Lesson 7 | Greek Verbs and Present (Imperfective) Participles

Grammar Point 2: Present Active Participles

Participles are verbal adjectives. Like verbs, they communicate actions and states. Like adjectives and adverbs, they describe other words. Our journey into the Koine Greek verbal system begins with participles because participles are like a bridge between verbs and non-verbs. They contain elements of verbs, but they also contain some of the same elements that you learned about with nouns and adjectives. Each participle communicates five pieces of information: (1) tense-form, (2) voice, (3) case, (4) gender, and (5) number. There are four kinds of participles in Koine Greek: present, aorist, perfect, and future. Future participles rarely occur in the Greek NT. So, we will not learn about them in this course.
In this lesson, we will learn about present participles. Present participles communicate imperfective aspect. However, the participle’s time depends on the main verb. As a result, they communicate an action that occurs during the main verb’s action. For example, take Matthew 4:18.
περιπατῶν δὲ παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν τῆς Γαλιλαίας εἶδεν δύο ἀδελφούς (ΝΑ28)

Now while he was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers.
I bolded and italicized the participle in this example. The main verb is in the past: he saw (εἶδεν). The present participle (περιπατῶν) happens during the action of the main verb: while he was walking, he saw.
As adverbs, participles can describe the main verb’s action in many ways. Participles can describe the main verb’s cause, manner, and means. However, as beginning students, you can focus on translating present participles in a simple way that shows the present participle occurs during the main verb’s action. Adverbial participles use the main verb’s subject and are in the nominative case. 
Remember, though, that participles can also function as adjectives. When they do, they act just like the adjectives we learned about in the last lesson.
Since participles combine components of both verbs and adjectives, they can take many forms. Instead of memorizing a chart for each kind of participle, we will focus on the three key features (the stem, the tense former, and the ending pattern) that form each kind of participle.

Present Active Participles
Learn the three key features for present active participles. Then, study the chart to help you see how they work. 


You will see this “3 Key Features” table build as we continue to learn the participles. This first time, let’s make sure everything is clear.
The Stem: The stem is the present tense-form stem.
The Tense Former: Masculine and neuter take the οντ tense former. Feminine takes the ουσ tense former.
The Ending Pattern: Masculine and neuter follow the third noun pattern. Feminine follows the first noun pattern.


You should notice two particular pieces of this paradigm. First, the masculine and neuter forms follow the third noun pattern, and the feminine forms follow the first noun pattern. Thus, if you memorized the noun patterns, you do not need to memorize every form on this paradigm. However, you do need to remember which noun pattern each gender follows. 
Second, notice the tense formers. The οντ (for masculine and neuter participles) and the ουσ (for feminine) tell us that these are present active participles. The οντ marker changes in some forms when timid τ comes at the end of the word.
Use this quizlet to practice parsing λύω as a present active participle. If you know the three key features for present active participles, you should be able to do well.

Example
λύοντες
Present, active, participle, nominative, masculine, plural from λύω



Examples from the Greek NT
ἦλθεν γὰρ Ἰωάννης μήτε ἐσθίων μήτε πίνων, (NA28)

For John came neither eating nor drinking,

—Matthew 11:18
There are two present participles in this clause: ἐσθίων (eating) and πίνων (drinking). Can you parse them? They are both present, active, participles, nominative, masculine, singular from ἐσθίω and πίνω. We know this because of the present stem and the οντ tense former (timid τ drops off the end and the remaining -ον lengthens to -ων). Both participles are adverbs that describe what John was not doing when he came. Note how the participles' imperfective aspect affect the meaning. The speaker portrays these actions as happening during the action of the main verb. Since the main verb is in the past, the participles also happen in the past during the main verb's action.

...ἀλλ᾿ ἐπὶ τῷ θεῷ τῷ ἐγείροντι τοὺς νεκρούς· (NA28)

...but instead upon, God who raises the dead.

—2 Corinthians 1:9
In this phrase we have one participle: τῷ ἐγείροντι (who raises). Can you parse it? We see the present stem, the οντ tense former, and the third pattern ending. So, this is a present, active, participle, dative, masculine, singular from εγείρω. The participle matches τῷ θεῷ in case, gender, and number. Therefore, it is an adjectival participle that describes τῷ θεῷ.

οὐ γάρ ἐστε ὑμεῖς οἱ λαλοῦντες ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον (NA28)

For you are not the ones who are speaking but instead the Holy Spirit.

—Mark 13:11
οἱ λαλοῦντες is our participle. Can you parse it? We see the present stem, the οντ tense former (λαλε + οντες = λαλοῦντες), and the third pattern ending. So, this is a present, active, participle, nominative, masculine, plural from λαλέω. The participle has the article, which means it is an adjectival participle. More specifically, it is a substantival participle. The participle stands in for a noun: “the ones who are speaking.”

λυόντων δὲ αὐτῶν τὸν πῶλον εἶπαν οἱ κύριοι αὐτοῦ πρὸς αὐτούς… (NA28)

Now, while they were untying the colt, its owners said to them...

—Luke 19:33
Can you parse λυόντων? We see the present stem, the οντ tense former, and the third pattern ending. Therefore, λυόντων is a present, active, participle, genitive, masculine, plural from λύω.
This is a special kind of adverbial participle called a genitive absolute. When we see a genitive participle with its own genitive subject (αὐτῶν), it is called a genitive absolute. Adverbial participles usually borrow the main verb’s subject and occur in the nominative case. A genitive absolute allows an author to use an adverbial participle with a different subject. So, here we have "while they were untying...its owners said..."

Cheat Sheet: Noun Patterns, The Article, 1st/2nd Pronouns, Participle Key FeaturespdfA printable cheat sheet containing all that you need to know for participles