Jussive subjunctive Just as in Latin, the Greek subjunctive can sometimes be used for giving suggestions or commands. This use is known as the "jussive" subjunctive.
1st person suggestions The jussive subjunctive has several uses. One use is in 1st person plural exhortations (the "hortatory" subjunctive): : . : . : Come now, '''let's go'''. More rarely, generally preceded by (), it can be used in the 1st person singular: : . : . : Come now,
let me show you. Since Ancient Greek has a 3rd person imperative, the imperative rather than the subjunctive is usually used for 3rd person commands or suggestions where Latin would use a 3rd person subjunctive (e.g.
veniat "let him come").
Deliberative questions Similarly the subjunctive is used in deliberative questions, usually in the 1st person: : : :
Should we speak (
aorist) or
should we remain silent (
present)?
Negative commands The subjunctive mood can also be used for 2nd person negative commands, but only with the aorist tense. The negative, as with almost all uses of the subjunctive, is (): : . : . (
aorist subjunctive) : Don't
be surprised. However, when the meaning of the negative command is "don't continue to do something", () is used not with the subjunctive but with the present imperative: : . : . (
present imperative) : '''Don't weep''' (= don't continue to weep).
Subjunctive in indefinite clauses The subjunctive mood is often used in indefinite subordinate clauses referring to an unknown time in the future (e.g. "if this should happen") or to an unspecified time in the present (e.g. "whenever this happens"). Such clauses are always introduced by a conjunction or relative pronoun combined with the particle (), such as () "if by chance", () "whenever", or () "whoever". Clauses of this type can only refer to an indefinite present or future time, never to the past, for which the optative is used, without () (see
Optative (Ancient Greek)).
If (in future) The subjunctive is often used in the protasis (i.e. the "if" clause) of conditional sentences after the conjunction (), which can be shortened to or () "if (by chance)" or "if (in future)", referring to a future situation that is quite likely to happen. Conditional sentences of this kind are referred to by Smyth as the "more vivid" future conditions: : . : . : If '''it's''' necessary, we shall make war. The negative used with the potential subjunctive, as with the jussive subjunctive, is (): : . : . : If
they are not
willing, they will force them.
Before, until The same construction is used with () "before" and () "until such time as" referring to an event or situation which it is expected will occur at an indefinite future time: : . : . : I shan't stop until
you tell me (whenever that is). : . : . : Carry on speaking, until
it is time to go home (whenever that is).
Whenever, whoever, etc. Another very similar use of the subjunctive is in indefinite subordinate clauses following a conjunction such as () "if ever", () "whenever", () "whoever", etc., referring to repeated actions in indefinite present time. : . : . : So everyone is powerful who
does whatever
he wants whenever
he wants. : . : . : Whenever anyone
tries to pass, they roll stones. : . : . : It's possible for exiles to live wherever
they wish. : . : . : Wherever
they make a camp, they throw a ditch around it. () means "in whatever way". But it can also mean "so that" and be used in purpose clauses (see below). : . : . : I shall do as (= in whatever way)
you order. The equivalent of this construction in past time uses the optative mood without () (see
Optative (Ancient Greek)). Unlike with purpose clauses and after verbs of fearing, the subjunctive is not used in a past-time context in such clauses.
Other uses of the subjunctive Purpose clauses The subjunctive is also used in purpose clauses with (), especially those referring to present or future time: : . : . : Teach me too, so that I can become wiser. () "so that" is never used with (). On the other hand, when () is used, () is usually added, although () can also be used alone: : : : But let someone bring out some fire, so that
we can pray to the gods. : : : But so that
it may be known that what I'm saying is true, first I shall describe the nature of Attica. In a past context purpose clause, the optative mood without () is often used (see
Optative (Ancient Greek)), but it is also possible to use the subjunctive even in a past context: : : (
aorist subjunctive) : Abrocomas had burnt the boats, so that Cyrus
couldn't
cross. Purpose clauses can also be made with () and the imperfect, aorist, or future indicative.
After verbs of fearing The subjunctive is used after verbs of fearing to express fears for the future, after a verb of fearing in the present tense. In this case the word () "lest" is always added after the verb of fearing: : : : He is afraid that
we may be besieged. In a past context the optative mood is generally used instead of the subjunctive (see
Optative (Ancient Greek). However, as with purpose clauses, the subjunctive may optionally be used even when the context is past: : : : They were afraid at first that (the ships)
might be (lit.
may be) hostile. Doubts can be expressed in Ancient Greek by using () "if" or an indirect question and the subjunctive after a verb of fearing: : : : I doubt if
I can persuade my mistress. When the sentence has the form "I fear that something
is the case or
was the case", referring to the present or past, the indicative, not the subjunctive, is used.
Doubtful and emphatic assertions Similar to its use with verbs of fearing, the subjunctive with () is sometimes used in doubtful assertions, meaning "it may be the case that" or (with ()) "it may not be the case that", especially in Plato: : : : Possibly it
may not be so. A similar construction, but with () rather than (), can also be used for an emphatic assertion, as in this sentence from the New Testament, always negative and usually with the aorist subjunctive: : : : Certainly '''there won't be enough''' (oil) both for us and for you! ==Tense and the subjunctive==