Greek personal endings are among the most practical tools for reading and parsing New Testament Greek verbs. Once students learn how to recognize personal endings, they can quickly identify person, number, and often voice, mood, and tense-system. A single ending can tell the reader whether the subject is “I,” “you,” “he,” “we,” “you all,” or “they.”
For example, the present active ending -ω usually identifies first person singular, while -ουσι(ν) usually identifies third person plural. The ending -εται often identifies third person singular middle/passive. The ending -θησαν identifies third person plural aorist passive indicative. These endings are not decorations added to a stem. They are central grammatical signals.
This lesson teaches how to identify Greek personal endings across the major tense-systems: present, imperfect, future, aorist, perfect, middle, and passive. It is designed as a memorization and recognition guide for students who want to parse Greek verbs faster and more accurately.
What Are Personal Endings?
Personal endings are endings attached to finite verb forms that identify person and number.
Person answers the question: Who is the subject?
| Person | Meaning | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| First person | The speaker | I / we |
| Second person | The person addressed | you |
| Third person | The person or thing spoken about | he, she, it / they |
Number answers whether the subject is singular or plural.
| Number | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Singular | One subject |
| Plural | More than one subject |
The Six Basic Personal Slots
Every finite verb belongs to one of six basic person-number slots.
| Slot | Person and Number | English Subject |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | First singular | I |
| 2 | Second singular | You |
| 3 | Third singular | He, she, it |
| 4 | First plural | We |
| 5 | Second plural | You all |
| 6 | Third plural | They |
Greek normally does not need an expressed subject pronoun because the personal ending already identifies the subject.
Why Personal Endings Matter
Personal endings help students answer several questions:
- Who performs or receives the action?
- Is the subject singular or plural?
- Is the form active, middle, or passive?
- Is the verb likely indicative, subjunctive, imperative, or another mood?
- Does the ending match the subject in the sentence?
When students learn endings well, parsing becomes much faster.
Primary and Secondary Endings
Greek personal endings are often grouped as primary or secondary.
| Ending Type | Common Use | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Primary endings | Present, future, perfect, and many non-past indicative forms | -ω, -εις, -ει, -ομεν |
| Secondary endings | Imperfect, aorist, pluperfect indicative forms | -ον, -ες, -ε(ν) |
This distinction is useful because augmented past indicative forms often use secondary endings.
Present Active Indicative Endings
The present active indicative endings are usually the first personal endings students learn. They are foundational because many later forms resemble or build upon them.
| Person and Number | Ending | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -ω | λύω | I loose |
| 2nd singular | -εις | λύεις | You loose |
| 3rd singular | -ει | λύει | He/she/it looses |
| 1st plural | -ομεν | λύομεν | We loose |
| 2nd plural | -ετε | λύετε | You all loose |
| 3rd plural | -ουσι(ν) | λύουσι(ν) | They loose |
How to Recognize Present Active Endings
- -ω usually points to first singular.
- -εις usually points to second singular.
- -ει usually points to third singular.
- -ομεν usually points to first plural.
- -ετε usually points to second plural.
- -ουσι(ν) usually points to third plural.
The movable ν in -ουσι(ν) may appear before vowels or at the end of a clause, but the form remains third plural.
Present Active Example
John 14:6
λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς.
“Jesus says to him.”
The ending -ει in λέγει identifies the verb as third person singular. The subject is ὁ Ἰησοῦς.
Present Middle/Passive Indicative Endings
Present middle and present passive forms use the same endings. This is why they are often called present middle/passive forms. Context determines whether the form is middle or passive.
| Person and Number | Ending | Example | Basic Parsing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -ομαι | λύομαι | I am loosing for myself / I am being loosed |
| 2nd singular | -ῃ | λύῃ | You are loosing for yourself / being loosed |
| 3rd singular | -εται | λύεται | He/she/it is loosing for itself / being loosed |
| 1st plural | -όμεθα | λυόμεθα | We are loosing for ourselves / being loosed |
| 2nd plural | -εσθε | λύεσθε | You all are loosing for yourselves / being loosed |
| 3rd plural | -ονται | λύονται | They are loosing for themselves / being loosed |
How to Recognize Present Middle/Passive Endings
- -ομαι identifies first singular middle/passive.
- -ῃ identifies second singular middle/passive.
- -εται identifies third singular middle/passive.
- -όμεθα identifies first plural middle/passive.
- -εσθε identifies second plural middle/passive.
- -ονται identifies third plural middle/passive.
