up:: [[Greek MOC]], [[Greek Verb Voices]]
# Greek Verb Aspects
Like most European languages, Greek has two **aspects**: the *perfective* and *imperfective*. Aspect describes how a verb extends over time. In Greek, these determine which of the two verb roots (simple/perfective, continuous/imperfective) one would use for a verb.
## The Imperfective Aspect
The **imperfective aspect** refers to actions that happen continually or habitually. Tenses in this aspect use the same root as the present tense.
### Tenses in This Aspect
- Present (κλείνω)
- [[The Past Imperfect (Continuous Past) Tense]] (έκλεινα)
- Future Continous (θα κλείνω)
### Examples
- Κλείνω το φως
- I am turning off the light
- Έκλεινα τις πόρτες
- I was closing the doors
- Θα κλείνω τις πόρτες
- I will be closing the doors
## The Perfective Aspect
The **perfective aspect** refers to actions that are *bounded and unitary*, without reference to flow of time. Tenses in this aspect use the same root as the simple past or **aorist** tense.
### Tenses in This Aspect
- Dependent/subjunctive (να κλείσω)
- Simple past (aorist) (έκλεισα)
- Simple future (θα κλείσω)
### Examples
- Θέλω να κλείσω το φως
- I want to shut off the light
- Έκλεισα τις πόρτες
- I closed the doors
- Θα κλέισω τις πόρτες
- I will close the doors
## Sources
- [Grammatical aspect - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_aspect)