εἰμί

See also: εἶμι, εἰμι, and Έιμι

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ἔμμῐ (émmĭ) — Aeolic
• ἠμῐ́ (ēmĭ́) — Cretan
• εἶμαι (eîmai) — Byzantine
• εἴμ’ (eím’), εἰμ’ (eim’) — apocopic
• εἰμι (eimi) — enclitic

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *ehmi, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésmi (“I am, I exist”).

Cognate with Old English eom (whence English am), Latin sum, Sanskrit अस्मि (ásmi), Old Armenian եմ (em), and so on. More at *h₁es- (“to be, exist”). Not to be confused with εἶμι (eîmi) (to go).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /eː.mí/ → /iˈmi/ → /iˈmi/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /eː.mí/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /iˈmi/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /iˈmi/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /iˈmi/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /iˈmi/

Verb

εἰμῐ́ • (eimĭ́)

1. to be; to exist
   1. (of events) to happen
   2. to be the case
      • a. 1452/1454, Plethon, “λϛʹ. Προσρήσεών τε καὶ ὕμνων χρήσεως διάταξις. [lst’. Prosrḗseṓn te kaì húmnōn khrḗseōs diátaxis., CHAPTER 36. Instruction for the use of addresses and hymns]”, in Νομων Συγγραφη. [Book of Laws]‎^[1], translation of original by John Opsopaus, PhD:

        ...ἐάν δ’ ἱερέων μηδεὶς παρῇ, τὸν τῆς προσκυνήσεως κατάρξαντα ἰδιώτην, καὶ ταύτην ἐπιλέγειν τὴν εὐχήν, οὐκέτι μέντοι ἐπαίροντα τὼ χεῖρε· πρὸς δέ, καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ ὑμῖν, ἡμῖν λέγοντα· καὶ τοὺς λοιπούς· ‘εἶεν· εἶεν· εἶεν’, ὑποκριναμένους, οὕτω ἀπολύεσθαι·

        ...eán d’ hieréōn mēdeìs parēî, tòn tês proskunḗseōs katárxanta idiṓtēn, kaì taútēn epilégein tḕn eukhḗn, oukéti méntoi epaíronta tṑ kheîre; pròs dé, kaì antì toû humîn, hēmîn légonta; kaì toùs loipoús; ‘eîen; eîen; eîen’, hupokrinaménous, hoútō apolúesthai;

        ...But if no priest is present, the individual who began the adoration also adds the prayer, but without raising [his] hands, in addition saying “us” instead of “you”; and the rest, answering “Be it so! Be it so! Be it so!”, are thus released.

2. (of persons) to live
3. (copulative) to be [with nominative ‘something, someone’]
4. (third person, impersonal) it is possible [with infinitive ‘that ...’]

   Synonym: ἔξεστῐ (éxestĭ)

Usage notes

• Used as Aorist: ἐγενόμην (egenómēn) and as Present Perfect: γέγονα (gégona) from verb γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “come into being”)
• All forms of the present active indicative except 2nd person singular (εἶ) are enclitic.

