Mediopassive Aorist (-θηκα) | Greek Grammar

The other half of the mediopassive past is the finished one: a single, bounded event that happened and was over. Its trademark ending is -θηκα, and it is the perfective past of the entire voice — passive, reflexive, middle and deponent alike: it got written, I got dressed, I got scared, I got lost. This page gives you the recognition view — where -θηκα sits in the system, what it means, and the three consonant faces it wears — then routes you to Aorist Mediopassive: -θηκα for the full paradigm and to the -στηκα / -χτηκα variants for the fusion rules.

Where -θηκα sits in the system

Line the past up against the present and the imperfect and the aorist's job becomes obvious. Take χάνομαι (get lost):

Present	Imperfect (ongoing)	Aorist (finished)
χάνομαι I get lost	χανόμουν I was getting lost	χάθηκα I got lost

The imperfect -όμουν stretches an action out across past time; the aorist -θηκα packages it as one completed event. That is the same aspectual contrast English draws between was getting lost and got lost — and choosing between them is the single most important decision when you put the mediopassive into the past.

Χάθηκα στα σοκάκια της παλιάς πόλης και άργησα μια ώρα.

cháthika sta sokákia tis paliás pólis ke áryisa mia óra

I got lost in the alleys of the old town and was an hour late.

The endings, at a glance

The aorist mediopassive runs on -θηκα, -θηκες, -θηκε, -θήκαμε, -θήκατε, -θηκαν — the same person-endings as the active aorist (-α, -ες, -ε…) glued onto a -θηκ- block. The one movement to watch is the accent: it is antepenultimate, sitting on the syllable before -θηκα in the singular (ντύθηκα) but pushed forward onto -θή- in the 1st and 2nd plural (ντυθήκαμε). The base -θηκα page drills that jump.

Χτενίστηκα βιαστικά και έτρεξα να προλάβω το τρένο.

chtenístika viastiká ke étreksa na prolávo to tréno

I combed my hair in a hurry and ran to catch the train.

What -θηκα means: three readings, one form

Just like the present, the aorist -θηκα form does not change with meaning — only context tells you which of the voice's jobs it is doing.

1. True passive — the subject was acted on. It was delivered, it was rejected, it was destroyed.

Το πακέτο παραδόθηκε στη λάθος διεύθυνση.

to pakéto paradhóthike sti láthos dhiéfthinsi

The parcel was delivered to the wrong address.

Η πρόταση απορρίφθηκε από την επιτροπή χωρίς συζήτηση.

i prótasi aporífthike apó tin epitropí chorís sizítisi

The proposal was rejected by the committee without discussion.

When such a passive names its agent, Greek uses από ("by") — as in από την επιτροπή above; that corner of the system is on expressing the agent with από.

2. Reflexive / middle — the subject did it to or for itself. I got ready, I shaved, I sat down.

Ξυρίστηκα και φόρεσα το καλό μου πουκάμισο για τη γιορτή.

ksirístika ke fóresa to kaló mu pukámiso ya ti yortí

I shaved and put on my good shirt for the celebration.

3. Deponent — an active meaning locked in the -ομαι shape. The everyday deponents take this same past: φοβάμαι → φοβήθηκα, θυμάμαι → θυμήθηκα, κοιμάμαι → κοιμήθηκα. A small group drops the -θ- and lands on bare -ηκα — χαίρομαι → χάρηκα, ντρέπομαι → ντράπηκα, φαίνομαι → φάνηκα — but the person-endings and the accent-jump work exactly as above (χαρήκαμε, ντραπήκαμε).

Ντράπηκα πολύ όταν κατάλαβα το λάθος μου μπροστά σε όλους.

drápika polí ótan katálava to láthos mu brostá se ólus

I was very embarrassed when I realised my mistake in front of everyone.

Χάρηκα πάρα πολύ που σε είδα ξανά μετά από τόσα χρόνια.

chárika pára polí pu se ídha ksaná metá apó tósa chrónia

I was really glad to see you again after so many years.

