A collocation is a pairing that Greek speakers habitually choose even when other combinations would be grammatically imaginable. Greek says κάνω μια ερώτηση “ask a question,” δίνω εξετάσεις “sit exams,” and παίρνω απόφαση “make a decision.” English often chooses a different verb, so knowing every individual word is not enough: fluent Greek depends on knowing which words normally arrive together.
These pairings are neither completely free nor always fixed idioms. You can change tense, person, number, articles, and modifiers while preserving the lexical partnership. The efficient unit to learn is therefore a small reusable frame, not one frozen sentence.
Έκανα μια δύσκολη ερώτηση και η συζήτηση άλλαξε κατεύθυνση.
ékana mia dhískoli erótisi ke i sizítisi álakse katéfthinsi.
I asked a difficult question, and the discussion changed direction.
Η αδελφή μου δίνει εξετάσεις οδήγησης την Παρασκευή.
i adhelfí mu dhíni eksetásis odhíyisis tin Paraskeví.
My sister is taking her driving test on Friday.
Three kinds of pairing
The collocation section divides the subject by what is being paired. Each page answers a different learner question.
| Type | Question it answers | Route |
|---|---|---|
| verb + noun | Which action verb goes with this noun? | Verb + Noun Collocations |
| adjective + noun | Which descriptive word is conventional in this context? | Adjective + Noun Collocations |
| light verb + nominal predicate | How do κάνω, δίνω, παίρνω, and βάζω organize noun-centered events? | Light Verbs |
The first two inventories help you sound idiomatic. The light-verb page explains the structure beneath many verb–noun pairings. Its verbs contribute grammatical organization and sometimes a broad event shape, while the noun carries much of the specific meaning.
Κάνω ντους τώρα και σε παίρνω σε δέκα λεπτά.
káno dus tóra ke se pérno se dhéka leptá.
I'm taking a shower now, and I'll call you in ten minutes.
Πήραμε την τελική απόφαση μετά τη συνάντηση με τους τεχνικούς.
pírame tin telikí apófasi metá ti sinándisi me tus technikús.
We made the final decision after the meeting with the technicians.
Why whole chunks beat translation
English make, do, take, and give cover enormous territory. Their Greek dictionary equivalents do not divide that territory in the same way. Κάνω appears in κάνω ντους, but “take a decision” is παίρνω απόφαση. Δίνω εξετάσεις uses the verb “give” from the candidate's viewpoint, although English says “take an exam.” These choices are conventional: a general rule can help you remember them, but it cannot reliably generate them.
Αύριο δίνω την τελευταία εξέταση του εξαμήνου.
ávrio dhíno tin teleftéa eksétasi tu eksamínu.
Tomorrow I'm sitting the final exam of the semester.
Μπορώ να σου δώσω μια απάντηση μέχρι το μεσημέρι.
boró na su dhóso mia apándisi méchri to mesiméri.
I can give you an answer by noon.
The second example happens to match English give an answer; the first does not. Do not search for a one-to-one master key. Record δίνω εξετάσεις and δίνω απάντηση as separate usable frames.
Coffee shows why collocations are not prohibitions
Both δυνατός καφές and βαρύς καφές are established Modern Greek, but they need not highlight the same property. Δυνατός καφές normally presents the coffee as strong in taste, concentration, or effect. Βαρύς καφές can present it as heavy, full-bodied, intense, or difficult for someone to tolerate. In real descriptions those properties overlap, so neither adjective is universally forbidden.
Θέλω έναν δυνατό καφέ, γιατί ξενύχτησα πάλι.
thélo énan dhinató kafé, yatí kseníchtisa páli.
I want a strong coffee because I stayed up late again.
Ο ελληνικός καφές μού πέφτει βαρύς αργά το βράδυ.
o elinikós kafés mu péfti varís arghá to vrádhi.
Greek coffee sits heavily with me late at night.
This is typical collocational knowledge: the issue is not merely whether two words may coexist, but what a speaker is likely to infer from their pairing. Context, not an absolute ban, resolves the overlap.
What belongs elsewhere
Not every preferred word partnership is a collocation in the narrow sense used here. A verb may govern a preposition, as in βασίζομαι σε “rely on” and εξαρτάται από “depend on.” Those frames belong on Verb + Preposition Government. Fixed prepositional expressions such as κατά λάθος and με το ζόρι belong on Idiomatic Prepositions.
Βασιζόμαστε στην πρόγνωση πριν οργανώσουμε την εκδρομή.
vasizómaste stin próghnosi prin orghanósume tin ekdhromí.
We rely on the forecast before organizing the trip.
Πάτησα κατά λάθος το κουμπί της αποστολής.
pátisa katá láthos to kubí tis apostolís.
I pressed the send button by mistake.
The learning method remains similar—store the whole frame—but the grammatical owner differs. That distinction prevents this section from becoming an unstructured phrase list.
Common Mistakes
Translating English make automatically with κάνω
Κάνω απόφαση is not the conventional Modern Greek frame. The decision is something one “takes.”
❌ Κάναμε μια απόφαση πριν ακούσουμε όλες τις προτάσεις.
Incorrect — Modern Greek uses παίρνω, not κάνω, with απόφαση.
✅ Πήραμε μια απόφαση πριν ακούσουμε όλες τις προτάσεις.
pírame mia apófasi prin akúsume óles tis protásis.
We made a decision before hearing all the proposals.
Treating a pairing as a frozen sentence
Tense, number, and modification remain available around the core partnership.
Οι υπεύθυνοι θα πάρουν οριστική απόφαση την επόμενη εβδομάδα.
i ipéfthini tha párun oristikí apófasi tin epómeni evdhomádha.
The people responsible will make a final decision next week.
Calling δυνατός καφές wrong
It is a normal expression for strong coffee. Use βαρύς when heaviness, body, or tolerance is the intended emphasis.
Ο καφές είναι δυνατός, αλλά δεν μου πέφτει βαρύς.
o kafés íne dhinatós, alá dhen mu péfti varís.
The coffee is strong, but it doesn't sit heavily with me.
Mixing collocation with prepositional government
Changing the governed preposition creates an error even if English uses the same on for both verbs.
❌ Η επιτυχία εξαρτάται στη σωστή προετοιμασία.
Incorrect — εξαρτάται governs από.
✅ Η επιτυχία εξαρτάται από τη σωστή προετοιμασία.
i epitichía eksartáte apó ti sostí proetimasía.
Success depends on proper preparation.
Key Takeaways
- Learn recurring partners as adaptable chunks: κάνω μια ερώτηση, δίνω εξετάσεις, παίρνω απόφαση.
- Translation is only a starting point; English and Greek distribute “make,” “take,” and “give” differently.
- Verb–noun, adjective–noun, and light-verb structure have separate pages in this section.
- Δυνατός καφές and βαρύς καφές are both current; their emphases overlap but are not identical.
- Route governed prepositions and fixed prepositional idioms to their dedicated owners.
Now practice Greek
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Greek →Related Topics
- Verb + Noun CollocationsB1 — A practical reference to the Greek verbs conventionally used with everyday activities, decisions, exams, promises, calls, and photographs.
- Light Verbs: κάνω, δίνω, παίρνω, βάζωB2 — Understand how broad Greek verbs combine with event-denoting nouns, where the event meaning lives, and why each noun still selects a conventional partner.
- Adjective + Noun CollocationsB2 — Choose conventional Greek adjective–noun pairings for strength, weather, color, food, friendship, and expressive feeling without turning preferences into false rules.
- Everyday Expressions OverviewA1 — Learn why common Greek formulas and light-verb expressions work best as meaningful chunks rather than word-for-word translations.