Greek · Lesson 13
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εἰμί — "to be"the most-used irregular verb and the common irregulars

"To be" is irregular in nearly every language, and Greek is no exception. This lesson covers εἰμί and the common irregular verbs in five movements: foundations of the linking verb (what an irregular verb is, why εἰμί is the textbook case, predicate nominatives, the perfect-with-present-meaning phenomenon); the six present-indicative forms of εἰμί + its imperfect, future, and participle; side-by-side comparison of εἰμί and οἶδα; a four-step parsing workflow with seven worked examples; and twelve NT-style translation sentences. εἰμί appears 2,460+ times in the NT — more than any other verb. Master it cold.

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Watch · 22-Slide Overview

ειμι and Irregular Verbs — The Visual Tour

A complete tour of the six present forms of ειμι, the enclitic-accent gotcha (ει "you are" vs ει "if"), the predicate-nominative rule, Colwell's heuristic for which nominative is the subject, the existential "there is" construction, verbless nominal sentences, the imperfect (ην) and future of ειμι, the participle ων-ουσα-ον, the three-question check for εγω ειμι, all seven predicated "I am" sayings of John, the absolute εγω ειμι of John 8:58 and Gethsemane, the Exodus 3:14 LXX echo, οιδα (perfect form, present meaning) and its contrast with γινωσκω, and a final cultural note on why two words become a theological doorway. Watch first for the framework; the detailed written exposition below works through every point at depth.

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LESSON 13 · Unit III — The Verb System · ~40 minutes + drilling
By the End of This Lesson
New to Greek? Use the 3-pass path
Pass 1 — UnderstandWatch the overview and read the main explanation. Do not try to master every detail today.
Pass 2 — RecognizeMemorize the main chart or paradigm and do the first trainer sets.
Pass 3 — MasterWork through the 20 worked examples, translation exercises, and mastery test slowly.
Today's minimum
If you are new, this is enough for today.
Watch — Bill Mounce companion lecture
BBG Ch 8
BBG Ch 8 Prepositions and εἰμί Watch on YouTube ↗

Mounce introduces middle and passive voice forms, plus the puzzling deponent verbs that look passive but mean active. Parallels our Lesson 13.

CorePart 1 — εἰμί and Irregulars: Foundations

Before drilling forms, get the framework. εἰμί is the most-used verb in the NT, the textbook example of irregularity, and the grammatical engine behind every predicate nominative and every "I am" saying in John.

1.1 What an "irregular" verb is

Most Greek verbs are regular: a single present stem plus a fixed set of personal endings produces every form. Once you know the pattern from Lesson 10, you can parse and translate almost any new verb on sight. A handful of high-frequency verbs, however, do not follow the standard mold. We call them irregular.

Two technical features make a verb "irregular":

Frequency creates idiosyncrasy. The more often a verb is used, the more likely it is to preserve archaic, suppletive, athematic forms that resist regularization. εἰμί is the textbook example.

1.2 The single most important irregular: εἰμί

εἰμί ("I am") appears more than 2,460 times in the NT — more than any other verb. It is used in two main ways:

εἰμί has its own present paradigm, its own imperfect, its own future, its own participle — all built on a suppletive set of stems. We will memorize the present cold and recognize the others by sight.

1.3 Linking verbs and predicate nominatives

When εἰμί links a subject to a description, the noun on the OTHER side of the verb is NOT a direct object. It is a predicate nominative — a noun in the NOMINATIVE case that renames or describes the subject. Both subject AND predicate are nominative. This was introduced in Lesson 4 (case functions); we deepen it now.

English parallel: we say "I see him" (object pronoun, accusative-like) but "It is he" (subject pronoun, nominative). After "be," the pronoun is SUBJECTIVE, not objective. Greek uses case marking explicitly; English uses pronoun form. Same logic.

⚠ The predicate noun after εἰμί is NOMINATIVE, not accusative

The most common parsing mistake is treating the post-εἰμί noun as a direct object. εἰμί does not transfer action; it joins. The case after εἰμί is always NOMINATIVE for nouns and adjectives — never accusative. ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν ("God is love") has TWO nominatives flanking εἰμί.

When two nominatives flank εἰμί, how do you tell which is the SUBJECT and which is the PREDICATE? Three diagnostics in priority order:

  1. The noun WITH THE ARTICLE is typically the subject. ὁ θεός (article) = subject; ἀγάπη (no article) = predicate. "God is love."
  2. A pronoun, proper name, or inherently-definite expression is usually the subject. σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός = "You (subj) are the Christ (pred nom)."
  3. If both have articles or neither does, word order and context decide.

This is "Colwell's Rule" in its simplified form. It is the key to John 1:1c (θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος) — see Part 2 below.

1.4 The "perfect-with-present-meaning" phenomenon (οἶδα)

A handful of common Greek verbs have a strange feature: their tense FORM is perfect, but their MEANING is plain present. The most famous is οἶδα ("I know"). It looks like a perfect-tense form (reduplicated stem, perfect endings — see Lesson 19), but it translates as a plain present every time. Never as "I have known," never as "I knew."

The historical explanation: οἶδα descends from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to see" (cognate with English wit, witness, video). The Greek perfect describes a past action with abiding present result — so οἶδα originally meant "I have seen [and so I now know]." Over time the past-action component faded; only the present "know" survived. The form is preserved like a fossil; the meaning has fully moved to the present.

For NT reading purposes: when you see οἶδα, οἶδας, οἶδεν, οἴδαμεν, οἴδατε, οἴδασιν, translate as plain present "know." That is the rule.

1.5 Common irregulars at a glance

Beyond εἰμί and οἶδα, a short roster of additional high-frequency irregulars:

Each of these verbs has its own quirks, learned individually. The present tenses are manageable; the past tenses (imperfect, aorist, perfect) sometimes draw from completely different stems. We will meet εἰμί and οἶδα now and the others in later lessons.

In summary — εἰμί and irregulars in one sentence

εἰμί is the most-used verb in the NT, an irregular suppletive linking verb whose predicate noun is NOMINATIVE (not accusative); οἶδα is the second-most-important irregular, a perfect-tense form that, in the present, translates as plain present "know" (its pluperfect ᾔδειν renders "knew" — that's the one regular exception you'll meet); and a few additional irregulars (φημί, δύναμαι, κάθημαι, the ἔρχομαι compounds) round out the family.

CorePart 2 — The Six Forms of εἰμί (Present Indicative)

No regular pattern — just memorize. These forms occur 2,460+ times in the NT, more than any other verb.

⚠ Gotcha — εἰμί forms are mostly enclitic Most forms of εἰμί are enclitic — they lean on the preceding word for their accent. This means they often appear without their own accent mark in printed texts. The first-person singular ἐστί (3sg) is the form most commonly mistaken for something else. Also: εἶ (2nd singular "you are") looks like the conditional particle εἰ ("if") — watch the accent.
εἰμί — "to be" (present indicative)
Layer 3 · Fully inflected lexical paradigm — memorize cold (suppletive, athematic)
PersonSingularPlural
1st εἰμί   — I am ἐσμέν   — we are
2nd εἶ   — you are ἐστέ   — you (pl) are
3rd ἐστί(ν)   — he/she/it is εἰσί(ν)   — they are
Memorization tip Recite as a chant: εἰμί, εἶ, ἐστί(ν); ἐσμέν, ἐστέ, εἰσί(ν).

Notice: 1st sg εἰμί = also the lexical form (dictionary headword). 2nd sg εἶ is the shortest form — just a diphthong. The plurals all start with ἐ-/εἰ-.

