Learn Greek with Zoi: Αόριστος/Simple Past tense in Greek. Part 2.

Αόριστος/Simple Past tense in Greek. Part 2.

Lesson 43

In the last lesson we learnt how to form from Ενεστώτας (Present tense),

the Αόριστος tense of the verbs ending in Present tense in –ώνω. In this

lesson we will learn the Αόριστος tense of the active verbs ending in

Present tense in –ίζω. We already know that their second from the end

syllable’s i in Present tense is written with –ι (yota). They maintain the

-ι in all persons and tenses. The verbs ending in Present tense in –ίζω, end

in Αόριστος tense in –ισα. For example: ζωγραφίζω (I paint/I draw).

Let’s see the steps we have to follow:

First step: we take the Present tense’s first singular person and we remove

the last syllable. ζωγραφί –

Second step: We add to the stable part of the verb the consonant –σ (sigma).

ζωγραφι – σ –

Third step: We add the Simple Past tense’s personal endings.

ζωγραφι – σ – α

Forth step: We put the accent mark in the third from the end syllable.

ζωγράφισα

We always follow the same steps. So we have:

καπνίζω-κάπνισα (I smoke)

χτενίζω – χτένισα (I comb)

καθαρίζω – καθάρισα (I clean)

σκουπίζω – σκούπισα (I sweep, I I wipe, I dry)

διαφημίζω – διαφήμισα (I advertise)

Also there are some exceptions, so some verbs ending in Present tense in

΄-izo, but their second from the end syllable’s “i” is not written with yota.

For example: αθροίζω (I add up).

We follow again the same steps, so we have:

αθροίζω – άθροισα (I add up)

δανείζω – δάνεισα (I loan I lend)

δακρύζω – δάκρυσα (I tear, I fill with tears)

συγχύζω – σύγχυσα (I upset, I perturb)

· In this group of verbs there are some two syllable verbs ending in –izo,

but we will talk about them in the lesson we will learn how to form

the Αόριστος tense of the two syllable verbs.

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