Compare the tenses using the same activity: watching a film.
1. The main patterns
Learn these irregular forms together: βλέπω → είδα → θα δω. Ongoing forms use βλεπ-, the simple past uses ειδ-, and the simple future and subjunctive use forms such as δω, δεις, and δει.
Simple forms present an action as a whole. Continuous forms present it as ongoing or habitual. This is aspect: it does not simply mean “once” versus “many times.”
2. The tenses side by side
| Tense | Greek example | English |
|---|---|---|
| Present | Βλέπω μια ταινία. | I am watching a film. |
| Imperfect | Έβλεπα μια ταινία όταν ήρθες. | I was watching a film when you arrived. |
| Simple past | Είδα μια ταινία χθες. | I watched a film yesterday. |
| Continuous future | Θα βλέπω μια ταινία κάθε Παρασκευή. | I will watch a film every Friday. |
| Simple future | Θα δω μια ταινία απόψε. | I will watch a film tonight. |
| Present perfect | Έχω δει αυτή την ταινία. | I have seen this film. |
| Past perfect | Είχα δει την ταινία πριν έρθεις. | I had seen the film before you arrived. |
| Future perfect | Μέχρι αύριο, θα έχω δει την ταινία. | By tomorrow, I will have seen the film. |
The present can describe either an action happening now or a habit. The imperfect describes a past activity or habit; the simple past views the event as a whole. Perfect tenses relate an earlier action to the present, a past point, or a future point.
In perfect forms, δει stays unchanged; έχω changes for the person and time.
Show conjugations for all six persons
| Person | Present | Imperfect | Simple past |
|---|---|---|---|
| εγώ | βλέπω | έβλεπα | είδα |
| εσύ | βλέπεις | έβλεπες | είδες |
| αυτός / αυτή / αυτό | βλέπει | έβλεπε | είδε |
| εμείς | βλέπουμε | βλέπαμε | είδαμε |
| εσείς | βλέπετε | βλέπατε | είδατε |
| αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά | βλέπουν(ε) | έβλεπαν | είδαν(ε) |
| Person | Continuous future | Simple future |
|---|---|---|
| εγώ | θα βλέπω | θα δω |
| εσύ | θα βλέπεις | θα δεις |
| αυτός / αυτή / αυτό | θα βλέπει | θα δει |
| εμείς | θα βλέπουμε | θα δούμε |
| εσείς | θα βλέπετε | θα δείτε |
| αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά | θα βλέπουν(ε) | θα δουν(ε) |
| Person | Present perfect | Past perfect | Future perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| εγώ | έχω δει | είχα δει | θα έχω δει |
| εσύ | έχεις δει | είχες δει | θα έχεις δει |
| αυτός / αυτή / αυτό | έχει δει | είχε δει | θα έχει δει |
| εμείς | έχουμε δει | είχαμε δει | θα έχουμε δει |
| εσείς | έχετε δει | είχατε δει | θα έχετε δει |
| αυτοί / αυτές / αυτά | έχουν δει | είχαν δει | θα έχουν δει |
Εσείς also addresses one person politely. Subject pronouns are usually omitted when the verb ending makes the person clear.
3. With να: the subjunctive
After να, the simple, continuous, and perfect forms retain the same aspect distinctions. These are not additional tenses.
| Form and use | Greek example | English |
|---|---|---|
| Simple: action as a whole | Θέλω να δω τη Μαρία. | I want to see Maria. |
| Continuous: a habit | Θέλω να βλέπω τη Μαρία πιο συχνά. | I want to see Maria more often. |
| Perfect: completed by a reference time | Θέλω να έχω δει την ταινία μέχρι αύριο. | I want to have seen the film by tomorrow. |
For the simple and continuous conjugations, replace θα in the future tables with να. For the perfect, put να before the present-perfect form.
4. Commands
Imperatives address one person informally or several people / one person politely. Negative commands use μη(ν) + subjunctive, not imperative forms.
| Form | Singular | Plural / polite |
|---|---|---|
| Simple imperative | δες | δείτε |
| Continuous imperative | βλέπε | βλέπετε |
| Negative simple command | μη δεις | μη δείτε |
| Negative continuous command | μη βλέπεις | μη βλέπετε |
Δες αυτή τη φωτογραφία!
Look at this photograph!
Μη βλέπεις τόση τηλεόραση!
Don’t watch so much television!
5. Other active forms
Hypothetical meanings use θα with past forms. The adverbial participle expresses an accompanying action and does not change for person or number.
| Construction | Greek example | English |
|---|---|---|
| Hypothetical | Θα έβλεπα αυτή την ταινία, αλλά δεν έχω χρόνο. | I would watch this film, but I don’t have time. |
| Hypothetical past | Θα είχα δει την ταινία, αλλά ήμουν άρρωστη. | I would have watched the film, but I was ill. (Female speaker.) |
| Adverbial participle | Έμαθα ελληνικές λέξεις βλέποντας ταινίες. | I learned Greek words by watching films. |
6. Practice exercises
Translate into Greek using βλέπω.
-
You see Maria every day. (One person.)
-
We were watching a film when you arrived.
-
We saw Maria yesterday.
-
You will see Maria tomorrow. (One person.)
-
They will see Maria every Friday. (A future habit.)
-
We have seen the film.
-
They had seen the film before you arrived.
-
By tomorrow, we will have seen the film.
-
Look at this photograph! (To several people.)
-
I want to watch films more often.
Show answers
Suggested answers; other natural translations may also be possible.
- Βλέπεις τη Μαρία κάθε μέρα.
- Βλέπαμε μια ταινία όταν ήρθες.
- Είδαμε τη Μαρία χθες.
- Θα δεις τη Μαρία αύριο.
- Θα βλέπουν τη Μαρία κάθε Παρασκευή.
- Έχουμε δει την ταινία.
- Είχαν δει την ταινία πριν έρθεις.
- Μέχρι αύριο, θα έχουμε δει την ταινία.
- Δείτε αυτή τη φωτογραφία!
- Θέλω να βλέπω ταινίες πιο συχνά.