There are seven tenses in Greek:-
- Present,
- Imperfect,
- Aorist,
- Future,
- Perfect,
- Pluperfect,
- Future Perfect.
These tenses express both aspect (the kind of action) and time (when the action takes place), though aspect is often more primary than time in many moods outside the indicative.
Those tenses which denote present or future time are called Primary Tenses.
Those tenses which denote past time are called Secondary Tenses.
Since the time denoted by a tense varies with the particular use of the tense and the mood in which it occurs, no fixed or absolute line of division can be drawn between the two classes of tenses. The temporal reference is most strictly observed in the Indicative mood, while in other moods (subjunctive, optative, imperative, and infinitive), the tenses primarily express aspect rather than time.
In the Indicative:
- The Present and Perfect are usually Primary tenses.
- The Future and Future Perfect are always Primary tenses.
- The Imperfect, Aorist, and Pluperfect are usually Secondary tenses.
Additional Notes
- Present Tense: Denotes continuous or habitual action in the present time.
- Imperfect Tense: Denotes continuous or repeated action in past time.
- Aorist Tense: Denotes undefined or punctiliar action, typically in past time in the indicative, but aspectual (not temporal) outside the indicative.
- Future Tense: Denotes action that will occur in the future.
- Perfect Tense: Denotes completed action with lasting results in the present.
- Pluperfect Tense: Denotes action completed in the past with effects that had relevance to another point in the past.
- Future Perfect Tense: Denotes action that will have been completed in the future with continuing results.
Aspect in Greek
Aspect is more central than time in non-indicative moods. The three primary aspects are:
- Imperfective (Progressive) – seen in the Present and Imperfect.
- Perfective (Aoristic) – seen in the Aorist.
- Stative (Resultative) – seen in the Perfect, Pluperfect, and Future Perfect.
Greek’s rich verbal system thus communicates not only when an action occurs, but also how it unfolds—whether it’s ongoing, completed, or viewed as a whole.