The three consonant faces: -φτηκα, -χτηκα, -στηκα

The -θ- of -θηκα does not sit still. On a vowel-stem or an -ν verb it stays clean (ντύθηκα, χάθηκα), but when the stem ends in a consonant it fuses with it — completely predictably, exactly mirroring the active -ψα / -ξα / -σα merges:

Stem type	Passive aorist	Example
Vowel / -ν	-θηκα	ντύνομαι → ντύθηκα
Labial (π, β, φ, -εύ)	-φτηκα	γράφομαι → γράφτηκα
Velar (κ, γ, χ)	-χτηκα	ρίχνομαι → ρίχτηκα
Sibilant / dental (ζ, σ, τ, δ)	-στηκα	κουράζομαι → κουράστηκα

💡

The fastest way to get the face right is to check the verb's active aorist first: -ψα → -φτηκα, -ξα → -χτηκα, -σα → -στηκα. γράφω → έγραψα, so γράφομαι → γράφτηκα. That one habit even resolves the tricky -ζω verbs (πειράζω → πείραξα → πειράχτηκα). The full fusion rules and the honest traps are on the variants page.

Το μνημείο καταστράφηκε από πυρκαγιά πριν από δύο αιώνες.

to mnimío katastráfike apó pirkayá prin apó dhío eónes

The monument was destroyed by a fire two centuries ago.

The verbs that opt out: suppletive aorists

Three of the most common mediopassive verbs refuse the -θηκα pattern and switch root or shape instead. They are high-frequency and simply have to be learned as they are: έρχομαι (come) → ήρθα; γίνομαι (become, happen) → έγινα; and κάθομαι (sit) → κάθισα, which even looks active. These sit with the irregular and suppletive aorists.

Ήρθε επιτέλους η άνοιξη και τα δέντρα άνθισαν όλα μαζί.

írthe epitélus i ániksi ke ta dhéndra ánthisan óla mazí

Spring finally came and the trees all blossomed together.

Έγινε μεγάλος σαματάς στη γειτονιά χθες το βράδυ.

éyine meghálos samatás sti yitoniá chthes to vrádhi

There was a big commotion in the neighbourhood last night.

Κάθισα δίπλα της στο λεωφορείο και πιάσαμε κουβέντα.

káthisa dhípla tis sto leoforío ke piásame kuvénda

I sat down next to her on the bus and we struck up a conversation.

Common Mistakes

1. Using the imperfect -όμουν for a single, finished event. A one-off action that reached its end is the aorist.

❌ Χθες τραυματιζόμουν στο γόνατο παίζοντας μπάσκετ.

Incorrect — a single, completed event needs the aorist: τραυματίστηκα.

✅ Χθες τραυματίστηκα στο γόνατο παίζοντας μπάσκετ.

chthes travmatístika sto ghónato pézondas básket

Yesterday I hurt my knee playing basketball.

2. Regularizing a suppletive verb. γίνομαι has no ×γινόθηκε; its aorist is έγινε.

❌ Τι γινόθηκε στη συνάντηση; Πες μου τα νέα.

Incorrect — γίνομαι is suppletive: the aorist is έγινε, never ×γινόθηκε.

✅ Τι έγινε στη συνάντηση; Πες μου τα νέα.

ti éyine sti sinándisi; pes mu ta néa

What happened at the meeting? Tell me the news.

3. Not moving the accent in the 1st/2nd plural. The longer ending forces the stress forward onto -θή-/-στή-.

❌ Ετοιμάστηκαμε νωρίς για να προλάβουμε το πλοίο.

Incorrect — the 1st plural moves the accent forward: ετοιμαστήκαμε.

✅ Ετοιμαστήκαμε νωρίς για να προλάβουμε το πλοίο.

etimastíkame norís ya na prolávume to plío

We got ready early to catch the ferry.

4. Borrowing an active -σα ending for a deponent. χαίρομαι is mediopassive; its aorist is χάρηκα, not an active form.

❌ Χάρησα πολύ με το δώρο σου, σε ευχαριστώ.

Incorrect — χαίρομαι is a deponent; its aorist is χάρηκα, not ×χάρησα.

✅ Χάρηκα πολύ με το δώρο σου, σε ευχαριστώ.

chárika polí me to dhóro su, se efcharistó

I was really pleased with your gift — thank you.

Key Takeaways

-θηκα is the perfective (single, finished) past of the whole -ομαι voice: passive, reflexive/middle and deponent alike.
Endings: -θηκα, -θηκες, -θηκε, -θήκαμε, -θήκατε, -θηκαν, with the accent jumping forward onto -θή- in the 1st/2nd plural (ντύθηκα → ντυθήκαμε).
On a consonant-stem the -θ- fuses into -φτηκα / -χτηκα / -στηκα — check the active aorist to pick the face; details on the variants page.
Hold it apart from the imperfect -όμουν: -θηκα is the finished event, -όμουν the ongoing background.
Three top-frequency verbs are suppletive: έρχομαι → ήρθα, γίνομαι → έγινα, κάθομαι → κάθισα.

Now practice Greek

Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.

Start learning Greek →