Αγχώνομαι πριν από την εξέταση ελληνικών.

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Breakdown of Αγχώνομαι πριν από την εξέταση ελληνικών.

• ελληνικός: Greek
• η εξέταση: the exam
• αγχώνομαι: to get stressed

Questions & Answers about Αγχώνομαι πριν από την εξέταση ελληνικών.

Why does Αγχώνομαι end in -ομαι, and what does that tell me about the verb?

The ending -ομαι shows that:

• the verb is in the present tense
• 1st person singular (so it means I …)
• in the middle/passive voice form

So αγχώνομαι is the middle/passive form of the verb αγχώνω.
Literally it is something like “I am getting stressed / I stress myself”, but in natural English we just say I get stressed or I feel stressed.

Formally:

• αγχώνω = I stress (someone else)
• αγχώνομαι = I get stressed / I am stressed (myself)

Why is the verb in the middle/passive form (αγχώνομαι) when the English meaning is active (I get stressed)?

Modern Greek uses the middle/passive endings for many verbs that in English are:

• reflexive: I wash myself
• or intransitive: I get dressed, I get tired, I get stressed

So αγχώνομαι is grammatically “middle/passive”, but in meaning it is reflexive / intransitive:

• αγχώνω = I stress someone
• αγχώνομαι = I get stressed (myself, without saying “myself”)

This pattern is very common:

• ντύνω = I dress (someone) → ντύνομαι = I get dressed
• κουράζω = I tire (someone) → κουράζομαι = I get tired
• αγχώνω = I stress (someone) → αγχώνομαι = I get stressed