εἶμαι

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• εἰμί (eimí)

Etymology

See εἰμί (eimí).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /êː.mai̯/ → /ˈi.mɛ/ → /ˈi.me/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /êː.mai̯/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈi.mɛ/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈi.mɛ/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈi.me/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈi.me/

Verb

εἶμαι • (eîmai)

1. (Byzantine) to be

Conjugation

εἶμαι

	Active voice ➤   —   Imperfective aspect ➤
Indicative mood ➤	Present ➤	Imperfect ➤	Future ➤
1 sg	εἶμαι[ν]	ἦμου(ν)(α/ε)1, {ἦμην}, [ἦμον]	νὰ εἶμαι
2 sg	εἶσαι[ν]	ἦσου(ν)(α/ε)1, [ἦσον]	νὰ εἶσαι
3 sg	ἔνι[ν], εἶνε[ν], ἔν, ἔνε/ἔναι(ν), εἶν/ἦν(ι), {ἔστι}	ἦτο(νε)1, ἦταν(ε)1	νὰ ἔνι/εἶναι
1 pl	εἴμεστε/α(νε)13, εἴμεθα/ε(ν)2, εἴμαστε3, [εἴμαστανε]	ἤμεστα/ε(νε)13, ἤμεστον, ἤμαστε(νε)13, ἤμαστα/ον3, ἤμεθε(ν), [ἤμεθα(ν)], [ἤμεθο(ν)], [ἤμενθα]	νὰ εἴμεστε
2 pl	εἴστε(ν)3, ἔστε2, εἴστι(ν), εἴστενε, [εἴσαστε], [ἦτε]	ἦστε(νε)13, ἦστα/ον, [ἤσαστε], [ἤσαστο/ουν]	νὰ εἴστε
3 pl	ἔνι[ν], εἶνε[ν], ἔν, ἔνε/ἔναι(ν), εἶν/ἦν(ι), {εἶσι}	ἦσα(ν)(ε)1, ἦτα/ο(ν)(ε)1, ἤσ/τασι, ἦστον, [ἦν], [ἦστα(ν)]	νὰ ἔνι/εἶναι
Subjunctive mood ➤	Formed using present tense from above with a particle (να, ας).
Imperative mood ➤	2 sg	2 pl
Imperfective aspect	νὰ εἶσαι, {ἔσο}	νὰ εἴστε, {ἔστε}
Other forms	Present participle ➤
	ὄντα(ς), ἔσ(τ)οντα(ς), στάντε(ς) ➤
Notes     Appendix:Greek verbs	• Infinitive: εἶστε/αι(ν)(ε)13, {εἶναι}, ἔστε/αι3, [εἶν], {ἔστιν}  • 1 later alternatives     2 older but less common forms     3 σθ was frequently used in place of στ to lend a higher register, though ultimately representing the same sound  • Future tense could be formed with a bare νὰ + subj. phrase, or with any of μέλλω, μέλλει (impersonal),   ἔχω, θέλω, or εἶμαι + infinitive or νὰ phrase. Infinitival future constructions were typically more high- or mixed register.   νὰ was also sometimes omitted, with the future auxiliary verb immediately next to the subjunctive.  • All forms were substituted alternatively with their classical or koiné equivalents according to literary register.  • (…) optional or informal.   […] rare.   {…} learned, archaic.  • Multiple forms are shown in order of reducing frequency.  • Periphrastic imperative forms may be produced using the subjunctive.

Descendants

• Greek: είμαι (eímai)