The (ν) on 3rd sg and 3rd pl is movable nu — added before vowels or sentence end.

CorePart 3 — Predicate Nominative

The case of the noun after εἰμί is a critical detail.

💡 Tip — the article identifies the subject in predicate nominatives When εἰμί links two nominatives, which is the subject and which is the predicate? The one with the article is typically the subject. θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος (John 1:1) — ὁ λόγος has the article, so "the Word" is the subject; θεός is the predicate. This rule ("Colwell's Rule" in its common simplified form) resolves most predicate nominative ambiguities.

In English we say "I see him" — accusative for the object. But "I am he" — not him. The noun after "be" is in the SUBJECTIVE case, not the objective.

Greek does the same. After εἰμί, the predicate noun is in the nominative, not the accusative. εἰμί doesn't take an object — it links the subject to a description.

ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ κύριος.
— ho Iēsous estin ho kyrios.
"Jesus is the lord." Both ὁ Ἰησοῦς and ὁ κύριος are nominative. εἰμί links them — they refer to the same person.
ἀγάπη ἐστὶν ὁ θεός.
— agapē estin ho theos.
"God is love" (literally "love is God"). Both nouns nominative. The article on θεός tells you it's the subject; ἀγάπη without article is the predicate. This is 1 John 4:8.
⚠ Subject vs predicate noun When you have two nominatives with εἰμί, how do you tell which is the subject? Two rules:

1. The articulated noun (with article) is the subject. "ὁ θεός" with article = subject. "ἀγάπη" without article = predicate.

2. If both have articles, word order or context decides. Pronouns, proper names, and definite expressions tend to be subject.

So ἀγάπη ἐστὶν ὁ θεός = "God is love," not "Love is God." The articulated ὁ θεός is the subject.

CorePart 4 — "There is" / "There are" (Existential εἰμί)

εἰμί can be used impersonally — meaning "there exists."

ἔστιν θεός.
— estin theos.
"There is a God." The 3rd singular ἔστιν (with retracted accent on the first syllable) used impersonally.
οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος, οὐδὲ εἷς.
— ouk estin dikaios, oude heis.
"There is no righteous person, not even one." Romans 3:10. Impersonal use of εἰμί + negation.
Distinguishing the uses With a subject + predicate, εἰμί links them ("X is Y"). Without a clear subject, εἰμί asserts existence ("there is X"). Word order helps: when the verb comes FIRST and is followed by the noun, the existential reading is more likely.

CorePart 5 — The "I Am" Sayings: How to Read Them and Why They Matter

When you encounter the phrase ἐγώ εἰμι in John's Gospel, your interpretive antenna should rise. The formula is small — just two short words — but it does an enormous amount of theological work. Knowing how to read it is one of the practical payoffs of learning Greek.

What to do when you see ἐγώ εἰμι

  1. Notice the explicit pronoun. Greek doesn't need ἐγώ — the verb εἰμι already means "I am." Adding the pronoun is deliberately emphatic. (Lesson 8 reading habit: explicit subject pronouns are rarely filler.)
  2. Check whether there's a predicate. If ἐγώ εἰμι is followed by a noun phrase (like "the bread of life," "the way"), the saying is a predicated I-am — a role declaration. If ἐγώ εἰμι stands alone with no predicate, it's an absolute I-am — a divine identity claim.
  3. Check the OT background. The formula deliberately echoes God's self-revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:14 (LXX: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν). When Jesus uses ἐγώ εἰμι absolutely, John is signaling the divine name.
  4. Watch the audience's reaction. When the absolute ἐγώ εἰμι appears, listeners often respond with violence (picking up stones in John 8:58–59) or with falling backward (the soldiers in Gethsemane, John 18:6). The reaction confirms how the saying was heard.

Predicated "I am" sayings — role declarations

John records seven famous predicated ἐγώ εἰμι sayings. Each layers Jesus's identity over an OT image:

ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς.
— egō eimi ho artos tēs zōēs.
"I am the bread of life" (John 6:35). Echoes the manna of Exodus — Jesus claims to be the true sustenance God provides.
ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου.
— egō eimi to phōs tou kosmou.
"I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). Spoken in the Temple courts during the Festival of Tabernacles, when massive lamps had just been lit. The image draws on the pillar of fire and Isaiah's servant-as-light prophecies.
ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή.
— egō eimi hē hodos kai hē alētheia kai hē zōē.
"I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6). Three predicates linked by καί — Jesus claims to be the singular path to the Father.

Absolute "I am" — the divine name claim

When ἐγώ εἰμι appears without a predicate, it's the unmistakable divine-name signature:

πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι, ἐγὼ εἰμί.
— prin Abraam genesthai, egō eimi.
"Before Abraham came to be, I AM" (John 8:58). Note the contrast in tense: γενέσθαι is aorist (snapshot past); εἰμί is present. Jesus places his existence outside Abraham's temporal frame. The crowd's response in v. 59 — picking up stones — confirms they heard the divine claim. Translation should preserve the absolute force: leave it as "I AM" or "I am" without adding a predicate.
εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἐγώ εἰμι. ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ ἔπεσαν χαμαί.
"He said to them, 'I AM.' They drew back and fell to the ground" (John 18:5–6). At Jesus's arrest in Gethsemane. The soldiers' physical reaction — falling backward — points beyond a mere "yes, that's me" to a divine self-disclosure. (The translation is grammatically defensible as "I am he" too, but the soldiers' reaction suggests the absolute reading.)

A reading habit

When you read John's Gospel and encounter ἐγώ εἰμι, ask three questions:

The three-question check
  1. Predicated or absolute? If predicated, you're reading a role declaration that draws on OT imagery. If absolute, you're reading a divine-name claim.
  2. What's the OT background? Each predicated saying picks up imagery from Israel's history (manna, light, shepherd, vine, gate, resurrection, way). Identify it.
  3. What does the surrounding narrative do? The audience's reaction often signals how the saying was heard. Hostile reaction usually points to a divine-claim reading.

This is one of the genuine payoffs of reading Greek directly. English translations preserve the words but often flatten the ἐγώ-emphasis and lose the OT echo. The Greek lets you hear what the original audience heard.

CoreReading Passage — The Seven "I Am" Sayings of John

No verb in the Greek NT carries more theological weight than εἰμί. John's Gospel uses the formula ἐγώ εἰμι seven times in deliberate parallel to God's self-revelation in Exodus 3:14. Read three of them.

John 6:35: Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς·
"I am the bread of life." Ἐγώ emphatic ("I myself"). εἰμι = 1sg of εἰμί. ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς = "the bread of life" (predicate nominative + genitive of definition). The structure is identical across all seven sayings: emphatic ἐγώ + εἰμί + predicate nominative.
John 8:12: Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου·
"I am the light of the world." Same structure. τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου — "the light" (3rd-decl neuter, Lesson 7) "of the world" (gen). Spoken in the temple courts during the Feast of Tabernacles — when the giant menorahs in the Court of Women had just been lit.
John 11:25: Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή·
"I am the resurrection and the life." Two predicate nominatives joined by καί. ἡ ἀνάστασις ("the resurrection") is 3rd-decl feminine. Spoken to Martha at the tomb of Lazarus, just before Jesus raises him. The form ἐγώ εἰμι deliberately echoes God's self-naming in Exodus 3:14 LXX (ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν "I am the one being") — a theological claim wrapped in two short Greek words.