Because the same endings serve both middle and passive in the present system, the student must use context and lexical meaning to determine the voice function.
Imperfect Active Indicative Endings
The imperfect active indicative uses augment, the present stem, and secondary active endings.
Basic pattern:
Augment + Present Stem + Secondary Active Ending
| Person and Number | Ending | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -ον | ἔλυον | I was loosing |
| 2nd singular | -ες | ἔλυες | You were loosing |
| 3rd singular | -ε(ν) | ἔλυε(ν) | He/she/it was loosing |
| 1st plural | -ομεν | ἐλύομεν | We were loosing |
| 2nd plural | -ετε | ἐλύετε | You all were loosing |
| 3rd plural | -ον | ἔλυον | They were loosing |
Important Note on -ον
The ending -ον may be first singular or third plural in the imperfect active and second aorist active indicative. Context identifies the subject.
| Form | Possible Parsing | How to Decide |
|---|---|---|
| ἔλυον | I was loosing / they were loosing | Context and subject |
| ἔλαβον | I received / they received | Context and subject |
Imperfect Middle/Passive Indicative Endings
The imperfect middle/passive uses augment, the present stem, and secondary middle/passive endings.
| Person and Number | Ending | Example | Basic Parsing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -όμην | ἐλυόμην | I was acting in middle voice / I was being loosed |
| 2nd singular | -ου | ἐλύου | You were acting in middle voice / being loosed |
| 3rd singular | -ετο | ἐλύετο | He/she/it was acting in middle voice / being loosed |
| 1st plural | -όμεθα | ἐλυόμεθα | We were acting in middle voice / being loosed |
| 2nd plural | -εσθε | ἐλύεσθε | You all were acting in middle voice / being loosed |
| 3rd plural | -οντο | ἐλύοντο | They were acting in middle voice / being loosed |
Imperfect Example
Mark 1:5
καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο πάντες ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ.
“And they were all being baptized by him in the Jordan River.”
The ending -οντο in ἐβαπτίζοντο identifies third person plural imperfect middle/passive indicative. The context and ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ indicate passive meaning.
Future Active Indicative Endings
The future active indicative commonly uses the future marker -σ- with primary active endings.
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -σω | λύσω | I will loose |
| 2nd singular | -σεις | λύσεις | You will loose |
| 3rd singular | -σει | λύσει | He/she/it will loose |
| 1st plural | -σομεν | λύσομεν | We will loose |
| 2nd plural | -σετε | λύσετε | You all will loose |
| 3rd plural | -σουσι(ν) | λύσουσι(ν) | They will loose |
Future Middle Indicative Endings
The future middle uses the future stem with middle endings.
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example | Basic Parsing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -σομαι | λύσομαι | I will act in middle voice |
| 2nd singular | -σῃ | λύσῃ | You will act in middle voice |
| 3rd singular | -σεται | λύσεται | He/she/it will act in middle voice |
| 1st plural | -σόμεθα | λυσόμεθα | We will act in middle voice |
| 2nd plural | -σεσθε | λύσεσθε | You all will act in middle voice |
| 3rd plural | -σονται | λύσονται | They will act in middle voice |
Future Passive Indicative Endings
The future passive uses the passive marker -θησ- with middle-type endings.
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -θήσομαι | λυθήσομαι | I will be loosed |
| 2nd singular | -θήσῃ | λυθήσῃ | You will be loosed |
| 3rd singular | -θήσεται | λυθήσεται | He/she/it will be loosed |
| 1st plural | -θησόμεθα | λυθησόμεθα | We will be loosed |
| 2nd plural | -θήσεσθε | λυθήσεσθε | You all will be loosed |
| 3rd plural | -θήσονται | λυθήσονται | They will be loosed |
Future Example
Matthew 1:21
τέξεται δὲ υἱόν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν.
“And she will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus.”
The ending pattern -σεις in καλέσεις identifies second person singular future active indicative.
First Aorist Active Indicative Endings
The first aorist active indicative commonly uses augment, the aorist marker -σα-, and secondary active endings.
