The perfect: έχω περάσει τις εξετάσεις
Beside the aorist Greek has the perfect — "έχω" plus an unchanging verb form: έχω γράψει, έχω πάει, έχω δει. It answers not "when did it happen" but "do I carry this experience" and "does it matter now". For example: “Έχω περάσει όλες τις εξετάσεις” — I have passed all the exams. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Beside the aorist Greek has the perfect — "έχω (ékho)" plus an unchanging verb form: έχω γράψει, έχω πάει (ékho pái), έχω δει (ékho di). It answers not "when did it happen" but "do I carry this experience" and "does it matter now".
It is built more simply than in any neighboring language: the second part never changes — not by person, not by gender, not by number. Έχω πάει, έχεις πάει (ékhis pái), η Άννα έχει πάει (i Ána ékhi pái) — the helper conjugates, the participle does not, exactly like "I have gone / she has gone".
The form is taken from the aorist stem: γράφω (gráfo) → γράψει, βλέπω (vlépo) → δει (di), τρώω (tróo) → φάει. So it needs no separate learning: whoever learned the aorist knows the perfect.
The classic mistake is putting the perfect where a Greek would say the aorist. A concrete past event takes the aorist, even if it was an hour ago: Πέρασα τις εξετάσεις χθες (pérasa tis eksetásis khthes). The perfect is for when the sentence names no time at all: Έχω περάσει όλες τις εξετάσεις (ékho perási óles tis eksetásis) — I have passed them all, and that is my present state of affairs.
The past perfect works the same way with είχα (íkha): Είχα διαβάσει πριν το διαγώνισμα (íkha diavási prin to diagónizma) — I had prepared even before the test.
Table
| present | aorist | perfect |
|---|---|---|
| γράφω | έγραψα | έχω γράψει |
| βλέπω | είδα | έχω δει |
| πηγαίνω | πήγα | έχω πάει |
| τρώω | έφαγα | έχω φάει |
| λέω | είπα | έχω πει |
By example
- Έχω περάσει όλες τις εξετάσειςékho perási óles tis eksetásisI have passed all the exams
- Δεν έχω δει ποτέ τέτοιο λάθοςden ékho di poté tétio láthosI have never seen such a mistake
- Είχα διαβάσει πριν το διαγώνισμαíkha diavási prin to diagónizmaI had prepared even before the test
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Greek aorist vs perfect?
Beside the aorist Greek has the perfect — "έχω" plus an unchanging verb form: έχω γράψει, έχω πάει, έχω δει. It answers not "when did it happen" but "do I carry this experience" and "does it matter now".
Έχω γράψει vs έγραψα?
It is built more simply than in any neighboring language: the second part never changes — not by person, not by gender, not by number. Έχω πάει, έχεις πάει, η Άννα έχει πάει — the helper conjugates, the participle does not, exactly like "I have gone / she has gone".
Greek perfect or aorist: which one?
The form is taken from the aorist stem: γράφω → γράψει, βλέπω → δει, τρώω → φάει. So it needs no separate learning: whoever learned the aorist knows the perfect.
How to say I have already been to Greece?
The classic mistake is putting the perfect where a Greek would say the aorist. A concrete past event takes the aorist, even if it was an hour ago: Πέρασα τις εξετάσεις χθες. The perfect is for when the sentence names no time at all: Έχω περάσει όλες τις εξετάσεις — I have passed them all, and that…
How είχα διαβάσει is built?
The past perfect works the same way with είχα: Είχα διαβάσει πριν το διαγώνισμα — I had prepared even before the test.
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Έχω περάσει όλες τις εξετάσεις” (ékho perási óles tis eksetásis) — I have passed all the exams. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.