What is a Participle?
A participle in Greek is a verbal adjective: a form that combines the action of a verb with the agreement patterns of an adjective (case, number, gender). It is used extensively in Greek prose and verse — far more so than in English or even Latin.
In Latin, participles are often best translated as participles in English (e.g. puer currens = the boy running). But in Greek, participles cover a much wider range of meanings and nuances — temporal (“when”), causal (“because”), concessive (“although”), conditional (“if”), or even instrumental (“by doing X”). While the participial form may resemble an English participle, the best translation is often a full subordinate clause, depending on context.
A student should not mechanically translate Greek participles word for word. Instead, he should ask: What is the function of this participle in context? What would a native Greek speaker have meant by using it?
The following examples, using only words from the GCSE Greek Defined Vocabulary List, illustrate the main participle uses that you will need. Mind you, not all of these will be equally necessary. Some are given only for completeness, and because I intend to use these notes for other classes.
Examples of Greek Participles in Context
- Present Active Participle
ὁ στρατηγὸς τοὺς μαχομένους ἔπαινε.
“The general praised the men who were fighting.”
(Literally: “The general was praising the fighting men.”)
- μαχομένους (pres. act. masc. acc. pl.) from [μάχομαι]
- Usage: Descriptive participle — better rendered as a relative clause in English.
- Present Middle Participle
οἱ πολῖται τῇ ἀγορᾷ συλλεγόμενοι ἤκουον τοῦ κήρυκος.
“The citizens, as they gathered in the agora, listened to the herald.”
(Literally: “The gathering citizens in the agora were listening.”)
- συλλεγόμενοι (pres. mid. masc. nom. pl.) from [συλλέγω]
- Usage: Circumstantial, temporal — “while gathering.”
- Present Active of εἰμί
οἱ ὄντες ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ ἐφύγον εἰς τὸ ὄρος.
“Those who were in the plain fled to the mountain.”
(Literally: “The being-in-the-plain ones fled…”)
- ὄντες (pres. act. masc. nom. pl.) from [εἰμί]
- Usage: Attributive/defining — often best rendered with “who were.”
- Aorist Active Participle
λαβὼν τὴν πόλιν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐστεφάνωσεν τοὺς στρατιώτας.
“After taking the city, the king crowned the soldiers.”
(Literally: “Having taken the city, the king crowned the soldiers.”)
- λαβών (aor. act. masc. nom. sing.) from [λαμβάνω]
- Usage: Circumstantial — temporal (“after”).
- Aorist Passive Participle
οἱ ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων νικηθέντες ἔφυγον πρὸς τὴν πόλιν.
“Those who had been defeated by the enemy fled to the city.”
(Literally: “The having-been-defeated-by-the-enemy ones fled…”)
- νικηθέντες (aor. pass. masc. nom. pl.) from [νικάω]
- Usage: Attributive/defining — best translated as a clause.
- Present Active Participle as Supplement
ἔτυχον γράφοντες πρὸς τοὺς φίλους.
“They happened to be writing to their friends.”
(Literally: “They happened [to be] writing…”)
- γράφοντες (pres. act. masc. nom. pl.) from [γράφω]
- Usage: Supplementary participle with τυγχάνω — essential to meaning.
- Aorist Active in Genitive Absolute
τοῦ πολέμου τελειωθέντος, οἱ στρατιῶται οἴκαδε ᾔεσαν.
“When the war had ended, the soldiers went home.”
(Literally: “The war having ended, the soldiers went home.”)
- τελειωθέντος (aor. pass. masc. gen. sing.) from [τελειόω]
- Usage: Genitive absolute — temporal.
- Present Middle in Genitive Absolute
τῆς μάχης γιγνομένης, πολλοὶ ἔφευγον.
“While the battle was going on, many fled.”
(Literally: “The battle happening, many were fleeing.”)
- γιγνομένης (pres. mid. fem. gen. sing.) from [γίγνομαι]
- Usage: Genitive absolute — contemporaneous action.
- Aorist Passive modifying a noun
τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ στρατιώτου φερθὲν τοῖς τραυματίαις ἐδόθη.
“The water brought by the soldier was given to the wounded.”
(Literally: “The water, the brought-by-the-soldier one, was given…”)
- φερθέν (aor. pass. neut. nom. sing.) from [φέρω]
- Usage: Attributive — best translated as a clause.
- Aorist Middle Participle
ἀφικόμενος εἰς τὴν πόλιν ὁ ξένος εὐθὺς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν ᾔει.
“When the stranger arrived in the city, he went straight to the agora.”
(Literally: “The stranger, having arrived in the city, went straight…”)
- ἀφικόμενος (aor. mid. masc. nom. sing.) from [ἀφικνέομαι]
- Usage: Circumstantial — prior completed action.
Further Examples (Borrowed from Robert Bass, Streamlined Greek)
- ὁ δεσπότης εἶδε τοὺς δούλους λύοντας τοὺς ἵππους.
“The master saw the slaves untying the horses.”
(Literally: “The master saw the slaves loosening the horses.”)
- λύοντας = present active participle (masc. acc. pl.) of [λύω]
- Function: Object complement with sense of direct perception.
- Best English: Participial or infinitival rendering works here.
- οἱ στρατιῶται, ἀνδρεῖοι ὄντες, οὐκ ἔφυγον.
“The soldiers, being brave, did not flee.”
(Literally: “The soldiers, brave being, did not flee.”)
- ὄντες = present active participle of [εἰμί]
- Function: Circumstantial — causal or descriptive.
- Alternative: “Because they were brave…”
- διώκουσα τὸν ἵππον, ἡ γυνὴ ἔβαλλε τὰ ὅπλα.
“While chasing the horse, the woman was throwing weapons.”
(Literally: “Chasing the horse, the woman was throwing the weapons.”)
