faho cerow qomuw xayuk sayoqej rutimu vojem

The pluperfect tense (middle/passive) in Modern Greek is formed using the following structure:

1. The auxiliary verb "είχα" (ícha) - the imperfect of "έχω" (écho, "to have")
2. The passive participle of the main verb

The passive participle is created by adding the ending "-μένος" (-ménos) to the verb stem, with appropriate gender and number agreement.

Usage

This tense is used to express actions that:

1. Had been completed before another past action
2. Had continued up to a specific point in the past

It often appears in conjunction with the aorist or imperfect tenses to establish a sequence of events in the past.

Examples

• Είχα γραφτεί στο πανεπιστήμιο πριν μετακομίσω. (Ícha graftí sto panepistímio prin metakomíso.)

  • I had been enrolled in the university before I moved.

• Το σπίτι είχε χτιστεί πριν από εκατό χρόνια. (To spíti íche chtistí prin apó ekató chrónia.)

  • The house had been built a hundred years ago.

Peculiarities

1. Some verbs have irregular passive participles.
2. The pluperfect middle/passive is less commonly used in everyday speech compared to other past tenses.
3. In formal writing, it adds precision to the chronology of past events.

Comparison with Ancient Greek

Unlike Ancient Greek, Modern Greek does not distinguish between middle and passive voices in the pluperfect tense. The same form serves both functions, with context determining the specific meaning.