You will be able to—
      1.   read and write the basic paradigms of the -μι verbs,
      2.   understand how -μι verbs relate to the verb forms we have learned thus far,
      3.   gain more practice in translating and working with Greek, and
      4.   master ten more high-frequency vocabulary words.

So far we have worked with the -ω conjugation, which is also called “thematic” because its verbs use a connecting vowel (usually ο or ε) between the stem and the ending. Another type of verb that is older, but by New Testament times played a less important role in Koine Greek, is the “mi (-μι)” or “athematic” verbs.

There are four types of -μι verbs:

1.   Omicron class (δίδωμι, I give)
      δίδωμι is omicron class because the root is δο-.

 

2.   Alpha class (ἵστημι, I set, stand)
      ἵστημι is alpha class because the root is στα-.

 

3.   Epsilon class (τίθημι, I put)
      τίθημι is epsilon class because the root is θε-.

 

4.   Upsilon (δείκνυμι, I show, explain)
      δείκνυμι is upsilon class because the root is δεικνυ-.

With a few simple rules and knowledge of the endings, these verbs prove fairly regular. The point is not to master them but to be able to recognize their forms.

1.   In the present and imperfect, the initial consonant is reduplicated and connected with an iota (cf. perfect) (Mounce, Basics, 313f.).

            δο (the root of δίδωμι) becomes διδο.

2.   -μι verbs do not take a connecting vowel before the pronominal endings. Rather, the root’s final vowel may be retained, lengthened, or omitted.

            διδο becomes διδω.        

3.   The present form takes the following pronominal endings (Learn these well):

	Singular	Plural
1.	-μι	-μεν
2.	-ς	-τε
3.	-σι	-ασι

4.   Most of the -μι verbs use the tense suffix κα rather than the normal σα (e.g., ἔδωκα). Don’t confuse this with the perfects. Note that the present is different, but the rest have rather normal endings that you already know.

Present	Imperfect	Future	Aorist	Perfect
		Singular
1. δίδωμι	ἐδίδουν	δώσω	ἔδωκα	δέδωκα
2. δίδως	ἐδίδους	δώσεις	ἔδωκας	δέδωκας
3. δίδωσι(ν)	ἐδίδου	δώσει	ἔδωκε(ν)	δέδωκε(ν)
		Plural
1. δίδομεν	ἐδίδομεν	δώσομεν	ἐδώκαμεν	δεδώκαμεν
2. δίδοτε	ἐδίδοτε	δώσετε	ἐδώκατε	δεδώκατε
3. διδόασι(ν)	ἐδίδοσαν	δώσουσι(ν)	ἔδωκαν	δέδωκαν

Other Moods

Present Subjunctive	Aorist Subjunctive	Present Imperative	Aorist Imperative
Singular
1. διδῶ	δῶ	—	—
2. διδῷς	δῷς	δίδου	δός
3. διδῷ	δῷ	διδότω	δότω
Plural
1 διδῶμεν	δῶμεν	—	—
2. διδῶτε	δῶτε	δίδοτε	δότε
3. διδῶσι(ν)	δῶσι(ν)	διδότωσαν	δότωσαν

Infinitives

	Present	Aorist
Active	διδόναι	δοῦναι
Middle	δίδοσθαι	δόσθαι
Passive	δίδοσθαι	δοθῆναι

Present Middle/Passive Indicative
      (note how regular)

	Singular	Plural
1.	δίδομαι	διδόμεθα
2.	δίδοσαι	δίδοσθε
3.	δίδοται	δίδονται

Imperfect Mid./Pass.:  ἐδιδόμην, ἐδίδοσο, ἐδίδοτο, ἐδιδόμεθα, ἐδίδοσθε, ἐδίδοντο

Future Middles: δώσομαι, δώσῃ, δώσεται, δώσομεθα, δώσεσθε, δώσονται

Future Passives: δοθήσομαι, δοθήσῃ, δοθήσεται, δοθησόμεθα, δοθήσεσθε, δοθήσονται

Aorist Middles: ἐδόμην, ἔδου, ἔδοτο, ἐδόμεθα, ἔδοσθε, ἔδοντο

Aorist Passives: ἐδόθην, ἐδόθης, ἐδόθη, ἐδόθημεν, ἐδόθητε, ἐδόθησαν

Perfect Mid/Pass: δέδομαι, δέδοσαι, δέδοται, δεδόμεθα, δέδοσθε, δέδονται

Three other -μι verb types are based on the final vowel of their root:

• • Alpha class: (ἵστημι, I set, stand),        
    
  • Epsilon class: (τίθημι, I put), and
  • Upsilon class: (δείκνυμι, I show, explain).

