BBG Chapter 33 — Prohibition Pattern Drill

BBG Chapter 33 · μή + Present Imperative vs. μή + Aorist Subjunctive

Instructions: For each item, (1) classify the prohibition as STOP (μή + present imperative = stop an ongoing action) or DONT (μή + aorist subjunctive = do not begin), (2) give the tense and mood of the verbal form, (3) give the lexical form (1st sg present active indicative), and (4) translate. Click ▶ Answer to reveal the answer for that row.
#Greek SentencePattern (STOP/DONT)TenseMoodLexical FormTranslation
1 μὴ κλαίετε
STOP · Present · Imperative · κλαίω · Stop weeping
2 μὴ φοβηθῇς
DONT · Aorist · Subjunctive · φοβέομαι · Do not be afraid (don't start)
3 μὴ νομίζετε ὅτι ἦλθον
STOP · Present · Imperative · νομίζω · Do not think (stop thinking) that I came
4 μὴ εἰσέλθῃς εἰς πειρασμόν
DONT · Aorist · Subjunctive · εἰσέρχομαι · Do not enter into temptation
5 μὴ μεριμνᾶτε
STOP · Present · Imperative · μεριμνάω · Stop worrying
6 μὴ λαλήσῃς κακόν
DONT · Aorist · Subjunctive · λαλέω · Do not speak evil
7 μὴ θαυμάζετε
STOP · Present · Imperative · θαυμάζω · Stop marveling
8 μὴ πορευθῇς
DONT · Aorist · Subjunctive · πορεύομαι · Do not go
9 μὴ λέγε τοῦτο
STOP · Present · Imperative · λέγω · Stop saying this
10 μὴ ἅψῃ
DONT · Aorist · Subjunctive · ἅπτω · Do not touch
11 μὴ φοβεῖσθε
STOP · Present · Imperative · φοβέομαι · Stop being afraid
12 μὴ ἀποκτείνῃς
DONT · Aorist · Subjunctive · ἀποκτείνω · Do not kill
13 μὴ κρίνετε
STOP · Present · Imperative · κρίνω · Do not judge (stop judging)
14 μὴ ἁμάρτῃς
DONT · Aorist · Subjunctive · ἁμαρτάνω · Do not sin
15 μὴ κατεσθίετε τοὺς πτωχούς
STOP · Present · Imperative · κατεσθίω · Stop devouring the poor
16 μὴ ἄρῃς τὸ σκεῦος
DONT · Aorist · Subjunctive · αἴρω · Do not take the vessel
17 μὴ ἐπιθυμεῖτε
STOP · Present · Imperative · ἐπιθυμέω · Stop desiring (do not covet)
18 μὴ πιστεύσῃς
DONT · Aorist · Subjunctive · πιστεύω · Do not believe
19 μὴ δίδοτε τὸ ἅγιον τοῖς κυσίν
STOP · Present · Imperative · δίδωμι · Do not give what is holy to dogs
20 μὴ ποιήσῃς τοῦτο
DONT · Aorist · Subjunctive · ποιέω · Do not do this

Discussion Questions

  1. The rule "μή + present imperative = stop; μή + aorist subjunctive = don't begin" is a useful teaching heuristic. Give two items from the exercise where the "stop" nuance is clearly supported by the context and two where it seems more like a general prohibition. What does this tell you about how absolute the rule is?
  2. Item 19 uses δίδοτε — a present imperative of δίδωμι (a μι-verb). How does the form differ from a standard ω-verb present imperative? What is the 2nd plural present imperative ending for μι-verbs?
  3. Items 2 and 11 both use φοβέομαι — one is STOP (μή + present imperative) and one is DONT (μή + aorist subjunctive). Write both out with glosses and explain the pragmatic difference in context: when would a speaker choose each form?