Greek Present Tense Group B (-ώ/-άω)

In Brief

Many common Greek verbs have a stressed present-tense ending: μιλάω/μιλώ “I speak,” μιλάς “you speak,” μιλάει/μιλά “he or she speaks.” The plural commonly follows μιλάμε, μιλάτε, μιλούν(ε), though variants such as μιλούμε and μιλάν(ε) also occur. A related pattern, found in μπορώ “I can,” has -είς, -εί, -ούμε, -είτε, -ούν.

Overview

Modern Greek grammars traditionally place these verbs in the second conjugation, often called Group B. A conjugation is simply a family of verbs that changes its endings in a similar way. Unlike many Group A verbs, whose stress stays on the stem, Group B verbs generally have stressed endings in the present tense: compare γράφω “I write” with μιλώ “I speak.”

This is an A1 topic because it unlocks extremely frequent verbs: μιλάω “speak,” ρωτάω “ask,” αγαπάω/αγαπώ “love,” περνάω “pass/spend,” μπορώ “can,” and θεωρώ “consider.” The subject (the person or thing doing the action) is usually understood from the ending, so Greek normally says Μιλάω ελληνικά, not necessarily Εγώ μιλάω ελληνικά.

For an English-speaking learner, two features need attention. First, Greek changes the verb for all six persons, while English has little more than the third-person -s. Second, the dictionary or citation form is normally the first-person singular: μιλάω means both “I speak” and the form under which you learn the verb. Modern Greek has no everyday infinitive corresponding directly to English “to speak.”

How It Works

The core -άω/-ώ pattern

Start with μιλάω or its shorter equivalent μιλώ. Both mean “I speak.” Remove -άω and attach the personal endings shown below. Stress marks matter: they show which syllable receives emphasis.

Person	Pronoun	Common form of μιλάω	English
1st singular	εγώ	μιλάω / μιλώ	I speak / am speaking
2nd singular	εσύ	μιλάς	you speak / are speaking
3rd singular	αυτός/αυτή/αυτό	μιλάει / μιλά	he/she/it speaks; is speaking
1st plural	εμείς	μιλάμε	we speak / are speaking
2nd plural	εσείς	μιλάτε	you speak / are speaking
3rd plural	αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά	μιλούν(ε) / μιλάν(ε)	they speak / are speaking

The parentheses in μιλούν(ε) and μιλάν(ε) mean that the final -ε is optional: μιλούν and μιλούνε are both heard. Do not treat every alternative as a separate tense. They are parallel present-tense forms.

The same practical pattern works for many everyday verbs:

Citation form	Meaning	Useful forms
ρωτάω / ρωτώ	ask	ρωτάς, ρωτάει, ρωτάμε, ρωτούν
αγαπάω / αγαπώ	love	αγαπάς, αγαπάει, αγαπάμε, αγαπούν
περνάω / περνώ	pass; spend (time)	περνάς, περνάει, περνάμε, περνούν
απαντάω / απαντώ	answer	απαντάς, απαντάει, απαντάμε, απαντούν
γελάω / γελώ	laugh	γελάς, γελάει, γελάμε, γελούν

You may also encounter μιλούμε, αγαπούμε, and similar -ούμε first-person plural forms. They are standard alternatives, although μιλάμε and αγαπάμε are especially natural in everyday conversation. Variation is not always perfectly uniform from verb to verb or speaker to speaker, so learn the common form you actually meet rather than trying to manufacture every possible variant.

The -ώ, -είς pattern

A second Group B pattern is essential because it includes μπορώ “can.” Its endings differ in the second and third persons:

Person	μπορώ	θεωρώ (“consider”)	Ending
εγώ	μπορώ	θεωρώ	-ώ
εσύ	μπορείς	θεωρείς	-είς
αυτός/αυτή/αυτό	μπορεί	θεωρεί	-εί
εμείς	μπορούμε	θεωρούμε	-ούμε
εσείς	μπορείτε	θεωρείτε	-είτε
αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά	μπορούν(ε)	θεωρούν(ε)	-ούν(ε)

Other verbs commonly following this pattern include τηλεφωνώ “telephone,” χρησιμοποιώ “use,” οδηγώ “drive,” and προσπαθώ “try.” The spelling of the endings—especially -είς, -εί, -είτε—must be learned even though several Greek vowel spellings sound alike.

