The Mediopassive Present - Both Types
The mediopassive present has TWO ending patterns you must not mix. The plain -ομαι type (χάνομαι, δέχομαι, ετοιμάζομαι) runs -ομαι, -εσαι, -εται, -όμαστε, -εστε, -ονται. The contracted -άμαι type (κοιμάμαι, θυμάμαι, φοβάμαι) runs -άμαι, -άσαι, -άται, -όμαστε, -άστε, -ούνται. They differ only in the singular and the 3rd plural: χάνεσαι but φοβάσαι, χάνεται but φοβάται. The 1st plural -όμαστε is shared by both. Learn which type a verb is from its 1st-person form: -ομαι → the plain set, -άμαι → the contracted set.
The rule
The mediopassive present has two ending patterns. The plain -ομαι type runs -ομαι, -εσαι, -εται, -όμαστε, -εστε, -ονται (χάνομαι, χάνεσαι, χάνεται…). The contracted -άμαι type runs -άμαι, -άσαι, -άται, -όμαστε, -άστε, -ούνται (φοβάμαι, φοβάσαι, φοβάται…). They differ only in the singular and the 3rd plural - χάνεσαι but φοβάσαι, χάνονται but φοβούνται - and share the 1st plural -όμαστε. Learn the type from the 1st-person form: -ομαι → the plain set, -άμαι → the contracted set.
Paradigm
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | χάνομαι† | χανόμαστε† |
| 2nd | χάνεσαι† | χάνεστε† |
| 3rd | χάνεται† | χάνονται† |
- Mediopassive of the active χάνω ("I lose"): χάνομαι = "I get lost / go missing".
- 1pl -όμαστε; stress on the ending.
- -ομαι type 2sg: -εσαι.
- -ομαι type 2pl: -εστε.
- -ομαι type 3sg: -εται.
- -ομαι type 3pl: -ονται.
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | φοβάμαι† | φοβόμαστε† |
| 2nd | φοβάσαι† | φοβάστε† |
| 3rd | φοβάται† | φοβούνται† |
- Contracted -άμαι deponent ("I am afraid"), same pattern as κοιμάμαι.
- 1pl -όμαστε (shared with the -ομαι type).
- Contracted 2sg: -άσαι (not the -εσαι of the -ομαι type).
- Contracted 2pl: -άστε. VARIANT: φοβόσαστε also occurs.
- Contracted 3sg: -άται ("he/she is afraid").
- Contracted 3pl: -ούνται.