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Verb · Grammar concept
Verb: Future tense
Future tense is a verb topic in Koine (biblical) Greek. This page gathers its forms, paradigms, and function, drawn from the lessons of Reading Greek Deeply.
MorphologyVerb – Future tense
- The regular pattern of the future is to add a σ between the stem of the verb and the present endings you already know (e.g. νεύ-ω ‘I am nodding’ → νεύ-σ-ω ‘I will nod’).
- There are some rare cases where the stem changes slightly between the present form and the future (e.g. κλαί-ω → κλαύ-σ-ω), but for the most part, stems that end in a vowel will be identical in the present and future.
- Verb stems that end in a consonant may interact with the σ of the future in different ways. For example, βλέπω, which ends in π, becomes βλέψω in the future because the π and σ combine to form ψ. This happens when a stem ends in β and φ as well. Other stem endings combine differently with σ, as shown in the below chart.
- Some verbs have stems that are not transparent in the present, e.g. κράζω, whose stem is actually κραγ-, is κράξω in the future.
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Person | νεύ-σ-ω | νεύ-σ-ομεν |
| 2nd Person | νεύ-σ-εις | νεύ-σ-ετε |
| 3rd Person | νεύ-σ-ει | νεύ-σ-ουσι(ν) |
| With σ | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| π, β, φ | becomes ψ | βλέπ-σ-ω → βλέψω |
| κ, γ, χ | becomes ξ | κράγ-σ-ω → κράξω |
| τ, δ, θ | drops, leaves σ | πείθ-σ-ω → πείσω |
| λ, μ, ν, ρ | σ drops | μέν-σ-ω → μενῶ |
fromLesson 10.2
SemanticsVerb – Future (1 – Future event)
Future tense is used to refer to a time that has not yet occurred, so we are talking about events that will happen after the time of speaking.
fromLesson 10.2
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