LESSON 11
·
Unit III — The Verb System
·
~45 minutes + drilling
By the End of This Lesson
- Recognize contract verbs by their lexical form (-άω, -έω, -όω)
- Apply the three contraction rule sets to produce surface forms
- Conjugate ἀγαπάω, ποιέω, and πληρόω in the present active indicative
- Read contract verbs in NT prose without parsing them every time
- Memorize the 12+ contract-verb vocabulary words
What Contraction Is
In Lesson 10 you saw verbs like λύω whose stem ends in a consonant or back vowel. Connecting the stem to the personal ending was straightforward: λύ + ο + μεν → λύομεν.
But many common Greek verbs have stems ending in α, ε, or ο. When you try to combine these stems with the personal endings, you end up with two vowels meeting — and Greek phonology refuses to let certain vowel combinations stand. They collapse into a single vowel or diphthong.
So the verb looks different on the surface than its underlying form would suggest. The dictionary lists the underlying form (with the stem vowel visible), but in actual texts you see the contracted form.
The lexical form vs. the surface form
Dictionaries list contract verbs in their UNCONTRACTED form — e.g., ἀγαπάω. But in actual NT text you'll see the CONTRACTED form: ἀγαπῶ ("I love"). The α + ω contracted to ω.
Mounce gives both forms; when looking up a word, you search by the lexical form (uncontracted) but read the contracted form in the text.
The Three Contraction Patterns
Stem in α (alpha contracts), stem in ε (epsilon contracts), stem in ο (omicron contracts).
| Underlying | Contracts to | Example |
|---|
| α + ε | α (long) | ἀγαπα-ε-τε → ἀγαπᾶτε |
| α + ει | ᾳ | ἀγαπα-εις → ἀγαπᾷς |
| α + ο/ω | ω | ἀγαπα-ω → ἀγαπῶ |
| α + ου | ω | ἀγαπα-ουσι → ἀγαπῶσι(ν) |
| Underlying | Contracts to | Example |
|---|
| ε + ε | ει | ποιε-ετε → ποιεῖτε |
| ε + ει | ει | ποιε-εις → ποιεῖς |
| ε + ο | ου | ποιε-ομεν → ποιοῦμεν |
| ε + ω | ω | ποιε-ω → ποιῶ |
| ε + ου | ου | ποιε-ουσι → ποιοῦσι(ν) |
| Underlying | Contracts to | Example |
|---|
| ο + ω | ω | πληρο-ω → πληρῶ |
| ο + ε | ου | πληρο-ετε → πληροῦτε |
| ο + ει | οῖ | πληρο-εις → πληροῖς |
| ο + ο | ου | πληρο-ομεν → πληροῦμεν |
| ο + ου | ου | πληρο-ουσι → πληροῦσι(ν) |
⚠ Don't try to memorize every rule cell
The rules look intimidating, but in practice you'll memorize the SURFACE paradigms (below) and let the rules sit in the background. The rules explain WHY the forms look the way they do; the paradigms tell you what to recognize and produce.
Three Surface Paradigms — Memorize These
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|
| 1st | ἀγαπῶ | ἀγαπῶμεν |
| 2nd | ἀγαπᾷς | ἀγαπᾶτε |
| 3rd | ἀγαπᾷ | ἀγαπῶσι(ν) |
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|
| 1st | ποιῶ | ποιοῦμεν |
| 2nd | ποιεῖς | ποιεῖτε |
| 3rd | ποιεῖ | ποιοῦσι(ν) |
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|
| 1st | πληρῶ | πληροῦμεν |
| 2nd | πληροῖς | πληροῦτε |
| 3rd | πληροῖ | πληροῦσι(ν) |
Spotting contracts in the wild
Three signals tell you you're looking at a contract verb:
1. Iota subscript on a stem-vowel-looking ending — e.g., ἀγαπᾷ with iota subscript under the α suggests an α-contract 3rd singular.