- διώκουσα = present active fem. nom. sing. of [διώκω]
- Function: Temporal.
- οἱ ἐν τῇ πόλει μένοντες οὐκ εἶχον ὅπλα.
“Those remaining in the city had no weapons.”
(Literally: “The in-the-city remaining [men] had not weapons.”)
- μένοντες = present active masc. nom. pl. of [μένω]
- Function: Attributive, defining group by their location.
- οἱ στρατιῶται οἱ τὸ στρατόπεδον φυλάσσοντες εἶδον τοὺς πολεμίους προσερχομένους.
“The soldiers guarding the camp saw the enemy approaching.”
(Literally: “The soldiers, the camp guarding [ones], saw the approaching enemies.”)
- φυλάσσοντες, προσερχομένους = present active masc. participles of [φυλάσσω], [προσέρχομαι]
- Function: Both are descriptive participles.
- οὐ πιστεύομεν τοῖς κακοὺς λόγους λέγουσιν.
“We do not trust those who speak wicked words.”
(Literally: “We do not trust the ones speaking bad words.”)
- λέγουσιν = present active masc. dat. pl. of [λέγω]
- Function: Attributive participle, defining whom not to trust.
- οἱ πολῖται ἤκουσαν τοῦ τὴν νίκην ἀγγέλλοντος.
“The citizens heard the one announcing the victory.”
(Literally: “They heard the of-the-victory-announcing [man].”)
- ἀγγέλλοντος = present active gen. masc. sing. of [ἀγγέλλω]
- Function: Partitive genitive after verb of hearing.
- οἱ παῖδες καίπερ τοῦ διδασκάλου ἀκούοντες οὐ μανθάνουσιν.
“Although the children are listening to the teacher, they do not learn.”
(Literally: “The children, although listening to the teacher, do not learn.”)
- ἀκούοντες = pres. act. nom. masc. pl. of [ἀκούω]
- Function: Concessive participle introduced by καίπερ — requires clause in translation.
- αἱ ἐν πολέμοις μαχόμεναι οὐ σοφαί εἰσιν.
“The women who fight in wars are not wise.”
(Literally: “The in-wars fighting [women] are not wise.”)
- μαχόμεναι = pres. mid. fem. nom. pl. of [μάχομαι]
- Function: Attributive participle.
- εἴδομεν τοὺς πολεμίους φεύγοντας.
“We saw the enemy fleeing.”
(Literally: “We saw the fleeing enemies.”)
- φεύγοντας = pres. act. acc. masc. pl. of [φεύγω]
- Function: Supplement to verb of perception.
- οἱ τοὺς πολεμίους διώξαντες σύμμαχοί εἰσιν.
“Those who chased the enemies are allies.”
(Literally: “The [men] having pursued the enemies are allies.”)
- διώξαντες = aorist active nom. masc. pl. of [διώκω]
- Function: Attributive/defining participle.
- θαυμάζομεν τὸν τοὺς παῖδας διδάξαντα.
“We admire the man who taught the children.”
(Literally: “We admire the having-taught-the-children [man].”)
- διδάξαντα = aorist active acc. masc. sing. of [διδάσκω]
- Function: Attributive; past completed action.
- ἡ θεά, τὰς βοὰς ἀκούσασα, ἄγγελον ἔπεμψεν.
“The goddess, having heard the shouts, sent a messenger.”
(Literally: “The goddess, having-heard the shouts, sent…”)
- ἀκούσασα = aorist active nom. fem. sing. of [ἀκούω]
- Function: Circumstantial — prior action.
- ὁ ποιητὴς ὁ τὰ ἆθλα δεξάμενος σοφὸς ἦν.
“The poet who received the prizes was wise.”
(Literally: “The poet, the having-received-the-prizes [one], was wise.”)
- δεξάμενος = aorist middle nom. masc. sing. of [δέχομαι]
- Function: Defining attributive participle.
- τί ἐστι τὸ ὄνομα τῆς τὴν ἐπιστολὴν γραψάσης;
“What is the name of the woman who wrote the letter?”
(Literally: “What is the name of the having-written-the-letter [woman]?”)
- γραψάσης = aorist active gen. fem. sing. of [γράφω]
- Function: Attributive genitive.
- πολλάκις διδάξας ἀεὶ μανθάνω.
“Although I have taught often, I always learn.”
(Literally: “Having taught often, I always learn.”)
- διδάξας = aorist active nom. masc. sing. of [διδάσκω]
- Function: Concessive or circumstantial.
- δῶρον παρέχω τῷ τὸν δοῦλον διώξαντι.
“I give a gift to the man who chased the slave.”
(Literally: “I give a gift to the one having chased the slave.”)
- διώξαντι = aorist active dat. masc. sing. of [διώκω]
- Function: Attributive with indirect object.
- αἱ τὴν κώμην φυλάξασαι ἀνδρεῖαί εἰσιν.
“The women who guarded the village are brave.”
(Literally: “The village-having-guarded [women] are brave.”)
- φυλάξασαι = aorist active fem. nom. pl. of [φυλάσσω]
- Function: Attributive, past action.
- τίς ἐστιν ὁ στρατηγὸς ὁ τοὺς στρατιώτας τάξας;
“Who is the general who arranged the soldiers?”
(Literally: “Who is the general, the one having arranged the soldiers?”)
- τάξας = aorist active nom. masc. sing. of [τάσσω]
- Function: Defining participle.
- ἆρα πιστεύεις τοῖς ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων λυθεῖσιν;
“Do you trust those who have been freed by the enemy?”
(Literally: “Do you trust the by-the-enemy-having-been-released [ones]?”)
- λυθεῖσιν = aorist passive masc. dat. pl. of [λύω]
- Function: Passive participle, dative plural — defining.