CorePart 6 — Other Tenses of εἰμί (Imperfect, Future, Participle)

εἰμί has its own imperfect (past), future, and present participle. Each is built on a different stem from the present (εἰμ-). Memorize the high-frequency forms (especially ἦν, ἔσται); recognize the rest by sight.

Imperfect of εἰμί — "was, were"

About 470 NT occurrences. The 3 sg ἦν alone occurs over 250 times — including the opening of John 1:1 (ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος).

εἰμί — imperfect indicative
Layer 3 · past-tense paradigm; suppletive secondary endings on athematic stem
PersonSingularPlural
1stἤμην   — I wasἦμεν or ἤμεθα   — we were
2ndἦς or ἦσθα   — you wereἦτε   — you (pl) were
3rdἦν   — he/she/it wasἦσαν   — they were

Future of εἰμί — "will be" (built on stem ἐσ-)

About 191 NT occurrences. The future is built on a different stem (ἐσ-) and uses middle-style endings — but the meaning is still active. Common in eschatological promise.

εἰμί — future indicative
Layer 3 · future paradigm; m/p endings on stem ἐσ- with active meaning
PersonSingularPlural
1stἔσομαι   — I will beἐσόμεθα   — we will be
2ndἔσῃ   — you will beἔσεσθε   — you (pl) will be
3rdἔσται   — he/she/it will beἔσονται   — they will be

Present participle of εἰμί — "being"

ὤν (m), οὖσα (f), ὄν (n). Used in articular form (with the article) as "the one being / the one who is." Famously stacked in Revelation 1:4: ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος — "the one being, and the one who was, and the one coming." Three temporal aspects of God in one phrase. (Participles formally introduced in Lesson 22+.)

The Exodus 3:14 LXX echo

ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν — "I am the one being" — is the LXX rendering of God's self-naming to Moses in Exodus 3:14. The combination of ἐγώ εἰμι + the articular participle ὁ ὤν becomes the divine-name signature. John's absolute "I am" sayings deliberately echo this formula (see John 8:58 below).

ReferencePart 7 — Side by Side: εἰμί and οἶδα

Both irregular, both athematic, both essential to NT reading. The differences in their paradigm structure illuminate why each behaves as it does.

εἰμί (present indicative) vs οἶδα (perfect form, present meaning)
Layer 3 · two irregular athematic paradigms side by side
εἰμί "be" οἶδα "know"
1 sgεἰμί ("I am")οἶδα ("I know")
2 sgεἶ ("you are")οἶδας ("you know")
3 sgἐστί(ν) ("he/she is")οἶδεν ("he/she knows")
1 plἐσμέν ("we are")οἴδαμεν ("we know")
2 plἐστέ ("you are")οἴδατε ("you know")
3 plεἰσί(ν) ("they are")οἴδασιν ("they know")
💡 Tip — both end with movable nu in 3 sg and 3 pl

εἰμί: ἐστί(ν), εἰσί(ν). οἶδα: οἶδεν, οἴδασιν. The final -ν is added before a vowel or sentence end; dropped before a consonant. Render as parenthesized (ν) in tables; never silently drop.

Notice the structural parallels: both verbs are athematic (no connecting vowel before the ending), both have 1 sg in -α / -ι, both have plurals in -μεν / -τε / -σι. The differences: εἰμί's paradigm is suppletive (forms from different roots); οἶδα's is built on a single perfect stem οἰδ-/οἰδα-/εἰδ-. Both must be memorized cold; the side-by-side helps internalize their parallel rhythm.

CorePart 8 — Parsing Irregular Verbs: The Four-Step Workflow

Parsing an irregular verb begins with one diagnostic question: is this an irregular? If yes, skip the regular-verb checklist and go straight to the irregular paradigm chart.

The four-step routine

  1. Step 1 — Look at the form. Does its ending match the regular active set (-ω, -εις, -ει, -ομεν, -ετε, -ουσι) or the regular m/p set (-ομαι, -ῃ, -εται, -όμεθα, -εσθε, -ονται)? If yes → regular verb (Lessons 10–12). If NO → suspect an irregular.
  2. Step 2 — Recognize the lexical form. Match the form against the irregular paradigm chart: εἰμί (present, imperfect, future, participle), οἶδα, φημί, δύναμαι, κάθημαι, ἔρχομαι (and compounds). If you cannot identify the lexical form, look it up.
  3. Step 3 — State T-V-M-P-N + lexical form. Tense, Voice, Mood, Person, Number, lexical form. For εἰμί, voice is "active." For οἶδα, voice is "active" with the parse-modifier (perfect form, present meaning). For deponents (ἔρχομαι, δύναμαι, κάθημαι), voice is "m/p with active meaning."
  4. Step 4 — Translate. For εἰμί, use is/am/are/was/will be. For οἶδα, always plain present "know" — never "knew" or "have known." For deponents, active English. For existential εἰμί, "there is X."

Worked examples

ἐστίν
pres act ind 3 sg · lexical εἰμί
"Is" (or "there is" if existential — check word order). Movable ν before vowels or sentence end. Most common single form of εἰμί in the NT (~900 occurrences).
εἶ
pres act ind 2 sg · lexical εἰμί
"You (sg) are." Circumflex over diphthong. Do NOT confuse with the conjunction εἰ ("if") — the accent distinguishes them. Famous: σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός = "You are the Christ" (Peter's confession, Matt 16:16).
ἦν
imperf act ind 3 sg · lexical εἰμί
"Was." Highest-frequency single past-tense form in the NT. Opens John 1:1 (ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος — "in the beginning was the Word"). Also used existentially: ἦν ἄνθρωπος ἀπεσταλμένος παρὰ θεοῦ = "there was a man sent from God" (John 1:6).
ἔσται
fut ind 3 sg · lexical εἰμί
"Will be." Built on the future stem ἐσ-. Endings look like middle/passive but the meaning is active (suppletion). Common in NT prophecy: ἔσται σημεῖον = "there will be a sign."
οἴδαμεν
pres-meaning (perf form) ind act 1 pl · lexical οἶδα
"We know." NEVER "we have known." The form is perfect tense (reduplicated stem οἰδ-, perfect-tense endings); the meaning is plain present. Example: οἴδαμεν ὅτι ὁ νόμος πνευματικός ἐστιν = "We know that the law is spiritual" (Rom 7:14).
δύναται
pres dep ind 3 sg · lexical δύναμαι
"He/she is able [to ___]." Athematic deponent — m/p form, active meaning, no connecting vowel before the ending. Always look for the complementary infinitive: δύναται σῶσαι = "is able to save."
εἰσέρχονται
pres dep ind 3 pl · lexical εἰσέρχομαι
"They enter." Compound of εἰς ("into") + ἔρχομαι. The compound inherits the deponent pattern. εἰς + acc identifies the destination: εἰσέρχονται εἰς τὸν οἶκον = "they enter the house."
⚠ Five common parsing mistakes for irregulars

1. Parsing εἰμί as if it had thematic-vowel forms. It doesn't — no connecting vowel; memorize the six forms cold. 2. Treating οἶδα as a real perfect ("I have known"). The form is perfect; the meaning is plain present. 3. Confusing 3 sg ἐστί with 2 pl ἐστέ. Final vowel: ι (3 sg) vs ε (2 pl). 4. Reading the conjunction εἰ ("if") as the verb εἶ ("you are"). Accent and breathing distinguish them. 5. Translating deponents as passive. δύναμαι = "I am able," never "I am empowered."