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -σα | ἔλυσα | I loosed |
| 2nd singular | -σας | ἔλυσας | You loosed |
| 3rd singular | -σε(ν) | ἔλυσε(ν) | He/she/it loosed |
| 1st plural | -σαμεν | ἐλύσαμεν | We loosed |
| 2nd plural | -σατε | ἐλύσατε | You all loosed |
| 3rd plural | -σαν | ἔλυσαν | They loosed |
First Aorist Middle Indicative Endings
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example | Basic Parsing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -σάμην | ἐλυσάμην | I acted in middle voice |
| 2nd singular | -σω | ἐλύσω | You acted in middle voice |
| 3rd singular | -σατο | ἐλύσατο | He/she/it acted in middle voice |
| 1st plural | -σάμεθα | ἐλυσάμεθα | We acted in middle voice |
| 2nd plural | -σασθε | ἐλύσασθε | You all acted in middle voice |
| 3rd plural | -σαντο | ἐλύσαντο | They acted in middle voice |
Second Aorist Active Indicative Endings
The second aorist active uses a changed aorist stem and secondary active endings. The endings look like imperfect endings, so stem identification is essential.
| Person and Number | Ending | Example from λαμβάνω | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -ον | ἔλαβον | I received |
| 2nd singular | -ες | ἔλαβες | You received |
| 3rd singular | -ε(ν) | ἔλαβε(ν) | He/she/it received |
| 1st plural | -ομεν | ἐλάβομεν | We received |
| 2nd plural | -ετε | ἐλάβετε | You all received |
| 3rd plural | -ον | ἔλαβον | They received |
Second Aorist Middle Indicative Endings
| Person and Number | Ending | Example from γίνομαι | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -όμην | ἐγενόμην | I became |
| 2nd singular | -ου | ἐγένου | You became |
| 3rd singular | -ετο | ἐγένετο | He/she/it became |
| 1st plural | -όμεθα | ἐγενόμεθα | We became |
| 2nd plural | -εσθε | ἐγένεσθε | You all became |
| 3rd plural | -οντο | ἐγένοντο | They became |
Aorist Passive Indicative Endings
The aorist passive uses passive markers such as -θη- or sometimes -η-. The endings resemble active secondary endings in some ways, but the passive marker identifies the voice.
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -θην | ἐλύθην | I was loosed |
| 2nd singular | -θης | ἐλύθης | You were loosed |
| 3rd singular | -θη | ἐλύθη | He/she/it was loosed |
| 1st plural | -θημεν | ἐλύθημεν | We were loosed |
| 2nd plural | -θητε | ἐλύθητε | You all were loosed |
| 3rd plural | -θησαν | ἐλύθησαν | They were loosed |
Second Aorist Passive Endings
Some verbs use second aorist passive forms with -η- rather than -θη-.
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example from γράφω | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -ην | ἐγράφην | I was written |
| 2nd singular | -ης | ἐγράφης | You were written |
| 3rd singular | -η | ἐγράφη | He/she/it was written |
| 1st plural | -ημεν | ἐγράφημεν | We were written |
| 2nd plural | -ητε | ἐγράφητε | You all were written |
| 3rd plural | -ησαν | ἐγράφησαν | They were written |
Aorist Example
John 1:12
ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτόν.
“But as many as received Him.”
The ending -ον in ἔλαβον could be first singular or third plural by form alone, but the plural antecedent ὅσοι shows that ἔλαβον is third person plural second aorist active indicative.
Perfect Active Indicative Endings
The perfect active commonly uses reduplication and endings built around -κα-.
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -κα | λέλυκα | I have loosed |
| 2nd singular | -κας | λέλυκας | You have loosed |
| 3rd singular | -κε(ν) | λέλυκε(ν) | He/she/it has loosed |
| 1st plural | -καμεν | λελύκαμεν | We have loosed |
| 2nd plural | -κατε | λελύκατε | You all have loosed |
| 3rd plural | -κασι(ν) | λελύκασι(ν) | They have loosed |
Perfect Middle/Passive Indicative Endings
The perfect middle/passive uses reduplication with middle/passive endings. These endings are especially important because many perfect passive forms are common in the New Testament.
| Person and Number | Ending | Example | Basic Parsing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -μαι | λέλυμαι | I have been loosed / I am in a loosed state |
| 2nd singular | -σαι | λέλυσαι | You have been loosed |
| 3rd singular | -ται | λέλυται | He/she/it has been loosed |
| 1st plural | -μεθα | λελύμεθα | We have been loosed |
| 2nd plural | -σθε | λέλυσθε | You all have been loosed |
| 3rd plural | -νται | λέλυνται | They have been loosed |
Perfect Example
John 19:30
Τετέλεσται.
“It has been finished.”
The ending -ται in Τετέλεσται identifies third person singular perfect middle/passive indicative. The form comes from τελέω.
