Ascemata Hellenica 4 Conditionals, Emotional Future
Ἀσκήματα Ἑλληνικά, Greek Exercises, which I am making for myself to improve my automaticity and fluency. Feel free to use them as a model for your own practice! Write your own examples based on the formula and leave them in the comments below.
CONDITIONALS, AN INTRODUCTION
The Ancient Greek conditionals are not terribly difficult to recognize, in that when there is an εἰ, one can see that it is an 'if' clause; and the hypothetical particle ἄν is easy enough to catch.
Much more challenging, however, is how to recognize exactly what each type of conditional means in all each of their subtleties and nuances, and when one type of conditional is more appropriate to use in conversational or composition than another. For the only way for us to truly read fluently is to be able to express ourselves with comparable fluency.
And if I myself am unable to even present situations when every one of the nine (yes, nine!) conditional varieties might be used, to say nothing of using the appropriately nuanced conditional in context when I converse in Ancient Greek, then how can I possibly recognize any given conditional in context with that visceral automaticity than can truly be called "reading"?
The nine common forms of conditionals are summarized in this table from Smyth's grammar, section 2297:
So for the next several recordings of the ASCEMATA HELLENICA, I would like to practice each of these by writing lots of examples, and I encourage all of you to write your own examples and share them below.
EMOTIONAL FUTURE
The first of the conditional forms I have decided to tackle is the "Emotional Future." I know many of the other conditionals reasonably well, but this was one that I didn't have a good handle on, but is also fairly easy to learn.
It's especially used for warnings, admonitions, threats, or anything with a lot of feelings: hence the "Emotional Future Conditional." Smyth comments on it here:
The formula for the Emotional Future is:
εἰ + future, future
In order to really ingrain the sense of this conditional for myself, and when I might use it in appropriate contexts, I have written out lots of examples and recorded audio so that I can listen to these and quiz myself when I'm walking, commuting, exercising, washing dishes, etc.
The audio recording, which I has pauses to allow the listener to guess at the right answer before hearing it, begins here:
(apodosis-protasis)
You’ll catch cold if you go outside.
Πυρέξεις εἰ ἐξεῖ/ἐξελεύσει.
I’m not going to listen if you insult me.
Οὐ ἀκούσομαι εἴ μοι λοιδορήσει / εἴ με/μοι ὀνειδιεῖς / εἴ με ὑβριεῖς.
They’re going to be sorry if they don’t get here right now.
Οὐ χαιρήσουσιν εἰ μὴ δεῦρο ἴᾱσι/ἐλεύσονται // προσχωρήσουσι νῡνί̄.
You’ll miss the train if you don’t hurry.
Ἀποτεύξει τοῦ διὅλκου εἰ μὴ σπεύσεις.
She’ll get upset if you tell her that.
Ταραχθήσεται/Ἀχθέσεται/Λῡπηθήσεται εἰ μὴ αὐτῆι εἰρεῖς.
We’ll be late if we don’t leave now.
Ὑστερήσομεν εἰ μὴ νῡνὶ̄ ἀποφευξόμεθα/ἀπαλλαγησόμεθα.
You’ll feel better if you get some rest.
Ἀνοίσεις εἰ ἡσυχάσεις.
The dog will bark if you knock on the door.
Ὑλακτήσει ὁ κύων εἰ κρούσεις τὴν θύρᾱν.
You’ll regret it if you say that.
Τοῦτο μεταγνώσει εἰ ἐρεῖς.
He’ll be angry if you touch his things.
Ὀργιεῖται εἰ αὐτοῦ τῶν χρημάτων/κτημάτων ψαύσεις/ἅψει.
We’re going to run out of time if we keep talking.
Ὁ καιρὸς ἐκδραμεῖται εἰ λαλοῦντες διατελοῦμεν.
You’ll break it if you’re not careful.
Ῥήξεις αὐτὸ εἰ μὴ ἐπιμελήσει.
