The Modern Greek Present Tense
The foundation for daily conversation
The present (ενεστώτας) is the first tense you'll learn in Modern Greek, and by far the most used. Good news: its conjugation is very regular — provided you can distinguish the two main verb families. This guide walks you through everything, with clear tables and pitfalls to avoid.
1. Two families: verbs in -ω and verbs in -ώ
All Modern Greek verbs end in -ω in the 1st person singular. But their stress at the dictionary form determines their family:
- Unstressed -ω verbs (Group A): stress falls on the penultimate syllable. Example: γράφω (to write), διαβάζω (to read), μένω (to stay).
- Stressed -ώ verbs (Group B): stress falls on the final syllable. Example: αγαπώ (to love), μιλώ (to speak), περπατώ (to walk).
Why this distinction? The endings of the two groups differ in 2nd and 3rd person singular as well as in the plural. Mixing them up is the most common beginner mistake.
2. Group A conjugation — γράφω (to write)
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| εγώ | γράφ-ω | I write |
| εσύ | γράφ-εις | you write |
| αυτός / αυτή / αυτό | γράφ-ει | he / she writes |
| εμείς | γράφ-ουμε | we write |
| εσείς | γράφ-ετε | you (pl.) write |
| αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά | γράφ-ουν(ε) | they write |
So Group A endings are: -ω, -εις, -ει, -ουμε, -ετε, -ουν(ε). The 3rd plural -ουνε form is more common in speech, -ουν in formal writing.
3. Group B conjugation — αγαπώ (to love)
Group B has two subgroups (B1 and B2) depending on the vowel before -ω. Start with B1, which is more common.
Subgroup B1 (ending -άω / -ώ)
B1 verbs have two possible forms in several persons. Both are correct; the first (-άω) is more spoken, the second (-ώ) more written.
| Person | Spoken form | Written form |
|---|---|---|
| εγώ | αγαπάω | αγαπώ |
| εσύ | αγαπάς | αγαπάς |
| αυτός | αγαπάει | αγαπά |
| εμείς | αγαπάμε | αγαπούμε |
| εσείς | αγαπάτε | αγαπάτε |
| αυτοί | αγαπάνε | αγαπούν(ε) |
Common B1 verbs: μιλώ / μιλάω (to speak), περπατώ / περπατάω (to walk), ρωτώ / ρωτάω (to ask), πεινώ / πεινάω (to be hungry).
Subgroup B2 (ending -ώ, no -άω form)
A few Group B verbs follow a slightly different pattern: they have no -άω form and conjugate in -είς, -εί, -ούμε, -είτε, -ούν.
| Person | Example: μπορώ (can) |
|---|---|
| εγώ | μπορώ |
| εσύ | μπορείς |
| αυτός | μπορεί |
| εμείς | μπορούμε |
| εσείς | μπορείτε |
| αυτοί | μπορούν |
Common B2 verbs: μπορώ (can), οδηγώ (to drive), θεωρώ (to consider).
4. The verb "to be": είμαι
"To be" is completely irregular and belongs to a separate category (deponent verbs, ending in -μαι). It's essential to memorize since you'll use it constantly.
| εγώ | είμαι | I am |
| εσύ | είσαι | you are |
| αυτός | είναι | he is |
| εμείς | είμαστε | we are |
| εσείς | είστε / είσαστε | you (pl.) are |
| αυτοί | είναι | they are |
5. When to use the present?
The Greek present covers several values English sometimes expresses differently:
- Ongoing action: Διαβάζω ένα βιβλίο. — I'm reading a book (now).
- Habit: Δουλεύω από Δευτέρα ως Παρασκευή. — I work Monday to Friday.
- General truth: Ο ήλιος ανατέλλει στην ανατολή. — The sun rises in the east.
- Near future (with marker): Αύριο φεύγω για την Αθήνα. — Tomorrow I'm leaving for Athens.
Note: Modern Greek has no progressive form ("I am -ing"). The simple present covers both. For emphasis, add τώρα (now) or αυτή τη στιγμή (right now).
6. Common mistakes
- Confusing groups A and B: it's αγαπάς (not "αγαπείς"), γράφεις (not "γράφας").
- Forgetting the spoken/written B1 split: writing to a Greek? Prefer αγαπώ, αγαπά. Speaking? αγαπάω, αγαπάει sounds more natural.
- Regularizing είμαι: it's είμαστε, not "είμουμε".
7. 15 starter verbs in the present
Here are 15 high-frequency verbs with their 1st person form:
100 essential verbs free, 345 in total with Helléniste mode.