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As you know, the sentence paideu/w ta\ paidi/a means “I teach the children.” The verb is present active indicative, first person singular. The direct object is ta\ paidi/a.
What does the following sentence mean? e)qe/lw paideu/ein ta\ paidi/a.
The verb is still present active indicative, first person singular. What is the direct object? And what is paideu/ein?
You have studied the present indicative, active and middle voices. The indicative is a statement of fact. The present tense indicates continuous action in the present time. You are now about to learn the present infinitive, active and middle voices.
THE INFINITIVE IS A NOUN FORMED FROM A VERB. THE "PRESENT INFINITIVE" INDICATES CONTINUOUS ACTION [Note that there is a slight problem in terminology: the present infinitive indicates continuous action, not action in the present time. The problem is with English terminology and labels, not with the Greek forms!]
The most common way of translating a present active infinitive into English is “to teach,” etc. Thus e)qe/lw paideu/ein is translated into English as “I wish to teach.”
In e)qe/lw paideu/ein ta\ paidi/a, the subject of the verb e)qe/lw is indicated by the first person singular ending -w. The direct object of the verb e)qe/lw is the phrase paideu/ein ta\ paidi/a. Compare this with “I want ice cream." The subject is I and the direct object “ice cream”. What do I want? “Ice cream” or, in the Greek sentence, “to teach the children.”
And in e)qe/lw paideu/ein ta\ paidi/a, ta\ paidi/a is the object of the infinitive paideu/ein.
You can see that the infinitive is a noun, because it is functioning as a direct object, but it has verbal characteristics, because it takes an object and it expresses the idea of an action.
THE PRESENT ACTIVE INFINITIVE IS FORMED IN GREEK BY ADDING -ein TO THE PRESENT (CONTINUOUS ACTION) STEM. You will see that even though Greek infinitives are derived from verbs, they do not change form. They do not have personal endings or case endings. Sometimes an article is used to indicate the case of an infinitive. to\ paideu/ein e)sti\ kalo/n means "To teach is a good thing." The infinitive paideu/ein with its article to/ is the subject of the verb e)sti.
How would you form the present middle infinitive? How would you translate it? An example is: e)qe/lw paideu/esqai. "I want to teach (on my own behalf )." THE PRESENT MIDDLE INFINITIVE IS FORMED BY ADDING -esqai TO THE PRESENT (CONTINUOUS ACTION) STEM. The present infinitive of ei)mi/ is ei}nai.
INFINITIVES OF CONTRACTED VERBS
Active Middle tima/w tima~n tima~sqai file/w filei~n filei~sqai dhlo/w dhlou~n dhlou~sqai
VIII, A. Identify and translate into English the following:
1. poiei~sqai 6. pisteu/ein toi~j basileu~si 2. paideu/esqai 7. ble/pesqai ta paidia 3. a)na/ssein 8. ei}nai 4. o(ra~n tou\j fi/louj 9. manqa/nein ta\ maqh/mata 5. manqa/nesqai ta\ maqh/mata 10. ble/pein ta\ dw~ra VIII, B. Translate the sentences below and follow the directions in the parentheses.
1. paideu/eij ta\ kala/. e)gw\ e)qe/lw manqa/nein ta\ au)ta\ kala/. (Change all the active forms into middle equivalents).
2. ou{toi oi( qeoi\ oi( e)n ou)ranw~| bouleu/ontai a)na/ssein tw~n anqrw/pwn e)n gh~|. (What is the subject of the sentence? The verb? Is there a direct object?)
3. ai( au)tai\ gunai~kej e)qe/lousin pe/mpein e)kei~na ta\ dw~ra tai~j bainome/naij ei)j th\n oi)ki/an. (Identify the underlined words completely)
4. to\ manqa/nein to\ ma/qhma e)sti a)gaqo/n. e)qe/lw ei}nai a)gaqh/. (Identify the underlined words and change them to the opposite number.)