We will now look more carefully at these. In this section we will focus on the present tense only. The other tenses are fairly regular if the expected changes to the final vowels are kept in mind. One should note that in the present and imperfect, the final vowel is lengthened in the singular and shortened in the plural.

Present Paradigms

Singular
1. ἵστημι	τίθημι	δείκνυμι
2. ἵστης	τίθης	δείκνυς/δεικνύεις
3. ἵστησι(ν)	τίθησι(ν)	δείκνυσι(ν)
Plural
1. ἵσταμεν	τίθεμεν	δείκνυμεν
2. ἵστατε	τίθετε	δείκνυτε
3. ἱστᾶσι(ν)	τιθέασι(ν)	δεικνύασι(ν)

 

Although the normal μι-verb paradigm for stems ending in υ (e.g., ἀπόλλυμι, δείκνυμι) would require δείκνυς as the second person singular form, it appears as δεικνύεις in its sole occurrence in the New Testament.

Imperfect Active: ἐτίθην, ἐτίθεις, ἐτίθει, ἐτίθεμεν, ἐτίθετε, ἐτίθεσαν

Aorist Indicative: ἔθηκα, ἔθηκας, ἔθηκε(ν), ἐθήκαμεν, ἐθήκατε, ἔθηκαν

Present Subjunctive: τιθῶ, τιθῇς, τιθῇ, τιθῶμεν, τιθῆτε, τιθῶσι(ν)

Aorist Subjunctive: θῶ, θῇς, θῄ, θῶμεν, θῆτε, θῶσι(ν)

Present Active Imperative: τίθει, τιθέτω, τίθετε, τιθέτωσαν

Aorist Active Imperative: θές, θέτω, θέτε, θέτωσαν

Principal Parts

PresAI	FAI	AAI	PerfAI	PerfMI	API
δίδωμι	δώσω	ἔδωκα	δέδωκα	δέδομαι	ἐδόθην
τίθημι	θήσω	ἔθηκα	τέθεικα	τέθειμαι	ἐτέθην
ἵστημι	στήσω	ἔστησα	ἕστηκα	ἕσταμαι	ἐστάθην
δείκνυμι	δείξω	ἔδειξα	(δέδειχα)	δέδειγμαι	ἐδείχθην

Participles are formed in a fairly regular manner with the initial reduplication in the present but not in the aorist (all masculine singular examples here):

Present Participles

Active	Masc.	Fem.	Neut.
Nom.	διδούς	διδοῦσα	διδόν
Gen.	διδόντος	διδούσης	διδόντος
Mid/Pass
Nom.	διδόμενος	διδομένη	διδόμενον
Gen.	διδομένου	διδομένης	διδομένου

 

 

Aorist Participles (just pop the δι off the present ptc.)

Active	Masc.	Fem.	Neut.
Nom.	δούς	δοῦσα	δόν
Gen.	δόντος	δούσης	δόντος
Middle
Nom.	δόμενος	δομένη	δόμενον
Gen.	δομένου	δομένης	δομένου
Passive
Nom.	δοθείς	δοθεῖσα	δοθέν
Gen.	δοθέντος	δοθείσης	δοθέντος

Perfect Participles  (shift the  δι to δε + perf. κοτ/κυι )

Active	Masc.	Fem.	Neut.
Nom.	δεδωκώς	δεδωκυῖα	δεδωκός
Gen.	δεδωκότος	δεδωκυίας	δεδωκότος
Mid/Pass	no perf. κ
Nom.	δεδόμενος	δεδομένη	δεδόμενον
Gen.	διδομένου	δεδομένης	δεδομένου

ὁ πατὴρ ἀγαπᾷ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ πάντα δέδωκεν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ.
The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand (Jn. 3:35).

οὕτως καὶ τῷ υἱῷ ἔδωκεν ζωὴν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ.
So he gave to the son also to have life in himself (Jn. 5:26).

 ἀποκρίνεται  Ἰησοῦς, Τὴν ψυχήν σου ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ θήσεις;
Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me?” (Jn. 13:38).

      δίδωμι:  -μι, -ς, -σι(ν),   -μεν,  -τε,  ασι(ν)   

ἀνίστημι	I raise, erect (108)
ἀπόλλυμι	I destroy (90)
ἀφίημι	I let go, dismiss (143)
δίδωμι	I give, put (415)
ἤδη	now, already (61)
ἵστημι	I set, stand (154)
κηρύσσω	I proclaim (61)
παραδίδωμι	I entrust, hand over (119)
τίθημι	I put, place (100)
φημί	I say (66)