PracticePart 9 — Translation Practice (Twelve NT-Style Sentences)

Twelve sentences using Lesson 13 vocabulary. Each: read the Greek, parse the focal form(s), commit to an English translation that fits the context, then check the reasoning. Covers εἰμί as linking and existential, οἶδα as plain present, ἔρχομαι deponent, δύναμαι + infinitive, and the famous "I am" sayings of John.

1
ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν.
ἐστίν · pres act ind 3 sg · lexical εἰμί · linking
"God is love." (1 John 4:8.) Colwell's Rule: ὁ θεός has the article → subject; ἀγάπη is anarthrous → predicate nominative. Don't reverse it ("Love is God" is a different theological claim).
2
ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου.
ἐστε · pres act ind 2 pl · lexical εἰμί
"You (pl) are the light of the world." (Matt 5:14.) ὑμεῖς (subj, nom pl) + ἐστε (2 pl) + τὸ φῶς (pred nom) + τοῦ κόσμου (gen). The explicit ὑμεῖς is emphatic — "YOU (and not someone else) are the light."
3
ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός.
εἰμι · pres act ind 1 sg · lexical εἰμί · "I am" saying (predicated)
"I am the good shepherd." (John 10:11.) Predicated "I am" saying — the predicate is ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός ("the shepherd, the good [one]") in second attributive position. Echoes God-as-shepherd in Psalm 23 and Ezekiel 34.
4
πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι, ἐγὼ εἰμί.
εἰμί · pres act ind 1 sg · lexical εἰμί · absolute "I am" (divine name claim)
"Before Abraham came to be, I AM." (John 8:58.) Absolute ἐγὼ εἰμί with no predicate — echoes Exodus 3:14 LXX (ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν). Note the tense contrast: γενέσθαι is aorist (Abraham's coming-into-being is past); εἰμί is present (Jesus's being is timeless). Preserve the absolute force in English: "I AM," not "I am he."
5
ἦν ἄνθρωπος ἀπεσταλμένος παρὰ θεοῦ.
ἦν · imperf ind 3 sg · lexical εἰμί · existential
"There was a man sent from God." (John 1:6 — introducing John the Baptist.) Existential ἦν opens a narrative; the anarthrous ἄνθρωπος signals a new character. ἀπεσταλμένος = perfect m/p participle of ἀποστέλλω ("having been sent"); παρὰ θεοῦ = "from God." Verb-first word order is the existential cue.
6
ἐσόμεθα ὅμοιοι αὐτῷ.
ἐσόμεθα · fut ind 1 pl · lexical εἰμί
"We shall be like him." (1 John 3:2.) Built on future stem ἐσ-. ὅμοιοι = predicate adjective (nom pl masc) agreeing with the implicit "we." αὐτῷ = dative of association ("similar to him"). The eschatological promise of conformity to Christ.
7
οἴδαμεν ὅτι ὁ νόμος πνευματικός ἐστιν.
οἴδαμεν · pres-meaning (perf form) ind act 1 pl · lexical οἶδα
"We know that the law is spiritual." (Rom 7:14.) οἴδαμεν as plain present — never "we have known." ὅτι ("that") introduces the content clause. ὁ νόμος (subj) + πνευματικός (pred adj) + ἐστιν.
8
οὐκ οἶδα τὸν ἄνθρωπον.
οἶδα · pres-meaning (perf form) ind act 1 sg · lexical οἶδα
"I do not know the man." (Mark 14:71 — Peter's denial.) Plain present negative. οἶδα takes accusative direct object (τὸν ἄνθρωπον = the thing/person known).
9
σὺ οἶδας πάντα.
οἶδας · pres-meaning (perf form) ind act 2 sg · lexical οἶδα
"You know all things." (John 21:17 — Peter's confession to the risen Jesus.) Emphatic σύ (explicit pronoun) + οἶδας ("you know"). πάντα = acc pl neut ("all things"). The explicit pronoun heightens the confession.
10
ἔρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς.
ἔρχεται · pres dep ind 3 sg · lexical ἔρχομαι · deponent → active meaning
"Jesus comes to the disciples." (Common NT narrative pattern.) Despite the m/p form (-εται), translate active. πρός + acc = "to / toward." ἔρχομαι is the textbook NT deponent.
11
δύναται ὁ θεὸς σῶσαι τοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς.
δύναται · pres dep ind 3 sg · lexical δύναμαι · athematic + infinitive
"God is able to save the sinners." δύναμαι ALWAYS pairs with a complementary infinitive (σῶσαι, aorist infinitive of σῴζω). The accusative τοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς is the direct object of σῶσαι, not of δύναμαι. Athematic deponent in form, active in meaning.
12
μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ.
[εἰσίν implied] · verbless nominal sentence
"Blessed [are] the pure in heart." (Matt 5:8.) Verbless nominal sentence — εἰσίν is implied; supply "are" mentally. μακάριοι = predicate adjective (nom pl masc); οἱ καθαροί = subject (nom pl masc, articulated). τῇ καρδίᾳ = dative of respect ("in [respect to] heart").
Translation tips for Lesson 13

(1) Always check whether εἰμί is linking or existential. Verb-first word order usually signals existential ("there is X"). (2) For two nominatives flanking εἰμί, apply Colwell's Rule — the articulated noun is typically the subject. (3) οἶδα is ALWAYS plain present "know." Never "knew" or "have known." (4) ἐγώ εἰμι in John — predicated = role declaration (loaded with OT imagery); absolute = divine name claim (Exodus 3:14 LXX echo). (5) Verbless nominal sentences (μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί) imply εἰμί. Supply "is/are" mentally.

ReferencePart 10 — Vocabulary Notes

Five vocabulary notes on εἰμί and its rich NT usage.

The forms of εἰμί — present indicative The full present-tense paradigm: εἰμί (I am), εἶ (you-sg are), ἐστί(ν) (he/she/it is), ἐσμέν (we are), ἐστέ (you-pl are), εἰσί(ν) (they are). All but εἶ are enclitics in their unaccented form (they "lean back" onto the preceding word, throwing their accent backward). Movable nu on the 3sg and 3pl forms. About 2,460 NT occurrences combined — the most common verb in the New Testament.
Imperfect of εἰμί Past-tense forms: ἤμην (I was), ἦς or ἦσθα (you-sg were), ἦν (he/she/it was), ἦμεν or ἤμεθα (we were), ἦτε (you-pl were), ἦσαν (they were). About 470 NT occurrences. The 3rd singular ἦν alone occurs over 250 times. Used in narrative ("there was a man," "Jesus was..."). The opening of John's Gospel — ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος — uses this imperfect.
Future of εἰμί Future forms: ἔσομαι, ἔσῃ, ἔσται, ἐσόμεθα, ἔσεσθε, ἔσονται ("I/you/he/we/you-pl/they will be"). Only one principal part for εἰμί gets a future — and it's built on a different stem (ἐσ-) from the present (εἰμ-). About 191 NT occurrences. The future form is heavily used in eschatological promise ("you will be with me in paradise" — ἔσῃ μετ' ἐμοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ, Luke 23:43).
εἰμί as equative — implied "is" in nominal sentences Greek often omits εἰμί when the meaning is clear from context — especially in greetings, summaries, and declarative pairings. μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί ("blessed [are] the poor") has no verb. Translators supply "are." This is called a "nominal sentence" or "verbless clause." When εἰμί is written, it's often for emphasis or rhythm. Reading Greek means learning to supply the implied verb mentally.
The participle of εἰμί — ὤν, οὖσα, ὄν The present-active participle of εἰμί is ὤν (m), οὖσα (f), ὄν (n) — "being." Crucial for John's opening of Revelation: ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος ("the one being, and the one who was, and the one coming," Rev 1:4) — three participles describing God's eternity. Same verb, three temporal aspects, all in articular form. Lesson 22+ formally introduces participles.

