Voices

The Greek verb shows distinctions of voice, mood, verbal noun, tense, number, and person.

Voices.—There are three voices: active, middle, and passive.

a. The middle usually denotes that the subject acts on himself or for himself, as λούομαι wash myself, ἀμῡ́νομαι defend myself (lit. ward off for myself).

b. The passive borrows all its forms, except the future and aorist, from the middle.

c. Deponent verbs have an active meaning but only middle (or middle and passive) forms. If its aorist has the middle form, a deponent is called a middle deponent (χαρίζομαι gratify, ἐχαρισάμην); if its aorist has the passive form, a deponent is called a passive deponent (ἐνθῡμέομαι reflect on, ἐνεθῡμήθην). Deponents usually prefer the passive to the middle forms of the aorist.