Present and Imperfect Middle/Passive

Voice

Voice describes how the subject relates to the action. In the active voice, the subject does the action: 'the apostle teaches'. In the passive voice, the subject receives it: 'the apostle is taught'. The middle voice, which English lacks, means the subject acts with a special interest or involvement in the result — 'I loose for myself', 'I ransom'.

In the present and imperfect tenses, middle and passive share exactly the same forms. Start with the verb's dictionary meaning, then check the subject, any object, and the rest of the sentence. λύεται may mean 'he releases for himself' in a suitable middle use or 'he is released' in a passive use. A middle ending does not by itself mean 'himself', and a shared ending does not make a passive translation the default.

When a passive verb names who did the action, Greek uses ὑπό + genitive: 'he was taught by the apostle'. When it names the tool or means, Greek uses a bare dative: 'justified by faith'. Keep these two agency constructions distinct in your translation.

• ἐδιδάσκοντο ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου — they were being taught by the apostle (ὑπό + genitive = agent)
• ὁ δοῦλος λύεται λόγῳ. — The slave is released by a word (dative = means).

Endings

The primary (present) middle/passive endings are: -ομαι, -ῃ, -εται, -ομεθα, -εσθε, -ονται. Attached to λυ-, they give λύομαι, λύῃ, λύεται, λυόμεθα, λύεσθε, λύονται. The vowel before each ending is the same connecting vowel you already know from the active.

The secondary (imperfect) set is: -ομην, -ου, -ετο, -ομεθα, -εσθε, -οντο — with the augment in front, of course: ἐλυόμην, ἐλύου, ἐλύετο, and so on. Compare the two sets side by side and you will see they are near-twins: -ομαι/-ομην, -εται/-ετο, -ονται/-οντο.

Some verbs appear only in middle/passive forms yet have active meanings: ἔρχομαι 'I come', πορεύομαι 'I go', γίνομαι 'I become', ἀποκρίνομαι 'I answer'. These are traditionally called deponent verbs. Do not try to force a passive translation — just learn their meanings as given in the vocabulary.

• ἔρχεται ὁ κύριος — the Lord is coming (deponent: middle form, active meaning)
• λύεται ὁ δεσμός — the bond is being loosed (passive subject in the nominative)
• ἐγίνετο φωνή — a voice was coming to be (deponent imperfect)

Vocabulary (11)

ἔρχομαι

I come, go

γίνομαι

I become, come into being; it happens

πορεύομαι

I go, travel, proceed

ἀποκρίνομαι

I answer, reply

δέχομαι

I receive, accept

βούλομαι

I wish, am willing

ἄρχομαι

I begin

δύναμαι

I am able

εὐαγγελίζομαι

I proclaim good news

ἀσπάζομαι

I greet, welcome

προσεύχομαι

I pray