PracticeChallenge Verses — Try It on the Greek NT

Four NT phrases featuring εἰμί in different forms and uses.

Challenge 1 — A sweeping claim
πρὸ Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγὼ εἰμί.
Reveal answer
"Before Abraham came to be, I am." (John 8:58.) πρὸ Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι = "before Abraham came to be" (preposition + aorist infinitive of γίνομαι, with subject Ἀβραάμ in genitive). ἐγὼ εἰμί = "I am" — emphatic, present tense. The contrast between past tense for Abraham and present tense for Jesus's self-reference is dramatic. The crowd's reaction (they pick up stones — v.59) shows they understood the implied claim of pre-existence and divine identity.
Challenge 2 — A nominal sentence
ὁ θεὸς πιστός.
Reveal answer
"God is faithful." (1 Cor 1:9, 10:13.) No explicit verb — the predicate adjective πιστός is paired with the subject ὁ θεός and "is" is supplied mentally. Common Pauline construction. πιστός is masculine singular nominative, agreeing with θεός.
Challenge 3 — Imperfect in narrative
ἦν δὲ ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐνδεδυμένος τρίχας καμήλου.
Reveal answer
"Now John was clothed in camel's hair." (Mark 1:6, simplified.) ἦν = imperfect 3sg of εἰμί ("was"). δέ = "now, and" (continuative — second-position particle). ἐνδεδυμένος = perfect mid/pass participle of ἐνδύω ("having clothed himself, clothed"). τρίχας καμήλου = "[with] camel's hair" (acc; genitive of material). Periphrastic construction: εἰμί + participle = ongoing past state.
Challenge 4 — Future hope
ἐσόμεθα ὅμοιοι αὐτῷ.
Reveal answer
"We shall be like him." (1 John 3:2.) ἐσόμεθα = future 1pl of εἰμί. ὅμοιοι = "like, similar" (predicate adjective, m pl nom, agreeing with implicit "we"). αὐτῷ = "to him" (dat sg masc — ὅμοιος takes a dative complement, like English "similar to"). The eschatological promise of conformity to Christ.

Deep DiveOptional Deep Dive — A Cultural Note — Why "I AM" Is the Most Loaded Two Words in the Greek New Testament

When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, he gave a name. In Hebrew it was ehyeh asher ehyeh ("I am that I am"). The Greek translators of the LXX rendered it ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν — "I am the one being." The first two words, ἐγώ εἰμι, became a recognizable signature for divine self-identification.

When John has Jesus say ἐγώ εἰμι in absolute terms — without a predicate nominative, just the two words alone — he's reaching for that signature. John 8:58 (πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγὼ εἰμί, "before Abraham came to be, I AM") drops the predicate entirely. The crowd responds by picking up stones to kill Jesus for blasphemy. They heard the divine name claim that English-only readers can easily miss.

The seven "I am" sayings with predicates work differently — they're not pure self-identifications, but role declarations: bread, light, door, good shepherd, resurrection, way/truth/life, true vine. Each has OT echoes (the bread of God's provision in the wilderness; the pillar of fire as light; God as shepherd in Psalm 23). Jesus's use of ἐγώ εἰμι with these predicates layers the divine name over the messianic role.

For your Greek reading, two words become a doorway. When you see ἐγώ εἰμι in John (and a few times in the Synoptics), pause. The grammar is simple — the most basic verb in the language. The theology is not. This is one of the places where reading the Greek changes how you see the English.

Going further Catrin Williams's I Am He: The Interpretation of 'Anî Hû' in Jewish and Early Christian Literature (Mohr Siebeck, 2000) traces the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek background of the divine self-identification formula. For the seven "I am" sayings of John, see David Mark Ball, "I Am" in John's Gospel (Sheffield Academic, 1996).

CorePart 5b — Other Irregular Verbs

A few high-frequency verbs have irregularities you should recognize when you see them.

Common Irregular Verbs
Reference table · lexical form ↔ meaning ↔ irregularity note
GreekTranslationNote
ἐσθίωI eatStem alternation; aorist is ἔφαγον (different stem)
πίνωI drinkAorist is ἔπιον (2nd aorist)
πίπτωI fallAorist is ἔπεσον
ἀπέρχομαιI departCompound of ἔρχομαι; same deponent pattern
εἰσέρχομαιI enter, go inCompound (εἰς + ἔρχομαι)
ἐξέρχομαιI go outCompound (ἐξ + ἔρχομαι)

For these verbs, the present-tense forms are mostly regular (use the standard endings on the present stem); but when you reach the past tenses, the aorist often comes from a completely different stem. We'll meet those in Lessons 15–16.

CorePart 5c — οἶδα: A Verb That Looks Past but Means Present

One verb you'll encounter constantly in the NT acts strangely: οἶδα. Its form is perfect tense (technically — it has the reduplication and stative formation you'll meet in Lesson 19). But its meaning is plain present: "I know." This is one of those quirks that you have to internalize early so you don't mistranslate hundreds of NT verses.

The forms to recognize

οἶδα — "I know" (perfect form, present meaning)
Layer 3 · Perfect-form paradigm translated as plain present (suppletive past origin)
PersonSingularPlural
1stοἶδα ("I know")οἴδαμεν ("we know")
2ndοἶδας ("you know")οἴδατε ("you know")
3rdοἶδεν ("he/she knows")οἴδασιν ("they know")

Why this is true

The historical explanation is that οἶδα is the perfect tense of an ancient verb meaning "to see." The Greek perfect describes a past action with abiding result (Lesson 19). So οἶδα originally meant "I have seen [and so I now know]." Over time the past-action component dropped away and only the present "I know" survived. The form is frozen at the perfect; the meaning is fully present.

What to do when reading

The practical rule

When you see οἶδα, οἴδαμεν, οἴδατε, οἶδεν, οἴδασιν in the NT, translate as plain present "know" — never as "have known" or "knew." The form is perfect; the meaning is present. Treat οἶδα as if it were a present-tense verb of knowing (parallel to γινώσκω, the other "know" verb).

οἴδαμεν ὅτι ὁ νόμος πνευματικός ἐστιν.
"We know that the law is spiritual" (Romans 7:14). οἴδαμεν looks like a perfect form (no augment, no σ tense formative, but with the reduplicated-style stem οἰδ-) but means simply "we know." Don't translate "we have known" — that would be slightly wrong. Plain present.
οἶδα ταῦτα.
"I know these things." Common NT construction. Form is perfect; meaning is present.

οἶδα vs γινώσκω — two "know" verbs

Greek has two main verbs for "know," and the distinction sometimes carries weight:

The two verbs overlap heavily and are sometimes used interchangeably (especially in John). But where the distinction is sharp, οἶδα tilts toward "I just know" and γινώσκω tilts toward "I have come to know."

You'll meet the full perfect tense formally in Lesson 19. Until then, just remember: when you see οἶδα family forms, read them as plain present "know."

PracticeNow You Try It

Three sets of guided exercises — εἰμί parsing, "I am" sayings interpretation, and οἶδα recognition.

Set 1 — Parse εἰμί forms

For each form, identify person and number.

