βούλομαι — to wish: learned and historical usage

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Understand this verb

Source references

This verb uses middle/passive forms. Endings such as -μαι do not automatically mean “is done by someone”: θυμάμαι means “I remember”. Read this verb’s English meaning and usage notes.

How to read the verb tables

Start with the present. Find the row for the person you mean: εγώ (I), εσύ (you, singular), αυτός/αυτή/αυτό (he/she/it), εμείς (we), εσείς (you, plural or polite), αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά (they). Greek often leaves out these pronouns because the ending shows the person.

Continuous: over time or repeatedly: έγραφα — I was writing / used to write; θα γράφω — I will be writing. The imperfect is the continuous past.
Simple: an action viewed as a whole: έγραψα — I wrote; θα γράψω — I will write. “Simple” does not mean the action must be short.
Perfect: completed by a reference point: έχω γράψει — I have written; είχα γράψει — I had written; θα έχω γράψει — I will have written.
Subjunctive: forms with να: θέλω να γράφω κάθε μέρα — I want to write every day; θέλω να γράψω ένα μήνυμα — I want to write a message. The sentence supplies the time; the forms distinguish repeated activity from an action viewed as a whole.
Imperative: instructions or requests: γράφε κάθε μέρα — write every day; γράψε το όνομά σου — write your name. These show continuous and simple instructions.
Active and middle/passive: form and meaning: γράφω — I write; γράφεται — it is written. But a middle/passive ending does not always express a passive meaning: έρχομαι means I come.

Alternative forms: commas or slashes separate alternatives. Parentheses mark optional letters, for example γράφουν(ε) means γράφουν or γράφουνε. Alternatives can differ in style or context, so read any usage note before choosing.

A dash or a missing table means a form is not supplied here. Check the entry’s notes; it does not by itself prove that every omitted form is impossible.

Other verbs with the same source references

δέομαι · διαμαρτύρομαι · εύχομαι

These verbs share source references, but their forms and meanings may differ.

βούλομαι — to wish; to want

This is a learned and historical verb, not the normal everyday way to say “I want” in Modern Greek. For contemporary conversation use θέλω; επιθυμώ is another option in a more formal context.

Forms to recognise

Form	Meaning and context
βούλομαι	I wish / want; learned or historical.
βούλεται	He or she wishes; learned or historical.
βούλονται	They wish; learned or historical.
ο βουλόμενος	The person who wishes; whoever wishes. A learned participial expression.
βουλόμενος, βουλόμενη, βουλόμενο	Wishing; the participle agrees with its noun.

Modern usage

Do not learn a mechanically modernised complete paradigm of this verb as everyday speech. Ancient Greek has its own tense system; those forms must be studied in an Ancient Greek context. Historical forms such as βουλήθηκα may also occur in older literature.

For an ordinary modern sentence:

Θέλω να φύγω.

I want to leave.

Επιθυμώ να συμμετάσχω.

I wish to take part.

Reference: Centre for the Greek Language — βούλομαι (Ancient Greek).

Source: Modern Greek Verbs
https://moderngreekverbs.com/boulomai/
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Forms to recognise

Modern usage

Make this verb part of your Greek