They’ll notice if you try to sneak in.
Αἰσθήσονται εἰ λάθρᾱι πειρά̄σει εἰσιέναι.
I won’t help you if you keep complaining.
Οὔ σοι βοηθήσω εἰ ἀεὶ σχετλιάσεις.
I’m not going to stay if I’m bored.
Οὐ μενῶ εἰ ἐνοχληθήσομαι.
She won’t talk to you if you lie to her.
Οὔ σοι διαλέξεται εἰ πρὸς αὐτὴν ψεύσει.
We’re not going to continue if you interrupt us.
Οὐ διατελέσομεν/διατελοῦμεν εἰ ἡμᾶς διακόψεις / ἡμῶν διαλεγομένων ὑπολήψει.
I won’t forgive you if you do that again.
Οὐ συγγνώσομαί σοι εἰ τοῦτο πάλιν ποιήσεις.
You’ll be sorry if you ignore this warning.
Οὐ χαιρήσεις εἰ ταύτης τῆς παραινέσεως / νουθετήσεως / τούτου τοῦ νουθετήματος ἀμελήσεις.
They’ll lose everything if they don’t act now.
Ἀπολοῦσιν ἅπαντα εἰ μὴ νῦν ἔργου ἕξουσι.
He’s going to lose his job if he arrives late.
Ἀπολεῖ τὸν ἔργον εἰ ὀψὲ ἀφίξεται.
You’ll pay for it if you cross them.
Δίκας δώσεις εἰ αὐτοὺς προδώσεις.
She’s going to regret it if she walks away.
Οὐ χαιρήσει / Τοῦτο μεταγνώσεται εἰ ἀπολείψει.
(protasis-apodosis)
If you go outside, you’ll catch cold.
Εἰ ἐξεῖ/ἐξελεύσει, πυρέξεις.
If you insult me, I’m not going to listen.
Εἴ μοι λοιδορήσει, οὐκ ἀκούσομαι.
If they don’t get here right now, they’re going to be sorry.
Εἰ μὴ εὐθέως ἀφίξονται, οὐ χαιρήσουσι.
If you listen to him, you’ll be embarrassed.
Εἰ ἐκείνου ἀκούσει, ἐρυθριά̄σεις/αἰσχυνεῖ/αἰδήσει.
If you’re not careful, you’ll fall.
Εἰ μὴ σεαυτοῦ ἐπιμελήσει, πεσεῖ.
If you don’t take care of your health, you’ll be miserable.
Εἰ μὴ σαυτοῦ ἐπιμελήσει ἵν’ ὑγιαίηις, ἀθῡμήσεις.
If we don’t pay attention, we’ll lose the plot.
Εἰ μὴ τὸν νοῦν προσἕξομεν, ἀπολοῦμεν τὸ δρᾶμα.
If you don’t do what I say, you’ll be sorry.
Εἰ μὴ ὅπερ λέγω ποιήσεις, οὐ χαιρήσεις.
If I don’t find out what happens, I’ll be so upset.
Εἰ μὴ τὸ γενησόμενον/συμβησόμενον πεύσομαι, οὕτως λῡπηθήσομαι/ἀχθέσομαι/ἀνιᾱθήσομαι/ἀγανακτήσω/δηχθήσομαι/ἐνοχληθήσομαι/δυσφορήσω/δυσχερανῶ/χαλαπανῶ/χαλεπῶς οἴσω.
If he doesn’t tell the truth, I’ll be mad.
Εἰ μὴ τἀ̄ληθῆ ἐρεῖ, δυσχερανῶ/χαλεπανῶ/ὀργιοῦμαι.
If you keep talking, you’ll wake the baby.
Εἰ ἐπιμενεῖς λαλῶν, ἐγερεῖς τὸ βρέφος.
If you don’t hurry, you’ll miss your chance.
Εἰ μὴ σπεύσεις, ἀποτεύξει.
If you press that button, it’ll stop working.
