χρειάζομαι runs two core syntaxes side by side. Personal Χρειάζομαι βοήθεια means “I need help.” Impersonal Χρειάζεται να φύγουμε means “We need to leave,” literally “it is necessary that we leave.” English uses need for both and therefore hides the change of subject.
Χρειάζομαι λίγο χρόνο για να το σκεφτώ.
chriázome lígho chróno ya na to skeftó
I need a little time to think about it.
Χρειάζεται να φύγουμε πριν αρχίσει η κίνηση.
chriázete na fíghume prin archísi i kínisi
We need to leave before the traffic starts.
Principal parts
χρειάζομαι is deponent; deponent verbs explains why the mediopassive-looking citation form carries an active meaning.
| Slot | Form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Present | χρειάζομαι, χρειάζεσαι, χρειάζεται, χρειαζόμαστε, χρειάζεστε, χρειάζονται | |
| Imperfect | χρειαζόμουν | |
| Aorist | χρειάστηκα | |
| Dependent | χρειαστώ | να / θα χρειαστώ |
| Perfect | έχω χρειαστεί | |
| Active present twin | does not exist; learned χρήζω is a separate verb (formal) | |
| -μένος participle | does not exist | |
Morphological references record χρειάσου / χρειαστείτε, but positive imperatives are pragmatically exceptional: needing is not normally a voluntary action that can be ordered. Everyday Greek uses a statement or a future form instead. That is a usage restriction, not proof that the forms are structurally impossible.
This limitation is semantic, not a hole in the conjugation. A command asks the listener to control an action; a need simply arises, so the imperative is rarely natural.
Αν χρειαστείς οτιδήποτε, τηλεφώνησέ μου αμέσως.
an chriastís otidhípote, tilefónisé mu amésos
If you need anything, call me immediately.
Government
| Personal | Impersonal / subject agreement |
|---|---|
| χρειάζομαι + accusative Χρειάζομαι βοήθεια. | χρειάζεται + να-clause Χρειάζεται να φύγω. |
| The person who needs is the verb's subject. | The action follows in a να-clause; neutral standard usage keeps χρειάζεται 3sg. |
| Τι χρειάζεσαι; | Δεν χρειάζεται. |
Τι χρειάζεσαι από το σούπερ μάρκετ;
ti chriázese apó to súper márket;
What do you need from the supermarket?
Personal agreement before να is also attested: Χρειαζόμαστε να έχουμε περισσότερο χρόνο. Acceptability varies by speaker and context: many prefer Χρειάζεται να έχουμε…, but the personal construction occurs in contemporary speech and formal published material too. It is not ungrammatical; for the safest neutral choice, use impersonal χρειάζεται να.
With a noun, the noun can be the grammatical subject, so number agreement becomes visible: Χρειάζεται μία υπογραφή but Χρειάζονται δύο υπογραφές. This is why “impersonal” is not a licence to freeze every use in the singular.
Χρειάζεται υπομονή· η διαδικασία θα πάρει χρόνο.
chriázete ipomoní; i dhiadhikasía tha pári chróno
Patience is needed; the process will take time.
Χρειάζονται δύο υπογραφές για να εγκριθεί η αίτηση.
chriázonde dhío ipoghrafés ya na engrithí i étisi
Two signatures are needed for the application to be approved.
The fuller χρειάζεται / πρέπει choice is on the decision guide, and the να-frame on impersonal necessity.
Aspect still matters in the ordinary way. χρειάζομαι presents a current or continuing need; χρειαστώ presents a need that may arise as one bounded eventuality. That is why conditions so often use αν χρειαστεί / αν χρειαστείς: the question is whether the need will arise, not whether it is continuing now.
Set phrases
- Δεν χρειάζεται. — There's no need.
- Αν χρειαστεί, θα σε πάρω. — If necessary, I'll call you.
- Ό,τι χρειαστείς, είμαι εδώ. — Whatever you need, I'm here.
- Θα το χρειαστείς αργότερα. — You'll need it later.
- Χρειάζεται προσοχή. — Care is needed.
- Δεν χρειάζεται να πεις τίποτα. — You don't need to say anything.
- Χρειάζομαι λίγο χρόνο. — I need a little time.
The fixed τα χρειάστηκα means “I got a terrible fright,” not “I needed them.”
Με την καταιγίδα στο καράβι, τα χρειαστήκαμε όλοι.
me tin kateyídha sto karávi, ta chriastíkame óli
During the storm on the ship, we all got a terrible fright. (informal)
Common Mistakes
Spell the deponent ending with αι, and do not replace the verb with active ×χρειάζω. Personal + να is not a suitable ❌: it is attested, though impersonal χρειάζεται να is the neutral default.
❌ Χρειάζομε δύο ώρες ακόμα για να τελειώσω.
Incorrect — the 1sg is χρειάζομαι, spelled with -αι.
✅ Χρειάζομαι δύο ώρες ακόμα για να τελειώσω.
chriázome dhío óres akóma ya na telióso
I need two more hours to finish.
Key Takeaways
- Personal χρειάζομαι takes the thing needed as an accusative object.
- Required actions neutrally use impersonal χρειάζεται να; personal + να is attested but varies by speaker.
- A noun subject controls number: χρειάζεται μία, χρειάζονται δύο.
- The active twin and a -μένος participle do not exist; the imperative is possible in form but highly marked in use.
Related Topics
- βοηθάω/βοηθώ (to help)A2 — The person you help is a bare accusative — Σε βοηθάω, never a 'to'-phrase — while the thing you help with goes after σε or με and the action you help somebody do goes after να. Plus the subjectless βοηθάει να, which looks like a sentence with a missing subject and isn't.
- πρέπει (must/have to)A2 — A defective-form inventory for impersonal πρέπει, kept distinct from the third-person verb πρέπω and its surviving formal active participle πρέπων.
- πρέπει vs χρειάζεταιB1 — Choose πρέπει να for obligation or requirement, χρειάζεται να for practical necessity, and personal χρειάζομαι for a needed thing—especially under negation.
- Impersonal πρέπει / μπορεί ναB1 — The two invariable modal frames — πρέπει να for obligation ('must / have to') and μπορεί να for possibility ('may / might') — where the modal never changes and the person is carried by the να-verb, plus their pasts έπρεπε να and μπορεί να + past.
- Deponent Verbs (-ομαι only)B1 — Verbs with no corresponding active present but an active meaning — έρχομαι (come), κάθομαι (sit), γίνομαι (become), θυμάμαι (remember), φοβάμαι (fear), σκέφτομαι (think), εργάζομαι (work) — their mediopassive present and imperfect, and their unpredictable active-type or mediopassive-type perfective forms.
- Principal Parts: Complete IndexA2 — A consolidated index of the principal parts of 151 frequent Modern Greek verbs, including defective and register-limited paradigms.