ἐσμέν
  • Person and number?
  • Translation?
εἶ
  • Person and number?
  • Why is this circumflex?
  • Translation?
εἰσίν
  • Person and number?
  • What does the ν at the end do?
Reveal answers

ἐσμέν: 1st plural ("we are"). Translation: "we are."

εἶ: 2nd singular ("you are"). The circumflex is over the long vowel result of εἰ contracting from an older form. Translation: "you (singular) are." (Common in dialogue.)

εἰσίν: 3rd plural ("they are"). The final ν is movable nu — added because the next word begins with a vowel (or for ending a sentence). The form εἰσί appears before consonants.

Set 2 — Predicated or absolute "I am"?

For each saying, identify whether ἐγώ εἰμι is predicated (followed by a noun phrase) or absolute (standing alone). Then explain what the saying claims.

ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή.
  • Predicated or absolute?
  • What's the predicate?
  • What OT image does this draw on?
πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγὼ εἰμί.
  • Predicated or absolute?
  • What's the temporal contrast?
  • How would you translate to preserve the force?
ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός.
  • Predicated or absolute?
  • What attributive position pattern is in the predicate?
  • What OT image is in view?
Reveal answers

ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή: Predicated. Two predicates linked by καί: "the resurrection and the life." OT image: the resurrection hope of Daniel 12 and the prophetic vision of God restoring his people. Spoken to Martha at Lazarus's tomb (John 11:25). Claim: Jesus is not only the agent of resurrection but the very resurrection-and-life itself.

πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγὼ εἰμί: Absolute — no predicate after ἐγὼ εἰμί. The temporal contrast: γενέσθαι is aorist (Abraham's coming-into-being is a snapshot past event); εἰμί is present (Jesus's being is presently true). Translation: "Before Abraham came to be, I AM" — preserve the absolute force; don't add "he" or any other predicate.

ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός: Predicated. Predicate uses second attributive position (article + noun + article + adjective) — "the shepherd, the good [one]." OT image: God-as-shepherd in Psalm 23 and Ezekiel 34, where God promises to be the true shepherd of his people. Jesus claims that role.

Set 3 — οἶδα recognition

For each phrase, identify the οἶδα form and translate as plain present.

οἴδαμεν ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἀγαθός ἐστιν.
  • What's the form of οἴδαμεν?
  • Why translate as present, not perfect?
  • Translation?
οὐκ οἶδα τὸν ἄνθρωπον.
  • Form?
  • Translation?
  • Where does this appear in the NT?
σὺ οἶδας πάντα.
  • Form?
  • Translation?
  • Where does this appear?
Reveal answers

οἴδαμεν ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἀγαθός ἐστιν: οἴδαμεν is 1pl. Translate as plain present because οἶδα family verbs always have present meaning despite the perfect form. Translation: "We know that God is good." Not "we have known."

οὐκ οἶδα τὸν ἄνθρωπον: οἶδα = 1sg. Translation: "I do not know the man." (Peter's denial — Mark 14:71 area.) Plain present negative.

σὺ οἶδας πάντα: οἶδας = 2sg. The explicit σύ is emphatic ("you yourself"). Translation: "You know all things." (Peter's confession to the risen Jesus, John 21:17.) Notice the dramatic explicit pronoun.

PracticeBDAG-Style Parsing Drill — 20 Worked Examples

Guided Practice Do not rush this section. These examples are not a test. Understanding the first five today is success.

Twenty NT-attested forms of εἰμί and the common irregulars (οἶδα, δύναμαι, φημί, ἔρχομαι-compounds; illustrative NT contexts cited inside drills), each parsed step by step using the four-step routine from Part 8. Every example follows the same pattern: (1) look at the form — does its ending match the regular thematic set, or is this an irregular?, (2) recognize the lexical form (εἰμί / οἶδα / δύναμαι / φημί / ἔρχομαι and its compounds), (3) state T-V-M-P-N + lexical form, (4) translate. The twenty cover all six present forms of εἰμί, its imperfect / future / participle, οἶδα with its "perfect form, present meaning" puzzle, δύναμαι with its athematic conjugation and complementary infinitive, φημί, and ἔρχομαι compounds.

