English normally treats dance as an activity: you dance, or dance with somebody. Greek χορεύω can also be directly transitive. A named dance and even the person you lead can stand as a bare accusative object.
Χορεύω ζεϊμπέκικο μόνο όταν το νιώθω.
chorévo zeïmbékiko móno ótan to niótho
I dance zeibekiko only when I really feel it.
Τον χόρεψε όλο το βράδυ και δεν κάθισε λεπτό.
ton chórepse ólo to vrádhi ke dhen káthise leptó
She led him through dances all evening and didn't sit down for a minute.
Principal parts
| Slot | Forms | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Present | χορεύω, χορεύεις, χορεύει, χορεύουμε, χορεύετε, χορεύουν(ε) | one Class Α set; never ×χοράω |
| Imperfect | χόρευα | ongoing or habitual dancing |
| Aorist | χόρεψα | not ×χορεύσα |
| Dependent | χορέψω | να / θα χορέψω |
| Imperative | χόρευε · χόρεψε / χορέψτε | imperfective · perfective |
| Perfect | έχω χορέψει | |
| Gerund | χορεύοντας | |
| -μένος participle | does not exist | |
The -εύω → -εψα perfective is the same compact pattern explained with μαγειρεύω; this card does not re-derive it. The ordinary present endings belong to the Class Α present.
The dictionary records a complete mediopassive χορεύομαι, not merely one isolated form. Its natural use is nevertheless chiefly third-person passive, because a dance—not a person—is normally what “gets danced”: χορεύεται, χορεύτηκε, χορεύτηκαν. There is no result participle in -μένος.
Αυτός ο χορός χορεύεται συχνά στα πανηγύρια.
aftós o chorós chorévete sichná sta paniyíria
This dance is often danced at village festivals.
Government
| Frame | Meaning | Model |
|---|---|---|
| bare accusative dance | perform that dance | χορεύω ζεϊμπέκικο |
| bare accusative person | invite or lead that person | χόρεψε όλες τις ντάμες |
με
| dance together as partners | χορεύω με τη Σοφία |
σε
| venue, occasion, or tune | χορεύω σε ένα πανηγύρι |
Χόρεψαν συρτάκι μέχρι το πρωί.
chórepsan sirtáki méchri to proí
They danced syrtaki until morning.
Με ποιον χόρεψες χθες στον γάμο;
me pión chórepses chthes ston ghámo;
Who did you dance with at the wedding yesterday?
The two partner frames are not interchangeable. Χόρεψα με τη Μαρία presents Maria as your companion in a shared activity. Χόρεψα τη Μαρία presents her as the person you invited and led through a dance. The transitive construction is fully current and is also the source of several idioms. English speakers often reach automatically for με and therefore miss this change in viewpoint.
Do not insert a preposition before the name of the dance. However, σε is perfectly good when it introduces the music or setting rather than the object of χορεύω.
Χόρεψα σε ένα ζεϊμπέκικο του Τσιτσάνη.
chórepsa se éna zeïmbékiko tu Tsitsáni
I danced to a zeibekiko by Tsitsanis.
Set phrases
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| δεν ξέρω να χορεύω | I can't / don't know how to dance |
| βγαίνω για χορό | go out dancing |
| σχολή χορού | dance school |
| χορεύω μέχρι το πρωί | dance until morning |
| χορεύω κάποιον στο ταψί (informal) | run somebody ragged; make life very difficult |
Δεν ξέρω να χορεύω, αλλά θέλω να μάθω.
dhen kséro na chorévo, alá thélo na mátho
I can't dance, but I want to learn.
Ο δικηγόρος τους χόρεψε στο ταψί ώσπου υποχώρησαν.
o dhikighóros tus chórepse sto tapsí óspu ipochórisan
The lawyer ran rings around them until they backed down. (informal)
The family is transparent but worth storing with the verb: ο χορός is “dance,” ο χορευτής / η χορεύτρια is a male or female dancer, and χορευτικός means “dance-related.” Βγαίνω για χορό uses the noun, not an infinitive-like form.
Common Mistakes
Keep the verb in Class Α: χορεύω, not ×χοράω. Store the perfective whole as χόρεψα / χορέψω, not ×χορεύσα. Before a dance name use a bare object; σε remains correct for a tune, venue, or occasion.
Key Takeaways
- χορεύω · χόρευα · χόρεψα · να χορέψω · χόρεψε · έχω χορέψει.
- A dance or a person you lead can be a bare accusative; a partner as company takes με.
- χορεύομαι is a real mediopassive paradigm, used mainly in the third person of dances.
- τον χόρεψε στο ταψί is the memorable transitive idiom: “made his life very difficult.”
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