε he/she/it was paying
Εμείς πληρώναμε we were paying
Εσείς πληρώνατε you were paying
Αυτοί,ές,ά πληρώνανε OR πλήρωναν they were paying
Be careful! The verb “πάω/ πηγαίνω»
becomes “πήγαινα» in Paratatikos!!
Ρήματα B1 | Verbs Category B1
For those verbs you take the stem, so what you see before the ending -άω,
and thenyou add the -ούσα, ούσες, ούσε, ούσαμε, ούσατε, ούσαν(ε)
Now the accent is not on the 3rd last syllable.
μιλάω –-> μιλούσα
Εγώ μιλούσα I was talking
Εσύ μιλούσες you were talking
Αυτός,ή,ό μιλούσε he/she/it was talking
Εμείς μιλούσαμε we were talking
Εσείς μιλούσατε you were talking
Αυτοί,ές,ά μιλούσανε OR μιλούσαν they were talking
Ρήματα Β2 | Verbs Category B2
For those Verbs, you take the stem, so what you see before the ending -ώ, and you add the -ούσα, ούσες, ούσε, ούσαμε, ούσατε, ούσαν(ε).
So same rules with Type B1 Verbs.
Now the accent is not on the 3rd last syllable.
οδηγώ – οδηγούσα (to drive)
Εγώ οδηγούσα I was driving
Εσύ οδηγούσες you were driving
Αυτός,ή,ό οδηγούσε he/she/it was driving
Εμείς οδηγούσαμε we were driving
Εσείς οδηγούσατε you were driving
Αυτοί,ές,ά οδηγούσανε OR οδηγούσαν they were driving
Expressions we use with Paratatikos
- κάθε μέρα/ κάθε εβδομάδα/ κάθε σαββατοκύριακο/ κάθε καλοκαίρι/ κάθε φορά που, κ.λπ.
every day/ every week/ every weekend/ every summer/ every time that , etc
- πάντα | always
- συνήθως/ συχνά/ πολλές φορές
usually/ often/ many times
- συνέχεια | all the time, continuously
- όλη τη μέρα/ όλη την εβδομάδα/ όλο το σαββατοκύριακο/ όλο το καλοκαίρι
all day long/ all week long/ all weekend long/ all summer long
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When to use Aoristos or Paratatikos?
Here below an example and exercis sentences with Aoristos and Paratatikos,
– Πλήρωσες τον λογαριασμό σήμερα; (Did you pay for the bill today?)
(past simple, one time, not repeatedly, only today = σήμερα)
BUT
–Πλήρωνες κάθε μέρα 10 ευρώ για πρωινό στην Ρόδο; ( Did you pay every day 10 euros for breakfast in Rhodes?)
(past continuous, many times, repeatedly, κάθε μέρα = every day)
Let’s practice with some exercises
It is not always so clear for non-Greeks when to use which tense, so it needs mainly a lot of practice..
However, no panic! When you communicate in Greek, and you do not know what to use, then choose the aoristos tense!
This tense is used the most, and all Greeks will understand you 🙂
By making a mistake, Greeks will understand you are not a native-speaker, but that is not the end of the word! 🙂
You can find the answer key at the end of this blog article.
Αόριστος ή Παρατατικός; Συμπλήρωσε τα κενά.
Fill out the gaps below.
- Εμείς την Παρασκευή ____________ ένα δέμα με βιβλία στην Ελβετία. (στέλνω)
- _____________ το πορτοφόλι σου, Μαρία μου; (βρίσκω)
- Πριν πενήντα χρόνια οι άνθρωποι δεν ______________ κινητό. (χρησιμοποιώ)
- Ο παππούς μου ___________ για την Αυστραλία το 1962. (φεύγω)
- Ο Κώστα και ο Μιχάλης _____________ μπάσκετ συχνά, όταν ήταν στο λύκειο. (παίζω)
- Αλήθεια, εσείς γιατί δεν _____________ το Σάββατο το βράδυ; (βγαίνω)
- Παιδιά, _____________ τίποτα το μεσημέρι; (τρώω)
- Ποιος ___________ την μπίρα μου; (πίνω)
- Πέρυσι _____________ κάθε μέρα πιο αργά, γιατί δεν δούλευα. (ξυπνάω)
- Εμείς χτες ______________ όλο το πρωί. Είχαμε πάρα πολλές δουλειές. (τρέχω)
- Όταν έκανα δίαιτα, κάθε μέρα ______________ πολλά φρούτα. (τρώω)
- Η Μαρία χτες όλη μέρα _________________ και __________________ μουσική. (μαγειρεύω, ακούω)
- Εσείς πότε _______________ στην Αμερική; (ταξιδεύω)
- Συγγνώμη, δεν άκουσα, Ελένη. Με _______________ κάτι τώρα; (ρωτάω)
- Κατερίνα, χτες με ________________ πολύ. Σε ευχαριστώ! (βοηθάω)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Answer Key
- Στείλαμε
- Βρήκες
- Χρησιμοποιούσαν/ χρησιμοποιούσανε
- Έφυγε
- Έπαιζαν/ παίζανε
- Βγήκατε
- Φάγατε
- Ήπιε
- Ξυπνούσα
- Τρέχαμε
- Έτρωγα
- Μαγείρευε, άκουγε
- Ταξιδέψατε
- Ρώτησες
- βοήθησες
Do you want to practice more?
Then take a look at our special eBook
Greek Past Tenses Made Easy
it includes; grammar, many exercises,
and 12 verbs with video lesson