5. bou/lomai ble/pein tou\j qeou\j tou\j oi)kome/nouj e)n ou)ranw~|. (Conjugate the main verb in the present indicative. Give the infinitive form of the main verb.)
Review Chapter Seven on Present Middle Participles, being sure that you understand the varying ways of modifying or specifying a noun. Be sure that you understand what a participle is (an adjective formed from a verb) and be able to give the forms for the present middle participle, all three genders, all cases.
Look at the following sentences:
o(rw~ ton\ a!ndra paideuo/menon to\n paidi/on. o(rw~ to\n a!ndra paideu/onta to\n paidi/on. Are these sentences simple, compound, or complex? What is the subject of each? The direct object? How is the noun a!ndra modified? Identify the underlined words completely. What do you think paideu/onta is?
Remember that since a participle is formed from a verb, it has verbal characteristics, such as voice and tense / aspect (you have thus far seen “present” participles, which represents continuous action, in the middle voice.). Since the participle is an adjective, it also has adjectival characteristics: case, number, and gender.
What case, number, and gender are paideuo/menon and paideu/onta? What declension is each one in?
Translate the following sentences:
1. o( a)nh\r manqa/nwn ta\ maqh/mata/ e)sti filo/sofoj.
2. oi( a)/ndrej manqa/nontej ta\ maqh/mata/ ei)sin filo/sofoi.
3. o(rw~ to\n a!ndra manqa/nonta ta\ maqh/mata.
4. o(rw~ tou\j a!ndraj manqa/nontaj ta\ maqh/mata.
5. oi( fi/loi tou~ a)ndro\j manqa/nontoj ta\ maqh/mata/ ei)sin a)gaqoi/.
6. oi( fi/loi tw~n a)ndrw~n manqano/ntwn ta\ maqh/mata/ ei)sin a)gaqoi/.
7. pe/mpw to\ dw~ron tw~| a)ndri\ manqa/nonti ta\ maqh/mata.
8. pe/mpw to\ dw~ron toi~j a)ndra/si manqa/nousi ta\ maqh/mata.
As you can see, the forms of the present active participle have third declension endings when they modify masculine nouns. This will also be true when they modify neuter nouns.
Translate the following sentences:
1. h( gunh\ pe/mpousa ta\ dw~ra/ e)sti a)gaqh/.
2. ai( gunai~kej pe/mpousai ta\ dw~ra/ ei)sin a)gaqai/.
3. o(rw~ th\n gunai~ka pe/mpousan ta\ dw~ra.
4. o(rw~ ta\j gunai~kaj pempou/saj ta\ dw~ra.
You can see that the feminine forms of the present active participle use first declension endings.
[Have you seen any other instance of the masculine and neuter adjective endings being of one declension and the feminine of another?]
Thus, to form the present active participle, masculine and neuter, in Greek, add -ont- and 3rd declension endings to the present stem. (Note that the nominative singular, masculine is -wn and the nominative singular neuter -on). The feminine equivalent is declined in the first declension, with -ousa etc. added to the stem.
See Thrasymachus p. 32 for the paradigms. Notice especially the forms of the present participle of ei)mi: w!n, ou}sa, o!n.
VIII, C. Translate each sentence. Underline the participial phrase. Change that phrase to a relative clause. Retranslate the sentence.
Identify both the original sentence and the new as simple, compound, complex.
1. h( gunh\ ou}sa kalh\ paideu/ei to\n pai~da.
2. oi( anqrw/poi bai/nontej e)n po/lei ble/pousi tou\j pai~daj kai\ mhte/raj autw~n.
3. e)gw\ o(rw~ tou\j a)nqrw/pouj paideu/ontaj ta\ maqh/mata.
VIII, D. Translate each sentence. Underline the relative clause. Change that clause to a participial phrase. Retranslate the sentence.
1. h(mei~j e)smen filo/sofoi oi$ manqa/nousi e)n th~| po/lei.
