χαίρομαι means “be glad” or “enjoy,” but its most memorable forms live in introductions. Χαίρω πολύ can open a first meeting; Χάρηκα can close it. The second is also the verb's ordinary irregular aorist, not just a social formula.
Χαίρω πολύ, είμαι η Άννα από το λογιστήριο.
chéro polí, íme i Ána apó to loyistírio
Pleased to meet you; I'm Anna from accounts. (formal)
Χάρηκα πολύ για τη γνωριμία· ελπίζω να τα ξαναπούμε.
chárika polí ya ti ghnorimía; elpízo na ta ksanapúme
It was very nice meeting you; I hope we speak again.
Principal parts
χαίρομαι is deponent in its productive modern paradigm. The general voice pattern belongs to deponent verbs.
| Slot | Form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Present | χαίρομαι, χαίρεσαι, χαίρεται, χαιρόμαστε, χαίρεστε, χαίρονται | |
| Imperfect | χαιρόμουν | |
| Aorist | χάρηκα | irregular; not ×χαιρέθηκα |
| Dependent | χαρώ | να / θα χαρώ |
| Imperative | χάρου / χαρείτε | |
| Perfect | έχω χαρεί | |
| Productive active past/future | does not exist; active χαίρω is present-stem-only in fixed learned uses | |
| Result participle | does not exist; χαρούμενος is the lexicalized adjective/participle “happy,” not “having been gladdened” | |
Χάρηκα όταν έμαθα ότι πήρες τη δουλειά.
chárika ótan ématha óti píres ti dhuliá
I was delighted when I heard you got the job.
The aorist is inchoative as well as bounded: it often presents joy arising in response to news or an event. For a continuing background state in the past, use χαιρόμουν. Thus Χαιρόμουν που σε είχα κοντά μου means “I was glad to have you near me,” while Χάρηκα όταν ήρθες marks the reaction when you arrived.
Government
που + indicative presents a fact that causes gladness. να presents an activity, experience, or prospect rather than an asserted fact. για + accusative names the person or thing you are glad about, while a bare accusative can mean “enjoy.”
Χαίρομαι που σε βλέπω ξανά μετά από τόσο καιρό.
chérome pu se vlépo ksaná metá apó tóso keró
I'm glad to see you again after so long.
Χαίρομαι να βλέπω την πλατεία γεμάτη κόσμο τα βράδια.
chérome na vlépo tin platía yemáti kózmo ta vrádhia
I enjoy seeing the square full of people in the evenings.
Both sentences are grammatical. The first reacts to the real fact that you are here; the second describes a general experience. The complete system is on να after emotion verbs.
Χαίρομαι για σένα· δούλεψες πολύ γι' αυτή την επιτυχία.
chérome ya séna; dhúlepses polí yaftí tin epitichía
I'm happy for you; you worked hard for this success.
Τώρα που συνταξιοδοτήθηκε, χαίρεται τη ζωή του.
tóra pu sindaksiodhotíthike, chérete ti zoí tu
Now that he's retired, he enjoys his life.
The fossilised active
The old active χαίρω survives (formal) in a few fixed expressions, not as a freely productive alternative to χαίρομαι. Χαίρετε! is a polite or distancing greeting, historically an imperative; χαίρει εκτιμήσεως “enjoys esteem” belongs to formal writing.
Register is part of the meaning here. Χαίρετε is useful with a stranger, a group, or in a service encounter, but can sound cool among close friends. Γεια σου / Γεια σας is the neutral everyday greeting; Χαίρω πολύ is polished and somewhat ceremonious.
Η πρόταση χαίρει ευρείας αποδοχής στην επιστημονική κοινότητα.
i prótasi chéri evrías apodhochís stin epistimonikí kinótita
The proposal enjoys broad acceptance in the scientific community. (academic)
Set phrases
- Χάρηκα! — Nice meeting you!
- Χαίρω πολύ. — Pleased to meet you. (formal)
- Χαίρετε! — Hello. (formal)
- γεια χαρά — bye for now (informal)
- Να χαρείς! — please; I'm begging you
- να σε χαίρονται — may your loved ones enjoy having you
Common Mistakes
The aorist is χάρηκα, never ×χαιρέθηκα. Do not mark χαίρομαι να wrong when it genuinely means enjoying a general activity.
Key Takeaways
- χάρηκα, χαρώ and χαρεί are irregular principal parts.
- που reacts to an asserted fact; να presents an activity, experience, or prospect.
- Χαίρω πολύ and Χαίρετε preserve a present-stem-only active (formal).
- A bare object can mean “enjoy”: χαίρομαι τη ζωή μου.
Related Topics
- λυπάμαι (to be sorry)B1 — Sympathy, regret, pity and reluctance with λυπάμαι—distinct from the everyday apology formula συγγνώμη.
- φοβάμαι (to be afraid)A2 — A five-frame map of φοβάμαι: fear something, hesitate to act, worry about an event or person, and soften bad news.
- να After Emotion and EvaluationB1 — Verbs and expressions of feeling and judgement — μου αρέσει να, φοβάμαι να, χαίρομαι, λυπάμαι, αξίζει, είναι κρίμα — take a να-clause for the event itself and που for an established fact that stirs the feeling; how to tell which one you need.
- That-Clauses: ότι, πως, πουB1 — Choose factual ότι or πως after saying and thinking, and factive που after emotions or direct perception, while keeping ότι distinct from ό,τι ‘whatever.’
- Introductions and NamesA1 — Ask and give names, introduce another person, and continue a first Greek conversation with forms suited to familiar or polite address.
- Principal Parts: Complete IndexA2 — A consolidated index of the principal parts of 151 frequent Modern Greek verbs, including defective and register-limited paradigms.