Pluperfect Active Indicative Endings
The pluperfect active uses augment, reduplication, the perfect stem, and secondary perfect endings. It is less common than present, imperfect, future, aorist, and perfect forms.
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -κειν | ἐλελύκειν | I had loosed |
| 2nd singular | -κεις | ἐλελύκεις | You had loosed |
| 3rd singular | -κει | ἐλελύκει | He/she/it had loosed |
| 1st plural | -κειμεν | ἐλελύκειμεν | We had loosed |
| 2nd plural | -κειτε | ἐλελύκειτε | You all had loosed |
| 3rd plural | -κεισαν | ἐλελύκεισαν | They had loosed |
Pluperfect Middle/Passive Indicative Endings
| Person and Number | Ending | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -μην | ἐλελύμην | I had been loosed |
| 2nd singular | -σο | ἐλέλυσο | You had been loosed |
| 3rd singular | -το | ἐλέλυτο | He/she/it had been loosed |
| 1st plural | -μεθα | ἐλελύμεθα | We had been loosed |
| 2nd plural | -σθε | ἐλέλυσθε | You all had been loosed |
| 3rd plural | -ντο | ἐλέλυντο | They had been loosed |
Pluperfect Example
John 11:44
καὶ ἡ ὄψις αὐτοῦ σουδαρίῳ περιεδέδετο.
“And his face had been bound with a face-cloth.”
The ending -το in περιεδέδετο identifies third person singular middle/passive. The augment and reduplication show that the form is pluperfect middle/passive indicative.
Subjunctive Personal Endings
The subjunctive uses lengthened vowels ω and η with personal endings. Some subjunctive forms look similar to future indicative forms, so context and particles are important.
Present Active Subjunctive Endings
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -ω | λύω |
| 2nd singular | -ῃς | λύῃς |
| 3rd singular | -ῃ | λύῃ |
| 1st plural | -ωμεν | λύωμεν |
| 2nd plural | -ητε | λύητε |
| 3rd plural | -ωσι(ν) | λύωσι(ν) |
Present Middle/Passive Subjunctive Endings
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -ωμαι | λύωμαι |
| 2nd singular | -ῃ | λύῃ |
| 3rd singular | -ηται | λύηται |
| 1st plural | -ώμεθα | λυώμεθα |
| 2nd plural | -ησθε | λύησθε |
| 3rd plural | -ωνται | λύωνται |
Aorist Active Subjunctive Endings
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -σω | λύσω |
| 2nd singular | -σῃς | λύσῃς |
| 3rd singular | -σῃ | λύσῃ |
| 1st plural | -σωμεν | λύσωμεν |
| 2nd plural | -σητε | λύσητε |
| 3rd plural | -σωσι(ν) | λύσωσι(ν) |
Aorist Passive Subjunctive Endings
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | -θῶ | λυθῶ |
| 2nd singular | -θῇς | λυθῇς |
| 3rd singular | -θῇ | λυθῇ |
| 1st plural | -θῶμεν | λυθῶμεν |
| 2nd plural | -θῆτε | λυθῆτε |
| 3rd plural | -θῶσι(ν) | λυθῶσι(ν) |
Imperative Personal Endings
The imperative mood mainly appears in second and third person forms. It does not normally have first person forms.
Present Active Imperative Endings
| Person and Number | Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd singular | -ε | λῦε |
| 3rd singular | -τω | λυέτω |
| 2nd plural | -τε | λύετε |
| 3rd plural | -τωσαν / -όντων | λυέτωσαν / λυόντων |
Aorist Active Imperative Endings
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd singular | -σον | λῦσον |
| 3rd singular | -σάτω | λυσάτω |
| 2nd plural | -σατε | λύσατε |
| 3rd plural | -σάτωσαν / -σάντων | λυσάτωσαν / λυσάντων |
Aorist Passive Imperative Endings
| Person and Number | Ending Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd singular | -θητι | λύθητι |
| 3rd singular | -θήτω | λυθήτω |
| 2nd plural | -θητε | λύθητε |
| 3rd plural | -θήτωσαν / -θέντων | λυθήτωσαν / λυθέντων |
Personal Endings That Look Alike
Many Greek endings look identical or nearly identical across different tense-forms and moods. Students must not parse by ending alone.