εἰμί — the six present forms you must know cold 1 sg εἰμί · 2 sg εἶ · 3 sg ἐστί(ν) · 1 pl ἐσμέν · 2 pl ἐστέ · 3 pl εἰσί(ν). εἰμί appears 2,460+ times in the NT — more than any other verb. Until these six are automatic, every page of the NT will slow you down.
1ἐστίνεἰμί · 3 sg pres
BDAG-style entry: εἰμί — I am; there is (existential)
  1. Look at the form. Ending -τίν doesn't fit the regular thematic set (-ει would be regular 3 sg). → irregular.
  2. Lexical form. εἰμί. (The form ἐστίν is the 3 sg present indicative; movable ν before vowels and at sentence end.)
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres act ind, 3 sg, from εἰμί.
  4. Translate. "he/she/it is." Or "there is" if existential (depending on word order).
Parse: pres act ind 3 sg, from εἰμί
Translation: "is." The single most frequent verb-form in the NT (~900 occurrences). Often joins subject and predicate nominative: ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐστίν (cf. John 1:14, but actually ἐγένετο there) — "the word is flesh."
Exact NT form: Mt 1:20
2εἶεἰμί · 2 sg pres
BDAG-style entry: εἰμί — I am
  1. Look at the form. Bare diphthong with circumflex, no thematic -εις ending. → irregular.
  2. Lexical form. εἰμί. Trap: εἶ (circumflex, 2 sg verb "you are") looks identical in unaccented text to εἰ (smooth breathing alone, conjunction "if"). The circumflex on the verb form distinguishes them — train your eye on the diacritic.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres act ind, 2 sg, from εἰμί.
  4. Translate. "you (sg) are."
Parse: pres act ind 2 sg, from εἰμί
Translation: "you are." σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός (Matt 16:16, Peter's confession), "you are the Christ." The accent on εἶ is the diagnostic.
Exact NT form: Mt 2:6
3εἰμίεἰμί · 1 sg pres (lex form)
BDAG-style entry: εἰμί — I am
  1. Look at the form. -μί ending (no thematic vowel) is the athematic-conjugation signature.
  2. Lexical form. εἰμί IS the lexical form (the 1 sg present indicative).
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres act ind, 1 sg, from εἰμί.
  4. Translate. "I am." When emphatic (with ἐγώ), it carries divine-name weight (see drill 5).
Parse: pres act ind 1 sg, from εἰμί
Translation: "I am." Alone it's just the copula; with ἐγώ in the same clause it's the famous Johannine "I am" formula.
Exact NT form: Mt 3:11
4ἐσμένεἰμί · 1 pl pres
BDAG-style entry: εἰμί — I am
  1. Look at the form. -μέν ending = athematic 1 pl (no thematic ο before -μεν).
  2. Lexical form. εἰμί.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres act ind, 1 pl, from εἰμί.
  4. Translate. "we are."
Parse: pres act ind 1 pl, from εἰμί
Translation: "we are." ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ (1 John 4:6), "we are from God." Predicate is a prepositional phrase, not a nominative noun.
Exact NT form: Mk 5:9
5ἐστέεἰμί · 2 pl pres
BDAG-style entry: εἰμί — I am
  1. Look at the form. Ending -τέ. Trap: ἐστέ (2 pl, "you all are") vs ἐστί (3 sg, "is"). The vowel difference (ε vs ι) is the whole distinction.
  2. Lexical form. εἰμί.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres act ind, 2 pl, from εἰμί.
  4. Translate. "you (pl) are."
Parse: pres act ind 2 pl, from εἰμί
Translation: "you are." ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου (Matt 5:14), "you are the light of the world." With explicit ὑμεῖς (Lesson 8 emphasis), the "you" is contrastive.
Exact NT form: Mt 5:11
6εἰσίνεἰμί · 3 pl pres
BDAG-style entry: εἰμί — I am
  1. Look at the form. -σίν ending. Athematic 3 pl, movable ν.
  2. Lexical form. εἰμί.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres act ind, 3 pl, from εἰμί.
  4. Translate. "they are" or "there are" (existential).
Parse: pres act ind 3 pl, from εἰμί
Translation: "they are" / "there are." πολλοί εἰσιν κλητοί (Matt 22:14), "many are called."
Exact NT form: Mt 2:18
7ἦνεἰμί · 3 sg impf
BDAG-style entry: εἰμί — I am (imperfect: ἦν "he/she/it was")
  1. Look at the form. ἦν — doesn't match any thematic ending. Stem ἠ- (the long-vowel stem of εἰμί's imperfect).
  2. Lexical form. εἰμί. ἦν is the 3 sg imperfect — the highest-frequency single past-tense form in the NT.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. impf act ind, 3 sg, from εἰμί. Aspect: imperfective, continuous past being.
  4. Translate. "he/she/it was." Imperfect aspect: continuous existence in past time.
Parse: impf act ind 3 sg, from εἰμί
Translation: "was." ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος (John 1:1), "in the beginning was the Word." The imperfect aspect is theologically loaded here: the Word's existence was already ongoing when "the beginning" occurred — not a coming-into-being but a continuous being.
Exact NT form: Mt 1:18
8ἦσανεἰμί · 3 pl impf
BDAG-style entry: εἰμί — I am (imperfect 3 pl: ἦσαν "they were")
  1. Look at the form. ἦσαν — stem ἠ- + -σαν 3 pl secondary-active ending.
  2. Lexical form. εἰμί.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. impf act ind, 3 pl, from εἰμί.
  4. Translate. "they were."
Parse: impf act ind 3 pl, from εἰμί
Translation: "they were." Common in NT narrative descriptions: ἦσαν δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ..., "now the disciples were..."
Exact NT form: Mt 4:18
9ἤμηνεἰμί · 1 sg impf
BDAG-style entry: εἰμί — I am (imperfect 1 sg: ἤμην "I was")
  1. Look at the form. Stem ἠ- + -μην. Note: -μην is normally a M/P 1 sg ending, but εἰμί's imperfect uses M/P-style endings for its 1 sg even though εἰμί isn't a middle/passive verb. This is one of εἰμί's many irregularities.
  2. Lexical form. εἰμί.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. impf act ind, 1 sg, from εἰμί. (Active in voice despite the M/P-shaped ending — suppletive paradigm.)
  4. Translate. "I was."
Parse: impf act ind 1 sg, from εἰμί
Translation: "I was." ὅτε ἤμην παιδίον, "when I was a child" (cf. 1 Cor 13:11).
Exact NT form: Mt 25:35
10ἔσταιεἰμί · 3 sg future
BDAG-style entry: εἰμί — I am (future 3 sg: ἔσται "will be"; future stem ἐσ-)
  1. Look at the form. Stem ἐσ- + -ται 3 sg M/P-style ending. εἰμί uses a different stem (ἐσ-) for its future and the endings look middle/passive.
  2. Lexical form. εἰμί.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. fut act ind, 3 sg, from εἰμί. (Suppletive: middle-passive-shaped ending, active meaning.)
  4. Translate. "will be." Common in NT prophecy and parable conclusions.
Parse: fut act ind 3 sg, from εἰμί
Translation: "will be." ἔσται σημεῖον ("there will be a sign"). Common eschatological formula.
Exact NT form: Mt 5:21
11ὁ ὤνεἰμί · masc nom sg participle
BDAG-style entry: εἰμί — I am (present participle: ὤν, οὖσα, ὄν "being, the one who is")
  1. Look at the form. ὤν with circumflex + smooth breathing — the present participle of εἰμί (m/n stem in -οντ-, fem in -ουσα).
  2. Lexical form. εἰμί. The full participle paradigm is ὤν, οὖσα, ὄν (m/f/n nom sg).
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres act participle, masc nom sg, from εἰμί.
  4. Translate. "the one who is" / "being."
Parse: pres act participle masc nom sg, from εἰμί
Translation: "the one who is." ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν (Exodus 3:14 LXX), "I am the one who is." Foundational divine-name formula and the explicit antecedent of Jesus's ἐγώ εἰμι sayings in John.
Exact NT form: Jn 1:18
12οἶδαοἶδα · 1 sg (perf form, pres meaning)
BDAG-style entry: οἶδα — I know (settled, factual knowledge; perfect form with present meaning)
  1. Look at the form. Reduplicated-style stem οἰδ- + perfect ending -α. Looks past, but isn't.
  2. Lexical form. οἶδα. Critical: the form is morphologically PERFECT but the meaning is plain PRESENT. Never translate as "I have known." Always plain present "I know." Distinct from γινώσκω (experiential, relational knowing) — οἶδα is settled factual knowledge.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres-meaning (perf form) ind act, 1 sg, from οἶδα.
  4. Translate. "I know." Plain present.
Parse: pres-meaning (perf form) ind act 1 sg, from οἶδα
Translation: "I know." οἶδα ὅτι ζῇ, "I know that he lives." The perfect-form-with-present-meaning is the second most common "irregular" in Greek (after εἰμί). Memorize the gloss as a plain present.
Exact NT form: Mt 25:12
13οἴδαμενοἶδα · 1 pl
BDAG-style entry: οἶδα — I know
  1. Look at the form. οιδ- + -αμεν (perfect 1 pl ending shape). Not the regular thematic 1 pl -ομεν.
  2. Lexical form. οἶδα.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres-meaning (perf form) ind act, 1 pl, from οἶδα.
  4. Translate. "we know." NEVER "we have known."
Parse: pres-meaning (perf form) ind act 1 pl, from οἶδα
Translation: "we know." οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι ὁ νόμος πνευματικός ἐστιν (Rom 7:14), "we know that the law is spiritual." Confessional / declarative.
Exact NT form: Mt 21:27
14οἶδαςοἶδα · 2 sg
BDAG-style entry: οἶδα — I know
  1. Look at the form. οιδ- + -ας (perfect 2 sg ending).
  2. Lexical form. οἶδα.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres-meaning (perf form) ind act, 2 sg, from οἶδα.
  4. Translate. "you know."
Parse: pres-meaning (perf form) ind act 2 sg, from οἶδα
Translation: "you know." Κύριε, σὺ πάντα οἶδας (John 21:17, Peter's final answer), "Lord, you know all things." Used 3x in John 21 in dialogue with Jesus — settled, factual knowledge.
Exact NT form: Mk 10:19
15δύναται σῶσαιδύναμαι · 3 sg + infinitive
BDAG-style entry: δύναμαι — I am able; I can (athematic deponent; takes complementary infinitive)
  1. Look at the form. δυνα- + -ται. ATHEMATIC — no connecting vowel ε between stem and ending. (Compare regular thematic 3 sg M/P -εται as in λύεται.) The athematic shape is the irregularity.
  2. Lexical form. δύναμαι. Deponent: m/p form, active meaning.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 3 sg, from δύναμαι.
  4. Translate. "he is able." Always look for the complementary infinitive (σῶσαι = "to save") — that's what δύναμαι is "able to do."
Parse: pres dep ind 3 sg, from δύναμαι
Translation: "he is able to save." δυνατὸς ... σῶσαι is the predicate-adjective form; δύναται σῶσαι is the verbal form. Hebrews 7:25: ὅθεν καὶ σῴζειν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς δύναται, "therefore also he is able to save completely."
Exact NT form: Mt 27:42
16δύνανταιδύναμαι · 3 pl
BDAG-style entry: δύναμαι — I am able
  1. Look at the form. δυνα- + -νται. Athematic 3 pl M/P ending (no thematic vowel; compare regular -ονται).
  2. Lexical form. δύναμαι.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 3 pl, from δύναμαι.
  4. Translate. "they are able."
Parse: pres dep ind 3 pl, from δύναμαι
Translation: "they are able." Usually with infinitive complement: "they are able [to do X]."
Exact NT form: Mt 9:15
17δύναμαιδύναμαι · 1 sg (lex form)
BDAG-style entry: δύναμαι — I am able
  1. Look at the form. δυνα- + -μαι. Athematic 1 sg M/P. This form IS the lexical citation.
  2. Lexical form. δύναμαι.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 1 sg, from δύναμαι.
  4. Translate. "I am able."
Parse: pres dep ind 1 sg, from δύναμαι
Translation: "I am able." πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με (Phil 4:13) uses ἰσχύω, but δύναμαι is the closer match in meaning. δύναμαι is never "I am empowered" (passive) — always "I am able" (deponent, active sense).
Exact NT form: Mt 9:28
18φησίνφημί · 3 sg (athematic)
BDAG-style entry: φημί — I say; I declare (athematic; lower-frequency than λέγω but used as a quotation tag)
  1. Look at the form. Stem φη- + -σίν. Athematic 3 sg active (compare εἰμί's ἐστίν: same -σί(ν) shape). Both εἰμί and φημί are athematic.
  2. Lexical form. φημί. The athematic conjugation gives it irregular endings throughout.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres act ind, 3 sg, from φημί.
  4. Translate. "he/she says." Often as a quotation tag inside narrative: ... φησίν ..., "... he says ..."
Parse: pres act ind 3 sg, from φημί
Translation: "he says." Less common than λέγει, but appears in narrative as a quotation marker. Treat as a low-frequency synonym of λέγει with the same translation.
Exact NT form: Mt 13:29
19εἰσέρχονταιἔρχομαι compound · 3 pl
BDAG-style entry: εἰσέρχομαι — I enter; I go in (compound of εἰς "into" + ἔρχομαι "come/go"; inherits deponent pattern)
  1. Look at the form. -ονται 3 pl M/P ending; prefix εἰσ- attached. Recognize as a compound.
  2. Lexical form. εἰσέρχομαι. Compounds of ἔρχομαι inherit its deponent pattern (m/p form, active meaning). Other common compounds: ἐξέρχομαι ("go out"), προσέρχομαι ("come to, approach"), παρέρχομαι ("pass by"), συνέρχομαι ("come together, gather").
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 3 pl, from εἰσέρχομαι.
  4. Translate. "they enter." εἰς + acc identifies the destination: εἰσέρχονται εἰς τὸν οἶκον, "they enter the house."
Parse: pres dep ind 3 pl, from εἰσέρχομαι
Translation: "they enter." Recognize the prefix + parse the rest of the form as you would simple ἔρχομαι.
Related NT form: Jn 10:1
20ἐξέρχεται ἐκ τοῦ οἴκουἔρχομαι compound · 3 sg
BDAG-style entry: ἐξέρχομαι — I go out; I depart (compound of ἐκ "out of" + ἔρχομαι)
  1. Look at the form. -εται 3 sg M/P ending; prefix ἐξ- (which is ἐκ with σ-insertion before the vowel).
  2. Lexical form. ἐξέρχομαι. Inherits ἔρχομαι's deponent pattern.
  3. T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 3 sg, from ἐξέρχομαι.
  4. Translate. "he goes out / departs." The prepositional phrase ἐκ + gen ("out of the house") reinforces the prefix's directional sense.
Parse: pres dep ind 3 sg, from ἐξέρχομαι
Translation: "he goes out of the house." Compound + matching preposition is a common NT pattern (verbal prefix and prepositional phrase both encode the same directional sense). ἐξήρχοντο πρὸς αὐτόν (Mark 1:5), "they were going out to him."
Exact NT form: Mt 15:18
Practice plan Run all twenty out loud. Force yourself to (1) look at the form and name the irregularity (athematic ending? perfect-form? compound prefix?), (2) state the lexical form, (3) state the parse, (4) give an English. The four-step routine collapses to a recognition reflex within about fifty repetitions. Drills 1–6 are the six εἰμί present forms — memorize these cold; they appear on every page of the NT. Drills 7–11 are εἰμί's other tenses + the participle. Drills 12–14 are οἶδα — never translate as past. Drills 15–17 are δύναμαι — always look for the complementary infinitive. Drill 18 is φημί. Drills 19–20 are ἔρχομαι compounds. The single most common mistake: translating οἶδα as past ("I knew" or "I have known") — always plain present "I know."

