Lesson 10 | Infinitives
Grammar Point 2: Aorist (perfective) Infinitives
Aorist infinitives communicate perfective aspect. Since they are not in the indicative mood, they do not communicate time. Instead, the time of an infinitive depends on the context. Like aorist participles, there are two ways to form aorist infinitives: first aorist and second aorist. If an aorist participle forms as a first aorist participle, it will also form as a first aorist infinitive. If an aorist participle forms as a second aorist participle, it will also form as a second aorist infinitive. Let’s begin by learning about first aorist infinitives.
The First Aorist Infinitive
Like first aorist participles, first aorist infinitives form with a present tense stem and a perfective (σ or θ) tense former. So, remember to be on the lookout for scheming σ!
Learn the two key features for first aorist infinitives. Then, look at the example verb to help you see how these features work.
λῦσαι λύσασθαι λυθῆναι
The Second Aorist Infinitive
Like second aorist participles, second aorist infinitives form with a distinct aorist stem and tense formers that look similar to present infinitive tense formers.
βαλεῖν βαλέσθαι βληθῆναι
Examples from the Greek NT
καὶ τῷ θέλοντί σοι κριθῆναι καὶ τὸν χιτῶνά σου λαβεῖν, ἄφες αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον And to the one who wants for you to be judged and to take your shirt, give your cloak to that person too! —Matthew 5:40
This is a complex sentence. The main verb is far to the right. Authors often do this to introduce or emphasize a topic. In this case, the whole phrase from the initial καὶ to λαβεῖν is picked up by the pronoun αὐτῷ. The diagram clarifies this:
Let’s focus on the participial phrase. Can you parse τῷ θέλοντί? We see the present stem, the οντ tense former, and the third pattern ending. It is a present, active, participle, dative, masculine, singular from θέλω: “to the one who wants.” This is one of those verbs that leaves us without a complete action. So, we are left asking: “to the one who wants what?” The two infinitives answer that question for us. Together, they complete the participle’s action: to the one who wants for you to be judged and to take your cloak.”
Can you parse κριθῆναι? We see the θηναι tense former and know that this is a first aorist, passive, infinitive from κρίνω. The θ caused the νfrom the stem to drop out. It is an aorist infinitive. So, it communicates perfective aspect.
How about λαβεῖν? We see the aorist stem and the ειν tense former. So, this is a second aorist, active, infinitive from λαμβάνω. Note how it takes its own direct object.
ὅτι ἦλθεν ἐκ τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς ἀκοῦσαι τὴν σοφίαν Σολομῶνος because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. —Matthew 12:42
This clause has one infinitive in it: ἀκοῦσαι. Can you parse it? We see the σαι tense former and know that It is an aorist, active, infinitive. How is it functioning in this clause? Let’s look at the diagram to get a clearer picture.
Πολλὰ εἶχον γράψαι σοι ἀλλ᾿ οὐ θέλω διὰ μέλανος καὶ καλάμου σοι γράφειν· I had many things to write to you, but I do not want through ink and pen to write to you. —3 John 13
This example has one aorist infinitive and one present infinitive from the same verb: γράφω. Can you parse them? For γράφειν, we see the present stem and the ειν tense former. So, it is a present, active, infinitive. What about γράψαι? It has the same stem as the present tense-form stem and has the first aorist active infinitive tense former (σαι). Scheming σ changed the φ to a ψ (γραφ + σαι = γράψαι). It is an aorist, active, infinitive.
Here is the diagram to help you see this sentence’s structure.
In the diagram, we see that γράψαι actually describes Πολλὰ further and not the verb directly. Authors often used infinitives to explain another word. John did not just have many things. He had many things to write. The second infinitive (γράφειν) completes that clause’s main verb: “I do not want to write.”
Before moving on, this quizlet will give you a chance to practice parsing aorist infinitives.