Μάθημα οκτώ (Mathima Okto)
Lesson 8
Future continuous
The future continuous is used to describe an action which (a) will take place in the future and (b) will be repeated, e.g. θα πηγαίνω στον κινηματογράφο συχνά (I will be going to the cinema often), θα σε βλέπω κάθε μέρα (I will see you every day). It is formed by using θα (will, shall) and the present tense form of the verb.
Present Future continuous
είμαι (ime) είμαστε (imaste) θα είμαι (tha ime) θα είμαστε (tha imaste)
είσαι (ise) είσαστε (isaste) θα είσαι (tha ise) θα είσαστε (tha isaste)
είναι (ine) είναι (ine) θα είναι (tha ine) θα είναι (tha ine)
έχω (eho) έχουμε (ehume) θα έχω (tha eho) θα έχουμε (tha ehume)
έχεις (ehis) έχετε (ehete) θα έχεις (the ehis) θα έχετε (tha ehete)
έχει (ehi) έχουν (ehun) θα έχει (tha ehi) θα έχουν (tha ehun)
αγαπώ (agapo) αγαπούμε (agapume) θα αγαπώ (tha agapo) θα αγαπούμε (tha agapume)
αγαπάς (agapas) αγαπάτε (agapate) θα αγαπάς (tha agapas) θα αγαπάτε (tha agapate)
αγαπά (agapa) αγαπούν (agapun) θα αγαπά (tha agapa) θα αγαπούν (tha agapun)
Possession
The pronouns used to express possession are:
Singular Plural
1st person μου(mu) 1st person μας (mas)
2nd person σου (su) 2nd person σας (sas)
2rd person του/της/του (tu/tis/tu) 3rd person τους (tus)
While in English the possesive pronoun precedes the relevant noun, in Greek it follows it:
το βιβλίο μου (to vivlio mu) my book
τα παπούτσια μας (ta paputsia mas) our shoes
το σπίτι σου (to spiti su) your house
τα ρούχα μας (ta ruha mu) our clothes
το αυτοκίνητό τους* (to aftokinito tus) their car
τα διαβατήριά τους* (ta diavatiria tus) their passports
το φόρεμά της* (to forema tis) her dress
The nouns in these phrases have two accents and both syllables are read with emphasis. This is because the noun is accented on the third syllable from the end and the accent of the possessive pronoun moves to the last syllable.
Future simple
The future simple is used to describe an action which will simply take place in the future, e.g. θα ζητήσω (I will ask for). It is different from the future continuous because the emphasis is on the fact that the action will take place once - it will not necessarily be repeated and it will not be of any significant duration. Examples:
Θα ζητώ την εφημερίδα (tha zito tin efimerida) (I will be asking for the newspaper) - future continuous - implies that I will continue to ask for the newspaper for a long time in the future. Θα ζητήσω την εφημερίδα (tha zitiso tin efimerida) (I will ask for the newspaper) - future simple - simply refers to the fact that I will ask for the newpaper this particular time.
Similarly θα ακούω τη μητέρα μου (tha akuo tin mitera mu) (I will listen to my mother) -future continuous- implies that I will always be doing so. However, θα ακούσω τη μητέρα μου (tha akuso tin mitera mu) (I will listen to my mother) -future simple- means that I will listen to my mother only on a particular matter in the future.
The future simple is used using θα (tha), as in the future continuous, but followed by a different form of the verb. In earlier lessons we divided verbs into (1) those which have an accent on the last syllable and (2) those which have the accent on the penultimate syllable. It will be useful to recall this division here.
(1) Verbs which in the present have the accent on the last syllable (e.g. αγαπώ {agapo}) take the ending -ήσω: θα αγαπήσω (tha agapiso).
(2) Of the verbs which in the present have the accent on the penultimate syllable,
- those ending in -ω, -νω, -ζω in the future simple end in -σω.
- those ending in -πω, -βω, -φω in the future simple end in -ψω.
- those ending in -κω, -γω, -χω, -χνω in the future simple end in -ξω.
There are many exceptions to these rules, so they can only be described as general rules. The following are some verbs which form the future simple according to the above rules. The simple past is also given because it is helpful in establishing the similarities and differences between the tenses.
Present Future simple Past
ακού-ω (aku-o) (I hear, listen) θα ακού-σω (tha aku-so) άκου-σα (ako-sa)
σημειώ-νω (simio-no) (I make a note) θα σημειώ-σω (tha simio-so) σημείω-σα (simio-sa)
συστή-νω (sisti-no) (I introduce) θα συστή-σω (tha sisti-so) σύστη-σα (sisti-sa)
θυμώ-νω (thimo-no) (I get angry) θα θυμώ-σω (tha thimo-so) θύμω-σα (thimo-sa)
νομί-ζω (nomi-zo) (I think) θα νομί-σω (tha nomi-so) νόμι-σα (nomi-sa)
δοκιμά-ζω (dokima-zo) (I try) θα δοκιμά-σω (tha dokima-so) δοκίμα-σα (dokima-sa)
λεί-πω (li-po) (I am away) θα λεί-ψω (tha li-pso) έλει-ψα (eli-psa)
κό-βω (ko-vo) (I cut) θα κό-ψω (tha ko-pso) έκο-ψα (eko-psa)
γρά-φω (gra-fo) (I write) θα γρά-ψω (tha gra-pso) έγρα-ψα (egra-psa)
σπρώ-χνω (spro-hno) (I push) θα σπρώ-ξω (tha spro-kso) έσπρω-ξα (espro-ksa)
The following are some verbs which are either irregular or do not follow the rules for verbs in any of the categories outlined above.
Present Future simple Past
περνώ (perno) (I pass) θα περάσω (tha peraso) πέρασα (perasa)
πηγαίνω (pigeno) (I go) θα πάω (tha pao) πήγα (piga)
ξέρω (ksero) (I know) θα ξέρω (tha ksero) ήξερα (iksera)
καλώ (kalo) (I invite) θα καλέσω (tha kaleso) κάλεσα (kalesa)
λέω (leo) (I say) θα πω (tha po) είπα (ipa)
γελώ (gelo) (I laugh) θα γελάσω (tha gelaso) γέλασα (gelasa)
κοιτάζω (kitazo) (I look at) θα κοιτάξω (tha kitakso) κοίταξα (kitaksa)
Having read these lists of verbs, you will have become aware of the similarities between the past tense and the future simple. The principal difference is between the endings: -ω in the future simple and -α in the past tense. Those verbs that add a prefix to their past, lose it in forming the future simple. Both tenses have the same stem.
Points of the compass
ο βορράς (o vorras) (the north)
η δύση (i disi) (the west) η ανατολή (i anatoli) (the east)
ο νότος (o notos) (the south)
The adjectival forms of these are:
βόρειος, -α, -ο or βορινός, -ή, -ό (vorios,-a,-o or vorinos,-i,-o) north
νότιος, -α, -ο (notios,-a,-o) south
ανατολικός, -ή, -ό (anatolikos, -i, -o) east
δυτικός, -ή, -ό (ditikos, -i, -o) west
Examples:
ο Βόρειος Πόλος (o Vorios Polos) the North Pole
ο ανατολικός άνεμος (o anatolikos anemos) the east wind