2. Circumflex on the contracted vowel — circumflexes mark contractions: ἀγαπῶ, ποιοῦμεν, πληροῖς.
3. The lexical form ends in -άω, -έω, or -όω — these endings in the dictionary always signal contract behavior.
Sentences with Contract Verbs
ἀγαπῶμεν τὸν θεόν.
— agapōmen ton theon.
"We love God." 1st pl of ἀγαπάω → ἀγαπῶμεν. The α + ο contracted to ω.
ὁ Ἰησοῦς λαλεῖ τῷ ὄχλῳ.
— ho Iēsous lalei tō ochlō.
"Jesus speaks to the crowd." λαλέω → λαλεῖ (3sg ε-contract: ε + ει → ει).
ποιεῖτε τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ;
— poieite ta erga tou theou?
"Are you (pl) doing the works of God?" ποιέω → ποιεῖτε (2pl, ε + ε → ει).
ὁ Χριστὸς πληροῖ τὸν νόμον.
— ho Christos plēroi ton nomon.
"Christ fulfills the law." πληρόω → πληροῖ (3sg ο-contract: ο + ει → οῖ).
Translation Exercises
Translate
- ἀγαπᾷ ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον.
- ζητοῦμεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. [ζητέω = "I seek"]
- ποιεῖτε τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ.
- καλεῖ ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοὺς μαθητάς.
- τηροῦμεν τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
- σταυροῦσι τὸν Ἰησοῦν.
Answers
1. God loves the world. (Echo of John 3:16.)
2. We seek the truth. (ζητέω is ε-contract → ζητοῦμεν.)
3. You (pl) do the will of God.
4. Jesus calls the disciples. (καλέω → καλεῖ.)
5. We keep the commandments of Christ. (τηρέω → τηροῦμεν.)
6. They crucify Jesus. (σταυρόω → σταυροῦσι, ο-contract.)
Practice — drill the concepts
Six drill sets for contract verbs — concept basics, the three contraction patterns drilled separately (α, ε, ο), spotting contracts in NT prose, and translation. Master the surface paradigms; the rules sit in the background.
Vocabulary — Lesson 11
26 contract verbs
| Greek (lexical) | Translit. | Meaning | Type |
|---|
| ἀγαπάω | agapaō | I love | α |
| γεννάω | gennaō | I beget, give birth to | α |
| ζητέω | zēteō | I seek, look for | ε |
| καλέω | kaleō | I call, name, invite | ε |
| λαλέω | laleō | I speak, say | ε |
| παρακαλέω | parakaleō | I urge, comfort, exhort | ε |
| περιπατέω | peripateō | I walk, walk around | ε |
| ποιέω | poieō | I do, make | ε |
| τηρέω | tēreō | I keep, observe, guard | ε |
| φιλέω | phileō | I love, like (affection) | ε |
| πληρόω | plēroō | I fill, fulfill | ο |
| σταυρόω | stauroō | I crucify | ο |
| φανερόω | phaneroō | I reveal, manifest | ο |
| μαρτυρέω | martyreō | I bear witness, testify | ε |
| θεωρέω | theōreō | I see, observe | ε |
| εὐλογέω | eulogeō | I bless, praise | ε |
| εὐχαριστέω | eucharisteō | I give thanks | ε |
| ἐρωτάω | erōtaō | I ask, request | α |
| τιμάω | timaō | I honor | α |
| κρατέω | krateō | I take hold of, seize | ε |
| ὑψόω | hypsoō | I exalt, lift up | ο |
| καθαρίζω | katharizō | I cleanse, purify | — (-ζω) |
| φωτίζω | phōtizō | I enlighten, illuminate | — (-ζω) |
| δοξάζω | doxazō | I glorify, praise | — (-ζω) |
| βαπτίζω | baptizō | I baptize, immerse | — (-ζω) |
| σώζω | sōzō | I save, deliver, heal | — (-ζω) |