English afraid conceals several relationships. Greek keeps the same verb but changes its complement: φοβάμαι τα ύψη, φοβάμαι να οδηγήσω, φοβάμαι μήπως αργήσουμε, and φοβάμαι για το παιδί do not describe the same kind of fear.
Φοβάμαι τα ύψη, οπότε δεν βγαίνω στο μπαλκόνι.
fováme ta ípsi, opóte dhen vyéno sto balkóni
I'm afraid of heights, so I don't go out onto the balcony.
Φοβάμαι να οδηγήσω με τόσο χιόνι.
fováme na odhiyíso me tóso chióni
I'm afraid to drive in this much snow.
Principal parts
φοβάμαι is a contracted -άμαι deponent. The full present paradigm belongs to the -άμαι present, and the general voice pattern to deponent verbs.
| Slot | Forms | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Present | φοβάμαι, φοβάσαι, φοβάται, φοβόμαστε, φοβάστε, φοβούνται | φοβούμαι(formal) |
| Imperfect | φοβόμουν | lasting or repeated fear |
| Aorist | φοβήθηκα | got scared; a bounded fright |
| Dependent | φοβηθώ | να / θα φοβηθώ |
| Imperative | μη φοβάσαι / μη φοβάστε | the normal practical command |
| Perfect | έχω φοβηθεί | |
| Participle | φοβισμένος, -η, -ο | frightened |
| Neutral gerund | does not exist; φοβώντας is a marginal literary/colloquial exception | |
Positive φοβήσου / φοβηθείτε is morphologically possible when someone is deliberately told to fear something, but it is marked and uncommon. Reassurance overwhelmingly uses the imperfective negative.
Μη φοβάσαι, είμαι εδώ και δεν θα φύγω.
mi fováse, íme edhó ke dhen tha fígho
Don't be afraid; I'm here and I won't leave.
The transitive φοβίζω is a different lexeme: the subject causes fear in somebody else. Its -ίζω causative relationship is compared with similar pairs on κοιμάμαι.
Με φόβισε ο θόρυβος στην κουζίνα.
me fóvise o thórivos stin kuzína
The noise in the kitchen frightened me.
Government
| Frame | Meaning | Model |
|---|---|---|
| bare accusative | fear a person or thing | φοβάμαι τα σκυλιά |
να
| hesitate to do the action yourself | φοβάμαι να ρωτήσω |
μήπως / μη(ν)
| worry that an unwanted event may occur | φοβάμαι μήπως αργήσουμε |
ότι / πως
| state a feared conclusion; often soften bad news | φοβάμαι ότι δεν γίνεται |
για
| worry about someone's welfare or future | φοβάμαι για το παιδί |
Φοβάμαι μήπως αργήσουμε και χάσουμε την πτήση.
fováme mípos aryísume ke chásume tin ptísi
I'm worried we may be late and miss the flight.
Φοβάμαι ότι δεν θα προλάβουμε το τελευταίο λεωφορείο.
fováme óti dhen tha prolávume to teleftéo leoforío
I'm afraid we won't make the last bus.
Φοβάμαι για τη ζωή του από τότε που μπήκε στο νοσοκομείο.
fováme ya ti zoí tu apó tóte pu bíke sto nosokomío
I've feared for his life since he was admitted to hospital.
The contrast among να, μήπως, and ότι is developed on emotion complements. The core test is agency: να introduces your own feared action; μήπως introduces an unwanted possibility. ότι can be a genuine feared conclusion, but it also politely cushions unwelcome information.
Φοβάμαι πως ναι· η επισκευή θα κοστίσει περισσότερο.
fováme pos ne; i episkeví tha kostísi perisótero
I'm afraid so; the repair will cost more.
One fright: φοβήθηκα
The aorist is inchoative: it presents fear beginning as a single reaction, “I got scared.” For a continuing state in the past use φοβόμουν.
Φοβήθηκα όταν άκουσα βήματα έξω από την πόρτα.
fovíthika ótan ákusa vímata ékso apó tin pórta
I got scared when I heard footsteps outside the door.
Set phrases
- φοβάμαι τα χειρότερα — fear the worst
- φοβάμαι πως ναι / όχι — I'm afraid so / not
- δεν φοβάμαι τίποτα — I'm not afraid of anything
- φόβος και τρόμος — the terror of everyone; a formidable menace
- Μη φοβάσαι! — Don't worry! / Don't be afraid!
Common Mistakes
Use deponent φοβάμαι, never ×φοβώ. Do not treat ότι as an error: μήπως foregrounds an unwanted possibility, while ότι/πως can state a feared conclusion or soften bad news. The aorist is φοβήθηκα, not ×φοβήθα.
Key Takeaways
- φοβάμαι · φοβόμουν · φοβήθηκα · να φοβηθώ · έχω φοβηθεί · φοβισμένος.
- Accusative = fear something; να = fear doing; μήπως = worry an event may happen.
- φοβάμαι για means worry about somebody's welfare, not fear that person.
- φοβάμαι ότι/πως can politely preface bad news; φοβήθηκα means “got scared.”
Related Topics
- προσέχω (to be careful)A2 — The cleanest aspect pair in the reference set: Πρόσεχε! is a standing instruction and a warm goodbye, Πρόσεξε! is one moment's warning. Plus the aorist's own sense — πρόσεξα, I noticed — the μη(ν) warning clause, and the live adjective προσεγμένος.
- χαίρομαι (to be glad)B1 — The irregular forms of χαίρομαι, factive που versus activity/prospect να, and the greeting pair Χαίρω πολύ–Χάρηκα.
- Present Mediopassive: -ούμαι and -άμαιB1 — The last two mediopassive present patterns — the formal-leaning -ούμαι of Β2 verbs (θεωρούμαι), and the small but ultra-frequent set of -άμαι deponents θυμάμαι, κοιμάμαι, φοβάμαι and λυπάμαι, with their irregular three-vowel paradigm laid out in full.
- μη(ν) and μήπως: Lest and DoubtB2 — Use μη(ν) after fear and caution expressions for an unwanted possibility, while μήπως introduces a doubtful or suspected possibility and is not itself negative.
- να After Emotion and EvaluationB1 — Verbs and expressions of feeling and judgement — μου αρέσει να, φοβάμαι να, χαίρομαι, λυπάμαι, αξίζει, είναι κρίμα — take a να-clause for the event itself and που for an established fact that stirs the feeling; how to tell which one you need.
- Principal Parts: Complete IndexA2 — A consolidated index of the principal parts of 151 frequent Modern Greek verbs, including defective and register-limited paradigms.