αἱ προθέσεις – Prepositions

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship that a word or phrase has to the rest of the sentence. Specific cases (πτώσεις) are used with each preposition. Some prepositions take the accusative case, some take the genitive case, while others take the dative case. You will see some prepositions with the accusative at one time, and then later the same preposition with the genitive. Notice the uses and meanings of these prepositions as they are used with the various cases.

preposition + accusative

ἡ πρόθεσις	ὑποδείγματα (examples)	ὃ μεθερμηνευμένον (which is translated)
εἰς πρός ἐπί περί παρά	τίθησι τὸν ἄρτον εἰς τὴν πήραν. ἔρχεται πρὸς τὴν τράπεζαν. θὲς τὸ ποτήριον ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν. περιπατεῖ ὁ ἀνὴρ περὶ τὸν οἶκον. κάθηται ὁ πτωχὸς παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν.	He puts the bread into the bag. He goes toward the table. Put the cup on the table. The man walks around the house. The poor man sits beside the road.

preposition + genitive

ἡ πρόθεσις	ὑποδείγματα (examples)	ὃ μεθερμηνευμένον (which is translated)
ἀπό ἐκ ἐπί περί παρά	φεύγει ἀπὸ τοῦ λέοντος. αἴρει τὸν ἄρτον ἐκ τῆς πήρας. τὸ ποτήριον ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης ἐστίν. ὁ ἀνὴρ λέγει περὶ ἑαυτοῦ. λαμβάνει τὸν ἄρτον παρὰ τοῦ πλουσίου.	He flees from the lion. He takes the bread out of the bag. The cup is on the table. The man talks about himself. He receives the bread from the rich man.

preposition + dative

ἡ πρόθεσις	ὑποδείγματα (examples)	ὃ μεθερμηνευμένον (which is translated)
ἐν	ὁ ἄρτος ἐστιν ἐν τῇ πήρᾳ.	The bread is in the bag.