Conjugation

   Present: εἰμῐ́ (Attic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	εἰμῐ́, εἶμῐ	εἶ	ἐστῐ́(ν), ἔστῐ(ν)	ἐστόν, ἔστον	ἐστόν, ἔστον	ἐσμέν	ἐστέ, ἔστε	εἰσῐ́(ν), εἶσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	ὦ	ᾖς	ᾖ	ἦτον	ἦτον	ὦμεν	ἦτε	ὦσῐ(ν)
	optative	εἴην	εἴης	εἴη	εἴητον, εἶτον	εἰήτην, εἴτην	εἴημεν, εἶμεν	εἴητε, εἶτε	εἴησᾰν, εἶεν
	imperative		ῐ̓́σθῐ, ἔσο, ἔο	ἔστω, ἤτω	ἔστον	ἔστων		ἔστε	ἔστωσᾰν, ἔστων, ὄντων
		active
infinitive		εἶναι
participle	m	ὤν
	f	οὖσᾰ
	n	ὄν
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Present: εἰμῐ́ (Epic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	εἰμῐ́	ἐσσῐ́, εἶς	ἐστῐ́	ἐστόν	ἐστόν	εἰμέν	ἐστέ	ἔᾱσῐ(ν), εἰσῐ́(ν)
	subjunctive	ἔω	ἔῃς, ᾖς	ἔῃ, ἔῃσῐ(ν), ᾖσῐ(ν)	ἔητον, ἦτον	ἔητον, ἦτον	ἔωμεν, ὦμεν	ἔητε, ἦτε	ἔωσῐ(ν), ὦσῐ(ν)
	optative	εἴην	εἴης, εἴησθᾰ, ἔοις	εἴη, ἔοι	εἴητον, εἶτον	εἰήτην, εἴτην	εἴημεν, εἶμεν	εἴητε, εἶτε	εἴησᾰν, εἶεν
	imperative		ἔσσο	ἔστω	ἔστον	ἔστων		ἔστε	ἔστων
		active
infinitive		εἶναι, ἔμμεναι, ἔμεναι, ἔμμεν, ἔμεν
participle	m	ἐών, ὤν
	f	ἐοῦσᾰ, οὖσᾰ
	n	ἐόν, ὄν
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms are based on conjecture. Use with caution. For more details, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Imperfect: ἦν, ἤμην (Attic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἦν, ἦ	ἦσθᾰ, ἦς	ἦν	ἦστον, ἦτον	ἤστην, ἤτην	ἦμεν	ἦτε	ἦσᾰν
middle	indicative	ἤμην	ἔσο, ἔο				ἤμεθᾰ
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Imperfect: ἔᾱ, ἤμην (Epic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἔᾱ, ἦᾰ, ἔον, ἔσκον	ἔησθᾰ, ἦσθᾰ	ἔην, ἦν, ἤην, ἦεν, ἔσκε(ν)	ἦστον	ἤστην	ἦμεν	ἦτε	ἔσᾰν, ᾔεσᾰν, ἦσᾰν
middle	indicative	ἤμην					ἤμεθᾰ
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms are based on conjecture. Use with caution. For more details, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Future: ἔσομαι (Attic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle	indicative	ἔσομαι	ἔσῃ, ἔσει	ἔσται, ἔσεται	ἔσεσθον	ἔσεσθον	ἐσόμεθᾰ	ἔσεσθε	ἔσονται
	optative	ἐσοίμην	ἔσοιο	ἔσοιτο	ἔσοισθον	ἐσοίσθην	ἐσοίμεθᾰ	ἔσοισθε	ἔσοιντο
					middle
infinitive					ἔσεσθαι
participle	m				ἐσόμενος
	f				ἐσομένη
	n				ἐσόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Future: ἔσσομαι (Epic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle	indicative	ἔσσομαι, ἔσομαι	ἔσσεαι, ἔσεαι, ἔσσῃ, ἔσῃ	ἔσσεται, ἔσεται, ἔσται, ἐσσεῖται	ἔσσεσθον, ἔσεσθον	ἔσσεσθον, ἔσεσθον	ἐσσόμεθᾰ, ἐσσόμεσθᾰ, ἐσόμεθᾰ, ἐσόμεσθᾰ	ἔσσεσθε, ἔσεσθε	ἔσσονται, ἔσονται
	optative	ἐσσοίμην, ἐσοίμην	ἔσσοιο, ἔσοιο	ἔσσοιτο, ἔσοιτο	ἔσσοισθον, ἔσοισθον	ἐσσοίσθην, ἐσοίσθην	ἐσσοίμεθᾰ, ἐσσοίμεσθᾰ, ἐσοίμεθᾰ, ἐσοίμεσθᾰ	ἔσσοισθε, ἔσοισθε	ἐσσοίᾰτο, ἐσοίᾰτο
					middle
infinitive					ἔσσεσθαι, ἐσσεῖσθαι, ἔσεσθαι
participle	m				ἐσσόμενος
	f				ἐσσομένη
	n				ἐσσόμενον
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms are based on conjecture. Use with caution. For more details, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Derived terms