At beginner level, the safest method is to learn a new Group B verb with three forms: μιλάω – μιλάς – μιλούν or μπορώ – μπορείς – μπορούν. Those forms quickly reveal which pattern it follows.

What the Greek present can mean

The Greek present covers both an action in progress and a repeated or general action. English often distinguishes these with “I speak” versus “I am speaking,” but Greek can use the same form:

• Μιλάω ελληνικά. — “I speak Greek.”
• Μιλάω τώρα με τη Μαρία. — “I’m speaking with Maria now.”
• Κάθε μέρα τηλεφωνώ στη μητέρα μου. — “I phone my mother every day.”

Words such as τώρα “now,” κάθε μέρα “every day,” and the wider context tell you which English translation fits.

Negation, questions, and subject pronouns

Put δεν before the conjugated verb to make a negative statement: Δεν μιλάω γαλλικά “I don’t speak French.” For a yes/no question, ordinary Greek often keeps the same word order and uses question intonation. In writing, Greek uses the semicolon-shaped question mark ;: Μιλάτε αγγλικά;

Subject pronouns are often omitted because the ending identifies the person. Use one for emphasis or contrast: Εγώ μιλάω ελληνικά, αλλά αυτός μιλάει ιταλικά “I speak Greek, but he speaks Italian.” The pronoun εσείς and the corresponding plural verb can address several people or one person politely.

Examples in Context

Greek	English	Note
Μιλάω ελληνικά.	I speak Greek.	First-person singular; the subject is omitted.
Τώρα μιλάω με τον Νίκο.	I’m talking with Nikos now.	The same present form describes an action in progress.
Αγαπάς τη μουσική.	You love music.	Informal singular you.
Η Άννα αγαπάει πολύ τη δουλειά της.	Anna loves her job very much.	αγαπά is also possible.
Ρωτάμε τον δάσκαλο όταν δεν καταλαβαίνουμε.	We ask the teacher when we don’t understand.	Common -άμε plural form.
Τι απαντάτε;	What are you answering?	Plural or polite you.
Τα παιδιά γελάνε πολύ.	The children laugh a lot.	Third-person plural variant in -άνε.
Περνούν κάθε πρωί από εδώ.	They pass by here every morning.	Third-person plural in -ούν.
Δεν μπορώ να έρθω σήμερα.	I can’t come today.	μπορώ is followed by να plus another verb form.
Μπορείς να με βοηθήσεις;	Can you help me?	A question with the -είς form.
Μπορούμε να καθίσουμε εδώ;	Can we sit here?	First-person plural in -ούμε.
Μπορούν να έρθουν αύριο.	They can come tomorrow.	Third-person plural in -ούν.
Σας τηλεφωνώ από το ξενοδοχείο.	I’m calling you from the hotel.	τηλεφωνώ follows the -είς pattern.
Χρησιμοποιείτε αυτή την εφαρμογή;	Do you use this app?	Polite singular or plural you.

Common Mistakes

Using one unchanged form for every subject

• Wrong: Εσύ μιλάω ελληνικά.
• Right: Εσύ μιλάς ελληνικά.
• Why: Unlike English “speak,” Greek marks the second-person singular with -άς. Usually you can omit εσύ altogether: Μιλάς ελληνικά.

Mixing the two main patterns

• Wrong: Εσύ μποράς να έρθεις;
• Right: Εσύ μπορείς να έρθεις;
• Why: μπορώ follows the -ώ, -είς, -εί, -ούμε, -είτε, -ούν pattern, not the μιλάω, μιλάς pattern.

Treating the long and short forms as different verbs

• Wrong idea: μιλάω and μιλώ have different meanings.
• Right: Μιλάω ελληνικά and Μιλώ ελληνικά both mean “I speak Greek.”
• Why: The expanded and contracted first-person forms are variants of the same verb. Their frequency and tone can differ, but the core meaning does not.

Copying English present-tense distinctions mechanically

• Wrong assumption: Greek needs a different tense for “I speak” and “I am speaking.”
• Right: Μιλάω ελληνικά can mean “I speak Greek,” while Μιλάω τώρα means “I’m speaking now.”
• Why: Greek usually lets context and time expressions distinguish a habit from an action happening now.

