| 1. |
If you fear that something will happen, the word
for "that" is mh.
If you fear that something will not happen, you
use mh...ouk. |
| 2. A. |
If the introductory verb is in a Primary
Tense (Present, Future, Perfect)
you use the subjunctive
mood.
Dedoikamen mh ouc hkwsin.
We are afraid that they will not come. |
| 2. B. |
If the introductory verb is in a Secondary
Tense (Imperfect, Aorist, Pluperfect)
you use the optative
mood.
Efoboumhn mh apoqanoiV.
I was afraid that you would die. |
| 3.
|
Sometimes the Greeks ignore rule 2.B. and use
the subjunctive mood instead.
This is called the graphic
construction.
Efoboumhn mh apoqanhiV.
I was afraid that you would die.
At the time, I was thinking "I am afraid that
you WILL die" (Subjunctive). I had a Subjunctive in my mind, and the graphic
construction graphically records that original Subjunctive.
|
| 4. |
As with Purpose Clauses,
the Aorist (Subjunctive or Optative) will refer
to a specific action,
the Present (Subjunctive or Optative) will refer
to action in general;
the Perfect (Subjunctive or Optative) is usually
used with verbs that have a special meaning in the Perfect Tense, e.g.
esthka
= "I am standing."
edeisa mh o stratiwthV endon esthkoi.
I was afraid that the soldier would be standing
inside. |
Click here
for Aorist Subjunctive Paradigm.
Click here for Present
Subjunctive Paradigm.
Click here for
Aorist Optative Paradigm.
Click here
for Present Optative Paradigm.
Primary Verb with Subjunctive:
foboumai mh amarthiV.
"I am afraid that you will make a mistake."
dedoikaV mh ouk afikwntai.
"You are afraid that they will not arrive."
foboumeqa mh genhtai.
"We are afraid that it will happen."
Historic Verb with Optative:
efoboumhn mh amartoiV.
"I was afraid that you would make a mistake."
edeisaV mh ouk afikointo.
"You were afraid that they would not arrive."
efoboumeqa mh genoito.
"We were afraid that it would happen."
Graphic Construction:
Subjunctive
(genhtai) with
Historic Tense (efoboumeqa).
efoboumeqa mh genhtai.
"We were afraid that it would happen.