This was originally posted by panagiotis_ts
Hello everyone! This is the 16th lesson of my series of Greek lessons. Here you'll learn how to form the present tense of the verbs of the 2nd συζυγία.
- Remember that I don't write how words are pronounced, because you' ve already learned it in the first lesson.
In Greek, verbs are divided in two "συζυγίες". In the 6th lesson you've learned how to conjugate verbs of the 1st συζυγία (ending in -ω). In this lesson you'll learn how to conjugate verbs of the 2nd συζυγία (ending in -άω/-ώ or ώ). Here there is a little problem. There are two categories of verbs of the 2nd συζυγία. In general, verbs of the 2nd συζυγία always end in -ώ, but some verbs have two forms, one in -άω and one in -ώ. These verbs (having two different forms) are the 1st category and those who have only one form are the 2nd category.
Here are some verbs of the 1st category:
αγαπάω / αγαπώ = love
απαντάω / απαντώ = answer
γελάω / γελώ = laugh
διψάω / διψώ = be thirsty
ζητάω / ζητώ = ask (for something)
κρατάω / κρατώ = hold
κυβερνάω / κυβερνώ = rule
μιλάω / μιλώ = talk / speak
νικάω / νικώ = win
ξεχνάω / ξεχνώ = forget
ξυπνάω / ξυπνώ = wake up
πεινάω / πεινώ = be hungry
περπατάω / περπατώ = walk
πετάω / πετώ = throw, fly
πουλάω / πουλώ = sell
προτιμάω / προτιμώ = prefer
ρωτάω / ρωτώ = ask (a question)
σταματώ / σταματώ = stop
τραγουδάω / τραγουδώ = sing
χαιρετάω / χαιρετώ = greet
Here are some verbs of the 2nd category:
διατηρώ = preserve
εξηγώ = explain
ζω = live
μπορώ = can
προσπαθώ = try
Here is the conjugation of the 1st category in present tense.
(εγώ) αγαπάω / αγαπώ
(εσύ) αγαπάς
(αυτός/αυτή/αυτό) αγαπάει / αγαπά
(εμείς) αγαπάμε
(εσείς) αγαπάτε
(αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά) αγαπάνε / αγαπούν / αγαπούνε
Note that both forms are correct and used in every day life.
Here is the conjugation of the 2nd category in present tense.
(εγώ) μπορώ
(εσύ) μπορείς
(αυτός/αυτή/αυτό) μπορεί
(εμείς) μπορούμε
(εσείς) μπορείτε
(αυτές/αυτές/αυτά) μπορούν(ε) (the final -ε isn't necessary, but it's OK if you use it)
I hope that you have enjoyed this lesson,
Παναγιώτης 