Εἰ ἐρείσεις ἐπὶ ἐκείνου τοῦ κομβίου, παύσεται ἐνεργοῦν.
If you leave the door open, the cat will get out.
Εἰ λείψεις τὴν θύρᾱν ἀνεωιγμένην, ἐκφεύξεται ὁ αἴλουρος.
If you don’t charge your phone, it’ll die on you.
Εἰ μὴ τὸ τοῦ τηλεφώνου σωστρικὸν πλήσεις ἐνεργείᾱς, τεθνήξεταί σοι.
If you’re not careful, you’ll hurt yourself.
Εἰ μὴ ἐπιμελήσει, τρωθήσει/βλαβήσει.
If you step there, you’ll slip.
Εἰ ἐκεῖ βήσει, ὀλισθήσεις.
If you don’t check it, you’ll make a mistake.
Εἰ μὴ σκέψει, ἀδικήσεις/σφαλεῖ.
If you rush it, you’ll mess it up.
Εἰ σπεύσεις, κακῶς διαθήσεις.
If you touch that, you’ll burn your hand.
Εἰ τούτου ἅψει/ψαυσεις, καύσει τὴν χεῖρα.
If you say that, he’ll be offended.
Εἰ τοῦτο ἐρεῖς, ἀχθέσεται/ἀγανακτήσει.
If you ignore him, he’ll feel hurt.
Εἰ ἐκεῖνον περιόψει / ἐκείνου ἀμελήσεις, λῡπηθήσεται.
If you don’t invite them, they’ll be upset.
Εἰ μὴ αὐτοὺς καλεῖς/καλέσεις, λῡπηθήσονται/ἀχθέσονται/ἀνιᾱθήσονται/ἀγανακτήσουσι/δηχθήσονται/ἐνοχληθήσονται/δυσφορήσουσι/δυσχερανοῦσι/χαλεπανοῦσι/χαλεπῶς οἴσονται.
If you keep pushing, I’ll get annoyed.
Εἰ διατελεῖς/διατελέσεις βιαζόμενος/ἀγκαζόμενος, ἀχθέσομαι/ἐνοχληθήσομαι.
If he finds out, he’ll be furious.
Εἰ τοῦτο πεύσεται/μαθήσεται, δυσχερανεῖ/χαλεπανεῖ.
If you do that again, you’ll regret it.
Εἰ τοῦτο πάλιν ποιήσεις, μεταμελήσει σοι.
If he catches you, you’ll be in trouble.
Εἴ σε αἱρήσει, κακοπαθήσεις/ἀμηχανήσεις/ἀπορήσεις.
If you lie to me, I’ll walk away.
Εἴ με ψεύσει, ἀποφεύξομαι.
If he keeps this up, he’ll lose everything.
Εἰ διατελήσει, ἀπολεῖ σύμπαντα.
If you don’t stop, I’ll turn you in.
Εἰ μὴ παύσει ποιῶν, προδώσω σε.
If I don’t finish this today, I’ll feel terrible.
Εἰ μὴ τοῦτο τελευτήσω/τελῶ τήμερον, ἀτυχήσω / πονήρως διακείσομαι.
If we don’t fix this now, it’ll get worse.
Εἰ μὴ τοῦτο αὐτίκα ἐπισκευάσομεν, χεῖρον χωρήσει.
If I don’t call my mother, she’ll worry.
Εἰ μὴ τὴν μητέρα καλῶ/καλέσω, λῡπηθήσεται/ταραχθήσεται.
If we don’t leave soon, we’ll get stuck in traffic.
Εἰ μὴ δι’ ὀλίγου ἄπιμεν/ἀπελευσόμεθα, καθεξόμεθα ἐν ὁδῶι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁμαξῶν πλήθους.
If I don’t write it down, I’ll forget.
Εἰ μὴ γράψω, ἐπιλήσομαι.
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Now it's your turn! Write as many examples as you like below. The more you practice, the better you'll get.