• ᾰ̓́πειμῐ (ắpeimĭ)
• ᾰ̓πουσῐ́ᾱ (ăpousĭ́ā)
• αὐτοουσῐ́ᾱ (autoousĭ́ā)
• ἔνειμῐ (éneimĭ)
• ἔξειμῐ (éxeimĭ)
• ἔξεστῐ (éxestĭ)
• ἐξουσῐ́ᾱ (exousĭ́ā)
• ἔπειμῐ (épeimĭ)
• ἐπῐούσῐος (epĭoúsĭos)
• ἐπῐπρόσειμῐ (epĭpróseimĭ)
• ἐπῐσυμπᾰ́ρειμῐ (epĭsumpắreimĭ)
• ἐπῐσῠ́νειμῐ (epĭsŭ́neimĭ)
• ἐστέον (estéon)
• ἐστῐ́ (estĭ́)
• κᾰτᾰπερῐ́ειμῐ (kătăperĭ́eimĭ)
• μέτειμῐ (méteimĭ)
• μετουσῐ́ᾱ (metousĭ́ā)
• ὄν (ón)
• οὐρᾰνουσῐ́ᾱ (ourănousĭ́ā)
• οὐσῐ́ᾱ (ousĭ́ā)
• οὐσῐᾰ́ζω (ousĭắzō)
• οὐσῐᾰκός (ousĭăkós)
• οὐσῑ́δῐον (ousī́dĭon)
• οὐσῐῐ́δῐον (ousĭĭ́dĭon)
• οὐσῐότης (ousĭótēs)
• οὐσῐόω (ousĭóō)
• οὐσῐώδης (ousĭṓdēs)
• πᾰ́ρειμῐ (pắreimĭ)
• πᾰρουσῐ́ᾱ (părousĭ́ā)
• περῐ́ειμῐ (perĭ́eimĭ)
• περῐουσῐ́ᾱ (perĭousĭ́ā)
• πρόειμῐ (próeimĭ)
• προένειμῐ (proéneimĭ)
• προέξειμῐ (proéxeimĭ)
• πρόσειμῐ (próseimĭ)
• προσπᾰ́ρειμῐ (prospắreimĭ)
• σῠμπᾰ́ρειμῐ (sŭmpắreimĭ)
• σῠμπρόσειμῐ (sŭmpróseimĭ)
• σῠ́νειμῐ (sŭ́neimĭ)
• σῠνένειμῐ (sŭnéneimĭ)
• σῠνεστέον (sŭnestéon)
• σῠνουσῐ́ᾱ (sŭnousĭ́ā)
• σῠνῠ́πειμῐ (sŭnŭ́peimĭ)
• ῠ̔́πειμῐ (hŭ́peimĭ)
• ῠ̔πένειμῐ (hŭpéneimĭ)
• ῠ̔πέρειμῐ (hŭpéreimĭ)
• ὤν (ṓn)

Descendants

• Byzantine Greek: εἶμαι (eîmai)
  • Modern Greek: είμαι (eímai)
• Mariupol Greek: и́ми (ími)

Further reading

• “εἰμί”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “εἰμί”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “εἰμί”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891), A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• εἰμί in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Bauer, Walter et al. (2001), A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• εἰμί in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• εἰμί in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2026)
• “εἰμί”, in Slater, William J. (1969), Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G1510 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920), “Part II: Inflection”, in A Greek grammar for colleges, Cambridge: American Book Company, § 768, 768 D
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910), English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[2], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • be idem, page 66.
  • beck idem, page 68.
  • belong to idem, page 72.
  • constitute idem, page 164.
  • exist idem, page 292.
  • extant idem, page 296.
  • form idem, page 338.
  • live idem, page 495.
  • make idem, page 508.
  • pertain to idem, page 608.
  • right idem, page 714.
  • through idem, page 871.
• εἰμί, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011