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Greek Prepositions
Prepositions in Greek for the most part work as they do in English (S 1636 ff.). The principal difference is that the object of a Greek preposition must be inflected in either the genitive, dative, or accusative case. The preposition together with its object is called a PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE.
The original or core meaning of Greek prepositions often indicates DIRECTION. This chart shows the directions that each case generally indicates:
Three prepositions illustrate this dynamic. Note that these three have no accent.
- εἰς or ἐς + acc. into
- εἰς τὸ στόμα into the mouth
- ἐν + dat. in
- ἐν τῷ στόματι in the mouth
- ἐκ + gen. from, out of
- ἐκ τοῦ στόματος out of the mouth
- ἐκ becomes ἐξ before a vowel:
- ἐξ αἵματος out of blood
Accents, Elision, and Aspiration
Prepositions – with the exception of εἰς, ἐν, and ἐκ – normally have an ACUTE accent. If the preposition has two syllables, the acute falls on the ULTIMA.
ELISION is common with prepositions; they frequently drop their final vowel before a word beginning with a vowel. In such cases, the preposition has NO ACCENT. There are two important exceptions: περί and πρό. Neither allows for elision.
After a preposition drops its final vowel, if it then ends in a STOP CONSONANT, that consonant becomes ASPIRATED if the following word begins with an aspirated – i.e., marked with a rough breathing – vowel or diphthong.
- ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος
- from the hope
- ἀπ’ ἐλπίδος
- from hope
- ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος
- from the blood
- ἀφ’ αἵματος
- from blood
Prepositions + Accusative Case
- ἀμφί around, about
- ἀνά up, through
- διά because of, through
- εἰς/ἐς into
- ἐπί against
- κατά down, along, according to
- μετά after, behind
- παρά to, throughout, beside
- περί near, around
- πρός toward
- ὑπέρ above, over, beyond
- ὑπό under
Prepositions + Dative Case
- ἀμφί around, near
- ἀνά upon
- ἐν in
- ἐπί on, for the purpose of, because of
- παρά with, near
- περί about
- πρός by, in addition to
- σύν with (the help of)
- ὑπό under
Prepositions + Genitive Case
- ἀμφί around, for the sake of
- ἀντί opposite, instead of, for the sake of
- ἀπό from
- διά through
- ἐκ from
- ἐπί on, at
- κατά down, against
- μετά with
- παρά from
- περί about
- πρό before, in front of
- πρός toward, (swear) by
- ὑπέρ over, on behalf of
- ὑπό under, by
The Man and the Lion
Note the following story of a man and a lion (ὁ λέων, λέοντος), which illustrates well some of the most common prepositions and their cases.
Prepositions as Prefixes
Prepositions often double as prefixes for verbs. The core meanings of the most common prefixes are as follows.
- ἀμφί around
- ἀνά up
- ἀντί back
- ἀπό from
- διά through
- εἰς into
- ἐκ out of
- ἐν in
- ἐπί on
- κατά down
- μετά with
- παρά beside, to
- περί around
- πρό before
- πρός toward
- σύν with
- ὑπέρ above
- ὑπό under
Prefixes, Elision, and Aspiration
When prefixes are attached to verbs, any final vowel drops out – or ELIDES – if the tense stem to which it is added begins with a vowel