Greek Grammar Flashcards
(205 cards)
Why Learn Greek?
- To learn to read scripture as it was originally written. The original audience and writers were in Greek. This helps us think in the way the original audience and authors did.
- To see the depth and detail of the original text
How does the language change this exactly? You will see key words that you can’t appreciate in English. You’d miss this word for grace as translated favored or another word. You’ll see an appreciate puns. Philemon. - To teach and preach with confidence and precision
Many pastors don’t know Greek anymore. They depend on commentators. But you don’t know if what they are saying is true. - Knowing Greek will prevent you from getting bad tatoos. (silly reason for fun)
Dipthongs
Proper and Improper, Proper has two vowels, Improper is a single vowel with subscripts.
Syllabification
Each word has as many syllables as they have vowels or diphthongs.
Reading Marks
Rough marks add an h breathing sounds. Smooth marks add no sound.
Every word that starts with a vowel has a rough or smooth breathing mark over the first letter. With diphthongs, they appear over the second letter.
A smooth mark over an empty space at the end of a word happens because a vowel isn’t written if it starts the next word. This is called an elision and is not a breathing mark.
Accents
Greek has three accent marks, Acute (left to right like an acute angle), Grave (grauve, opposite, left to right down instead of up), and Circumflex (appears as a half circle or an arm flexing, and as a tilde).
Punctuation
Punctuation marks, commas and periods. A Greek comma is a minor pause, period is a full stop. There is also a middle dot (semicolon), major stop. The English semicolon is the Greek question mark. “;”
Definite Article Feminine
Fem. (sg.) Fem. (pl.) Translation
- ἡ ἀδελφη αἱ ἀδελφαι (as the subject )
- της ἀδελφης των ἀδελφων (“of” or possessive)
- τῃ ἀδελφῃ ταις ἀδελφαις (“to/in/with/by”)
- την ἀδελφην τας ἀδελφας (as the object )
Definite Article Masculine
Masc. (sg.) Masc. (pl.) Translation
- ὁ ἀδελφος οἱ ἀδελφοι (as the subject )
- του ἀδελφου των ἀδελφων (“of” or possessive)
- τῳ ἀδελφῳ τοις ἀδελφοις (“to/in/with/by”)
- τον ἀδελφον τους ἀδελφους (as the object)
Definite Article Neuter
Neut. (sg.) Neut. (pl.) Translation
το βιβλιον τα βιβλια (as the subject )
του βιβλιου των βιβλιων (“of ” or possessive)
τῳ βιβλιῳ τοις βιβλιοις (“to/in/with/by”)
το βιβλιον τα βιβλια (as the object )
Feminine Pure α
Singular Plural Type
ὥρα ὥραι Nominative
ὥρας ὥρῶν Genιtive
ὥρᾳ ὥραις Dative
ὥραν ὥρας Accusative
ὥρα ὥραι Vocative
Feminine Pure η
Singular Plural Type
φωνή φωναί Nominative
φωνῆς φωνῶν Genιtive
φωνῇ φωναῖς Dative
φωνήν φωνάς Accusative
φωνή φωναί Vocative
Feminine Mixed
Singular Plural Type
δόξα δόξαι Nominative
δόξης δόξῶν Genιtive
δόξῃ δόξαις Dative
δόξαν δὀξας Accusative
δόξα δόξαι Vocative
The vs A
In Greek, while not universal, the lack of an article is the equivalent of the English “a” and the presence of an article is the equivalent of the English “the”.
The is also used with proper names and abstract concepts like life in Greek.
Nominative
“To name or point out” Grammatically it refers to the subject of a finite verb or a predicative nominative (object of a passive verb).
Genitive
“To describe or define, as an adjective does” Often translated with “of” and often used to show possession, as in “the voice of a sister” or “the sister’s voice”.
Dative
Usually expresses personal interest or relationship, such as an indirect object. It completes the idea of to or who an action of a verb is performed. (“to/in/with/by”)
Accusative
Usually limits or qualifies the action of a verb, typically a direct object of a transitive verb.
Vocative
Direct address. Usually the same form of the nominative with some exceptions.
Verb and Noun Accent
Verb accent is recessive, meaning that that accent of a verb recedes as far as the general rules permit. Noun accent is persistent or retentive. As the noun goes through its various inflections, the accent persists all the same.
1) First declension nouns always have a circumflex on the ultima in the genitive plural.
2) When the ultima of a first declension noun is accented, it receives the circumflex in the genitive and dative of both numbers; elsewhere it receives the acute (or grave as required). γῆ is an exception which has the circumflex throughout.
3) If the nominative singular is short alpha it remains so. If the nominative singular is long alpha it remains so. Elsewhere, (except for -αι in the nominative plural), the ending is long.
Mixed vs pure α
A feminine noun is pure alpha if the letter before the ending is ε, ι, or ρ (basically, a vowel or rho.)
Second Declension Masculine
Masc. (sg.) Masc. (pl.)
ὁ ἀδελφος οἱ ἀδελφοι (N)
του ἀδελφου των ἀδελφων (G)
τῳ ἀδελφῳ τοις ἀδελφοις (D)
τον ἀδελφον τους ἀδελφους (A)
ἀδελφε ἀδελφοι (V)
Second Declension Neuter
Neut. (sg.) Neut. (pl.)
το βιβλιον τα βιβλια (N)
του βιβλιου των βιβλιων (N)
τῳ βιβλιῳ τοις βιβλιοις (D)
το βιβλιον τα βιβλια (A)
First and Second Declension Adjectives - Masculine
καλος καλοι (Ν)
καλου καλῶν (G)
καλῳ καλοῖς (D)
καλον καλους (A)
καλε καλοι (V)
First and Second Declension Adjectives - Feminine
καλη καλαι (N)
καλης καλων (G)
καλῃ καλαις (D)
καλην καλας (A)