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Greek Participles: Forms and Main Uses
This panel is designed to sit beside a test on Greek participles. It gives the main forms and the main uses. The forms below use παύω and λαμβάνω. Cases are given in the order normally used in England:
nominative, accusative, genitive, dative.
A useful first comparison with Latin is this: Greek uses participles more often and more freely than Latin. Latin often prefers a subordinate clause where Greek is happy with a participle.
Important note: the future participle of λαμβάνω is middle in form: ληψόμενος.
In meaning, however, it is often simply active: “about to take” or “going to take”.
3) Main Rules for the Use of Greek Participles
Attributive participle = “the man who is running”, “the girl who has arrived” ὁ τρέχων ἀνήρ = “the running man” / “the man who is running”
Latin comparison: Greek uses this very freely. Latin often prefers a relative clause: vir qui currit.
Supplementary participle after verbs of seeing, noticing, knowing, and perceiving εἶδον τὸν δοῦλον φεύγοντα = “I saw the slave fleeing”
Latin comparison: Latin usually prefers an infinitive or a clause here, whereas Greek very often uses accusative + participle.
Circumstantial participle gives the circumstances of the main verb. This is one of the most important Greek uses. The participle may express:
time – when, while, after
cause – because
concession – although
condition – if
Present participle usually shows action happening at the same time as the main verb τρέχων ἦλθεν = “he came while running”
Latin comparison: This is often like a present participle in Latin, but Greek uses it much more often in prose.
Aorist participle usually shows action completed before the main verb λαβὼν τὸ δῶρον ἀπῆλθεν = “after receiving the gift, he went away”
Latin comparison: This often corresponds in sense to the Latin perfect participle in deponents, or to a subordinate clause such as cum accepisset.
Perfect participle usually shows a completed action with a resulting state ὁ εἰλημμένος αἰχμάλωτος = “the captured prisoner” / “the prisoner who has been taken”
Latin comparison: This is often close to the Latin perfect passive participle,
such as captus.
Future participle often shows intention or purpose ἦλθε ληψόμενος τὰ χρήματα = “he came intending to take the money”
Latin comparison: This is often similar in meaning to Latin venturus ut caperet or to a purpose clause.
Genitive absolute is a noun and participle in the genitive, loosely attached to the sentence τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ἐλθόντος, οἱ στρατιῶται ἐχάρησαν
= “when the general had come, the soldiers rejoiced”
Latin comparison: This is the Greek equivalent of the Latin ablative absolute.
4) The Main Circumstantial Meanings
Temporal = when / while / after λαβὼν τὴν ἐπιστολήν, ἀνέγνω = “after receiving the letter, he read it”
Causal = because φοβούμενος ἔφυγεν = “because he was afraid, he fled”
Concessive = although καίπερ ἀσθενῶν ἐμάχετο = “although he was weak, he fought”
Conditional = if ταῦτα ποιῶν καλῶς πράξεις = “if you do this, you will do well”
Purpose = in order to ἦλθεν ληψόμενος τὸ δῶρον = “he came to receive the gift”
5) How to Translate the Main Participles
Greek participle
Usual sense
Typical English translation
Latin comparison
present
same time as main verb
while …-ing / who is …-ing
often like Latin present participle, but Greek uses it more often
aorist
earlier than main verb
after …-ing / when he had … / having …
often best turned into a clause; sometimes comparable to Latin deponent perfect participle in sense
perfect
completed action with resulting state
having been … / in a state of having …
often close to Latin perfect passive participle
future
intention / purpose / what is about to happen
about to … / intending to … / going to …
often Latin expresses this more naturally by a purpose clause
A very useful working rule is:
present while aorist after perfect having been / in the state of future intending to / about to
6) Quick Comparison with Latin
Greek uses participles more frequently than Latin.
Where Greek has a participle, Latin often prefers a relative clause, a cum clause, or an ablative absolute.
The Greek genitive absolute is very close to the Latin ablative absolute.
Greek present participle is often like Latin present participle in meaning, but Greek uses it in many places where Latin would not.
Greek aorist participle often has no exact single-word Latin equivalent. In English it is often best translated by “after …-ing” or “when he had …”.
Greek future participle is especially important because Latin often expresses the same idea with a purpose clause instead.
7) A Simple Way to Read Greek Participles
First ask: what noun does the participle agree with?
Then ask: is it present, aorist, perfect, or future?
Then ask: is it simply describing a noun, or giving the circumstances of the main verb?
Finally ask: does it mean when, while, after, because, although, if, or in order to?
In other words, do not begin by translating word for word. Begin by identifying agreement, then tense, then function.
That is usually the quickest route to the right answer.