PracticeTranslation Exercises

Translate
  1. ὁ θεὸς πατήρ ἐστιν.
  2. ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου.
  3. ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός. [ποιμήν = "shepherd"]
  4. οὐκ ἔστιν δοῦλος ὑπὲρ τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ.
  5. εἰμὶ ἀδελφὸς ὑμῶν.
  6. οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐσθίουσιν μετὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
  7. οὐκ εἰσὶν δίκαιοι ἐν τῇ γῇ.
Answers 1. God is father.
2. You (pl) are the light of the world. (Matt 5:14.)
3. I am the good shepherd. (John 10:11.)
4. A slave is not above his master.
5. I am your brother.
6. The sinners eat with Jesus.
7. There are no righteous people on the earth. (Existential use of εἰσίν.)
Practice — drill the concepts

Five skill-specific drill sets, then a cumulative Mastery Test of 44 questions on εἰμί and irregular verbs — εἰμί's full paradigm with rough/smooth breathing distinctions, predicate nominative grammar, the existential ("there is") use, the "I AM" sayings of John, and parsing common irregulars (πίπτω, πίνω, ἐσθίω). Items you miss loop until mastered.

Vocabulary — Lesson 13 14 words including εἰμί, οἶδα, and select irregulars
GreekTranslit.Meaning
εἰμίeimiI am
οἶδαoidaI know (perfect form with present meaning — complements γινώσκω)
ἀπέρχομαιaperchomaiI depart, go away
εἰσέρχομαιeiserchomaiI enter, go in
ἐξέρχομαιexerchomaiI go out, come out
ἐσθίωesthiōI eat
πίνωpinōI drink
πίπτωpiptōI fall
ὑπάγωhypagōI go away, depart
ὑποστρέφωhypostrephōI return
προσφέρωprospherōI bring to, offer
ἀπολύωapolyōI release, send away
ὑπακούωhypakouōI obey (+ dat)
ὑποτάσσωhypotassōI subject, subordinate
End of Unit III With Lesson 13 you've completed the present-tense indicative — active, middle, passive, contracts, and εἰμί. You can now read most simple NT sentences in real time. Unit IV next moves into past tenses (imperfect, aorist) and Unit V handles future and perfect. The verb system has many more forms to learn, but every one builds on what you now know about person, number, voice, and the personal endings.