Verbs compounded with a preposition place the augment and reduplication between the preposition and the verb. Except περὶ and πρὸ all prepositions ending in a vowel have the vowel elided before the augment; πρὸ generally forms a crasis with the augment and becomes προὐ. The ν in ἐν and σύν, which had been assimilated in the present, is resumed before the augment.
The prepositions that most frequently occur in compound verbs are—
| περί, | round about, | as in English periphery. |
| ἀπό, | off or away from, | as in apogee. |
| ὑπό, | under, | as in hypocrite. |
| ἐν, | in, | as in energy. |
| εἰς, | into. | |
| σύν, | together, | as in sympathy. |
| πρό, | before, | as in prophet. |
| παρά, | alongside or away, | as in parallel, parasite. |
| ἀντί, | instead of, opposite to, | as in antidote. |
| μετά, | with or after, | as in metaphysics. |
| πρός, | toward, | as in proselyte. |
| ἀνά, | up or back, | as in anatomy. |
| κατά, | down, | as in catalepsy. |
| ἐπί, | on or upon, | as in epilogue. |
ὁ φίλος μου ὁ ἀληθῶς φιλικὸς περιέβαλε
τοῖς ὤμοις μου τὴν χλαῖναν σκέπην ψύχους,
my true friend threw his cloak round my shoulders
as a protection against the cold.
ὑπόδησον τὰ ὑποδήματά μου, put on my shoes.
ἀπέβαλον τὰ ὑποδήματα τὰ ἀρχαϊκά·
κομψότερα τὰ καινότροπα,
I flung away the old-fashioned shoes;
those of the new fashion are more elegant.
χάριν ἔχω σοι τοῦ ἀγάλματος,
thanks to you for the pretty gift.
σήμερον μεταβέβληκεν ὁ οὐρανὸς εἰς τὸ χεῖρον,
to-day the weather has changed for the worse.
κατὰ φύσιν τοῦτο ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ πατρίδι οὗ οὐδὲν ἔχει στάσιμον ὁ οὐρανός,
quite natural, at least in our country, where the weather is never steady.
χθὲς κατέβην εἰς τὸ χῶμα, καὶ εἶδον τὸ μέγα ἀτμόπλοιον,
yesterday I went down to the pier and saw the big steamboat.