Forgetting the accent or putting it on the stem

• Wrong: μιλας, μπορεις
• Right: μιλάς, μπορείς
• Why: In standard Greek spelling, words of more than one syllable normally show the stressed vowel. The accent also helps you hear the defining stressed endings of Group B.

Using an English-style infinitive after μπορώ

• Wrong: Μπορώ έρχομαι.
• Right: Μπορώ να έρθω.
• Why: Modern Greek does not use an infinitive like English “to come.” Modal verbs are followed by να and a verb form appropriate to the intended meaning. The choice of έρθω rather than έρχομαι belongs to a later lesson on aspect.

Usage Notes

In everyday speech, expanded forms such as μιλάω and αγαπάω, along with plurals in -άμε and -άνε, are very common. Contracted forms such as μιλώ, αγαπώ, and plurals in -ούμε or -ούν are also standard and may sound more concise or appear more often in careful and formal writing. This is a tendency, not a strict formal-versus-informal rule.

A final -ε in forms such as μιλάνε, μιλούνε, and μπορούνε is frequent in speech. Forms without it—μιλάν, μιλούν, μπορούν—are equally understandable and common. In formal writing, the shorter -ούν form is often preferred, but learners should recognize both.

The second-person plural form has two jobs. Μιλάτε ελληνικά; can mean “Do you all speak Greek?” or a polite “Do you speak Greek?” addressed to one person. Context tells you which is intended.

Some verbs that look similar do not allow every variant equally naturally. Dictionaries may list one citation form, while speakers use another frequently. Check a reliable dictionary and pay attention to complete phrases, not just endings in isolation.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master these details at A1, but they explain forms you will meet later.

First, Greek verb classes are more varied than a single “Group B” chart suggests. Traditional descriptions divide the second conjugation into subgroups, and individual verbs may move between sets of alternative endings. That is why μιλάμε/μιλούμε and μιλάνε/μιλούν can coexist, while μπορούμε and μπορείτε belong firmly to their own pattern.

Second, the present tense is built on an imperfective stem—a verb base that presents an action as ongoing, repeated, or not viewed as a single complete event. After words such as μπορώ, θέλω, and πρέπει, Greek uses να plus a form chosen partly by aspect (how the action is viewed). Compare:

• Μπορώ να μιλάω για ώρες. — “I can talk for hours / keep talking for hours.”
• Μπορώ να μιλήσω τώρα. — “I can speak now / have the conversation now.”

The first presents the activity as ongoing or repeated; the second views it as a bounded event. Learning those non-present forms is a later step, but noticing the contrast now prevents the mistaken idea that να always takes the ordinary present.

Finally, pronunciation can hide spelling differences. -εί, -είς, and several other spellings contain the same /i/ sound in Modern Greek. Grammar and person determine the spelling: αυτός μπορεί but εσύ μπορείς. Reading full sentences and writing short paradigms will build this distinction more reliably than sound alone.

Practice Tips

1. Learn three anchor forms per verb. Record μιλάω – μιλάς – μιλούν or μπορώ – μπορείς – μπορούν. Sort new verbs by which set they resemble, then fill in the other persons.
2. Turn one sentence through all six persons. Start with Μιλάω ελληνικά and say μιλάς, μιλάει, μιλάμε, μιλάτε, μιλούν. Then repeat with a negative and a question so the endings become automatic.
3. Listen for variants without trying to force one form. When you hear αγαπώ, αγαπάω, αγαπάνε, or αγαπούν, note the person and meaning. Choose one common variant for your own early speaking, but train yourself to recognize the others.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Personal Pronouns — shows who performs the action and why Greek can often omit the subject.
• Next step: Modal Verbs (μπορώ, θέλω, πρέπει) — builds phrases with “can,” “want,” and “must,” often using να.
• Next step: Expressing Likes (μου αρέσει) — introduces a common present-tense construction whose logic differs from English “I like.”
• Later connection: Deponent Verbs — covers frequent verbs with forms such as έρχομαι and σκέφτομαι, which follow a different voice pattern.