2. oi( filo/sofoi oi$ paideu/ousin tou\j pai~da/j ei)sin a)gaqoi\ a)/ndrej.
3. u(mei~j ble/pete tou\j a)gaqou\j filoso/fouj oi$ paideu/ousin tou\j pai~daj.
Answer Key
VIII, E. Translate the following sentences and identify fully the underlined words.
1. oi( deinoi\ basilei~j bou/lontai a)poktei/nein tou\j stratiw/taj maxo/menouj e0n th~| po/lei.
2. ou[toi oi( a!naktej fobou/menoi tou\j stratiw/taj a)na/ssousi tw~n a)nqrw/pwn.
3. o( Odusseu\j kai\ o( Tele/maxoj a)poktei/nousi tou\j au)tou\j a)/ndraj deipnou~ntaj e)n th~| oi)kia~| .
4. o( Qrasu/maxoj o(ra~| th\n dakru/ousan pai~da.
5. h( nau~j ple/ousa pro\j ta\j Sumplh/gada/j e)sti kalli/sth.
VIII, F. For each sentence, do the following:
a) State whether it is a simple, compound, or complex sentence.
b) Underline the subject(s) and the main verb(s).
c) Identify completely all participles.
d) Translate.
e) Follow directions in the parentheses.
1. e)kei~noi oi( pai~dej o)/ntej i)sxuroi\ bou/lontai ma/xesqai. (Change the subject to read "The same young men.")
2. o( mwro\j basileu\j pisteu/ei toi~j a)ndra/si toi~j pe/mpousi dw~ra. (What is "tricky" about this sentence?)
3. oi( me\n a!ndrej le/gousi, ai( de gunai~kej ble/pousai au)tw~n a)kou/ousin. (Change the participle to the equivalent middle form.)
4. to/de sofw/taton paidi/on manqano/menon e0n th~| o)iki/a| le/gei kalw~j. (Change the participle to the active form.)
5. ou[toi oi( filo/sofoi paideu/ontej to\ paidi/on ei)si\n e)n th~| oi)ki/a|. to\ paidi/on o@n a)gaqo\n manqa/nei. (Change the subject of the second sentence to o( pai~j and make the necessary changes. How does o!n differ from o#n?)
6. ou[toi oi( a!ndrej o!ntej a)gaqoi\ pe/mpousi ta\ bibli/a soi kai/ moi.
7. oi( basilei~j oi$ maxontai nu~n bou/lontai o(ra~n ei)rh/nhn [peace] e)n th~| po/lei h$n filou~men.
Answer Key VIII, G.. Write three sentences of your own including participles (present active) and at least one infinitive .
THE CHART! You have now learned the following verb forms:
ACTIVE MIDDLE Present Indicative Present Indicative Present Infinitive Present Infinitive Present Participle Present Participle Present Imperative Present Imperative
“PRESENT” INDICATES CONTINUOUS ACTION. Only in the indicative mood is “tense” or time actually indicated.
The PRESENT Indicative represents CONTINUOUS action in the Present Time;
(the IMPERFECT Indicative, which you will learn soon, indicates continuous action beginning in the past.)
All other “present” forms represent only continuous action.
THE INDICATIVE MOOD INDICATES A STATEMENT OF FACT
AT THIS POINT YOU MUST BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THESE CONCEPTS AND TO PRODUCE THE INDICATIVE, INFINITIVE, AND PARTICIPLE FORMS LISTED IN THE CHART ABOVE.
ASPECT
In Greek, verbs can express three types, or ASPECTS, of action: CONTINUOUS, PUNCTUAL, STATE OF BEING In English, we can represent these three aspects with the verb “to die”:
Continuous action, present time He is dying. Continuous action, past time He was dying. Punctual action He died yesterday. State of being, present time He is dead. State of being, past time He has been dead for years.
INFORMATION ON A CHARACTER IN CHAPTER VIII
o( Ia/swn
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