| Ending | Possible Forms | How to Decide |
|---|---|---|
| -ον | 1st singular or 3rd plural imperfect / second aorist active | Subject and context |
| -ετε | Present indicative, imperfect indicative, imperative | Augment, syntax, command force |
| -ω | Present indicative, subjunctive, future, aorist subjunctive | Stem, particles, context |
| -ῃ | Middle/passive indicative or subjunctive forms | Context and accent/form pattern |
| -θητε | Aorist passive indicative 2nd plural or imperative 2nd plural | Augment and context |
| -σαι | Infinitive, imperative, perfect middle/passive 2nd singular in some contexts | Syntax and full form |
Complete Personal Ending Recognition Summary
| Ending | Most Common Recognition |
|---|---|
| -ω | 1st singular active; present indicative or subjunctive depending on context |
| -εις | 2nd singular present active indicative |
| -ει | 3rd singular present active indicative |
| -ομεν | 1st plural active |
| -ετε | 2nd plural active; context needed |
| -ουσι(ν) | 3rd plural present active indicative |
| -ομαι | 1st singular middle/passive |
| -εται | 3rd singular middle/passive |
| -ονται | 3rd plural middle/passive |
| -ον | 1st singular or 3rd plural secondary active |
| -ες | 2nd singular secondary active |
| -ε(ν) | 3rd singular secondary active |
| -όμην | 1st singular secondary middle/passive |
| -ετο | 3rd singular secondary middle/passive |
| -οντο | 3rd plural secondary middle/passive |
| -σα | 1st singular first aorist active indicative |
| -σε(ν) | 3rd singular first aorist active indicative |
| -σαν | 3rd plural first aorist active indicative |
| -θην | 1st singular aorist passive indicative |
| -θη | 3rd singular aorist passive indicative |
| -θησαν | 3rd plural aorist passive indicative |
| -κα | 1st singular perfect active indicative |
| -κε(ν) | 3rd singular perfect active indicative |
| -ται | 3rd singular perfect middle/passive or present middle/passive component |
A Practical Method for Identifying Personal Endings
- Identify whether the verb is finite. Infinitives and participles do not have personal endings.
- Look at the final ending of the verb.
- Determine whether the ending is active or middle/passive.
- Check whether the verb has augment.
- Check whether the verb has a future marker, aorist marker, passive marker, or perfect marker.
- Identify the tense-system.
- Use the ending to determine person and number.
- Check the subject in the sentence.
- Confirm the parsing from context.
Common Student Mistakes
- Parsing infinitives or participles as though they had personal endings.
- Assuming -ον always means first singular.
- Assuming -ετε always means indicative rather than imperative.
- Confusing future active endings with aorist subjunctive forms.
- Ignoring augment when distinguishing indicative from imperative.
- Forgetting that middle/passive endings often require context to determine voice.
- Failing to identify the tense marker before interpreting the ending.
- Ignoring the subject expressed in the sentence.
- Assuming English word order reveals the Greek subject.
- Failing to memorize high-frequency endings until they become automatic.
Memorization Strategy for Greek Personal Endings
Students should memorize personal endings in families:
| Family | Endings to Memorize |
|---|---|
| Present active | -ω, -εις, -ει, -ομεν, -ετε, -ουσι(ν) |
| Present middle/passive | -ομαι, -ῃ, -εται, -όμεθα, -εσθε, -ονται |
| Secondary active | -ον, -ες, -ε(ν), -ομεν, -ετε, -ον |
| Secondary middle/passive | -όμην, -ου, -ετο, -όμεθα, -εσθε, -οντο |
| First aorist active | -σα, -σας, -σε(ν), -σαμεν, -σατε, -σαν |
| Aorist passive | -θην, -θης, -θη, -θημεν, -θητε, -θησαν |
| Perfect active | -κα, -κας, -κε(ν), -καμεν, -κατε, -κασι(ν) |
| Perfect middle/passive | -μαι, -σαι, -ται, -μεθα, -σθε, -νται |
Mastering Greek Personal Endings for Faster Verb Parsing
Greek personal endings are one of the fastest ways to identify person and number in finite verbs. Endings such as -ω, -εις, -ει, -ομεν, -ετε, and -ουσι(ν) form the foundation of present active recognition. Middle/passive endings such as -ομαι, -εται, and -ονται identify forms where voice must be interpreted carefully. Secondary endings help identify imperfect and aorist forms. Perfect and passive endings provide additional recognition patterns that students must memorize.
Students who master personal endings will parse more accurately, read faster, and avoid many common mistakes. The key is to learn endings as families, connect them with tense markers and stems, and always confirm the parsing from context. Personal endings are not merely memorization charts; they are one of the most practical tools for understanding how Greek verbs communicate person, number, voice, mood, and tense-system in the Greek New Testament.
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