Greek grammar

What each label on a Greek word means, with an example from the text.

Reading the labels

On a verse page, select a word in the Original section to see its grammar. The first label, filled in, says what kind of word it is; the others describe its form. Point to a label for a short explanation.

ἠγάπησενēgapēsen“loved”John 3:16

VerbAoristIndicativeActive3rd personSingular

Parts of speech

The first label says what kind of word it is.

Noun
A person, place, thing, or idea.
κόσμονkosmon“world”John 3:16
Verb
An action or a state of being.
ἦνēn“was”John 1:1
Adjective
Describes a noun.
ΜακάριοιMakarioi“blessed”Matthew 5:3
Adverb
Says how, when, or where.
ΟὕτωςHoutōs“so”John 3:16
Preposition
Shows a relationship: in, into, from, with.
ἘνEn“in”John 1:1
Conjunction
Joins words or clauses: and, but, for, that.
καὶkai“and”John 1:1
Article
“The.” Greek has no word for “a.” The article changes form to match its noun, and is often left untranslated, as before names.
τὸνton“the”John 3:16
Pronoun
Stands in for a noun: I, you, he, this, who?
αὐτὸνauton“him”John 3:16
Relative pronoun
Who, which, that: begins a clause that describes a noun.
ὃςhos“whoever”Matthew 5:19
Particle
A small word that adds emphasis or nuance.
ΝαὶNai“yes”Matthew 5:37
Interjection
An exclamation.
ΟὐαίOuai“woe”Matthew 11:21
Question word
Introduces a question, often one that expects the answer “yes.”
οὐχὶouchi“do not…?”Matthew 5:46
Hebrew word
A word carried over from Hebrew or Aramaic without Greek endings.
ἀμὴνamēn“truly”Matthew 5:18
Indeclinable
A word with the same form in every use.
ἂνanturns “what” into “whatever”John 2:5

Person, gender, and number

Verbs show who does the action; nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and articles show gender and number.

1st person
The speaker: I, we.
ἦλθονēlthon“I have come”Matthew 5:17
2nd person
The one spoken to: you.
ἐστεeste“you are”Matthew 5:13
3rd person
Anyone else: he, she, it, they.
ἠγάπησενēgapēsen“he loved”John 3:16
Masculine
Grammatical gender. Every Greek noun has a gender, whatever it refers to.
ΥἱὸνHuion“Son”John 3:16
Feminine
Grammatical gender.
βασιλείαbasileia“kingdom”Matthew 5:3
Neuter
Grammatical gender: neither masculine nor feminine.
ὄροςoros“mountain”Matthew 5:1
Singular
One.
κόσμονkosmon“world”John 3:16
Plural
More than one.
μαθηταὶmathētai“disciples”Matthew 5:1

Tense

Greek tense describes the kind of action (ongoing, complete, or simply done) as much as its time.

Present
Ongoing or repeated action, usually in the present.
ἐστινestin“is”Matthew 5:3
Imperfect
Ongoing or repeated action in the past: “was ___ing.”
ἦνēn“was”John 1:1
Future
Action that will happen.
κληρονομήσουσινklēronomēsousin“will inherit”Matthew 5:5
Aorist
Action viewed as a whole, without saying whether it was ongoing; in statements, usually past.
ἠγάπησενēgapēsen“loved”John 3:16
Perfect
A completed action whose results continue.
δεδιωγμένοιdediōgmenoi“who have been persecuted”Matthew 5:10
Pluperfect
A completed action whose results continued in the past.
ᾔδεινēdein“I knew”John 1:31

Mood

Mood says whether the action is stated, wished, commanded, or only possible.

Indicative
A statement of fact, or a question.
ἔδωκενedōken“he gave”John 3:16
Subjunctive
What may happen: possibility, purpose, or condition. Often after “that” or “if.”
ἀπόληταιapolētai“should perish”John 3:16
Optative
A wish or a prayer: “may it be.”
γένοιτοgenoito“may it (never) be”Romans 3:4
Imperative
A command.
χαίρετεchairete“rejoice”Matthew 5:12
Infinitive
The “to ___” form.
κρυβῆναιkrybēnai“to be hidden”Matthew 5:14
Participle
A verb used like an adjective or a noun: “___ing,” “the one who ___s.”
πιστεύωνpisteuōn“believing”John 3:16

Voice

Voice says how the subject relates to the action.

Active
The subject does the action.
ἠγάπησενēgapēsen“loved”John 3:16
Middle
The subject acts on or for itself, or is closely involved. Some verbs are middle with an ordinary active meaning.
γένηταιgenētai“is accomplished”Matthew 5:18
Passive
The subject receives the action.
παρακληθήσονταιparaklēthēsontai“will be comforted”Matthew 5:4
Middle or passive
In some tenses the middle and passive have the same form; context decides.
ἀγαλλιᾶσθεagalliasthe“be glad”Matthew 5:12

Case

A noun’s ending shows its job in the sentence, so Greek word order is free. Articles, adjectives, pronouns, and participles take the same case as the noun they go with.

Nominative
The subject.
ΘεὸςTheos“God (who loved)”John 3:16
Genitive
“Of”: possession, origin, or description.
οὐρανῶνouranōn“of the heavens”Matthew 5:3
Dative
“To” or “for”: the indirect object. Also “in,” “with,” or “by.”
πνεύματιpneumati“in spirit”Matthew 5:3
Accusative
The direct object.
κόσμονkosmon“world (that God loved)”John 3:16
Vocative
Addressing someone directly.
ΠάτερPater“Father”Matthew 6:9

Comparison

Comparative
“More ___” or “___er.”
μείζωmeizō“greater things”John 1:50
Superlative
“Most ___” or “___est.”
ἐλάχιστοςelachistos“least”Matthew 5:19