διεξάγω means “conduct/carry out” and belongs mainly to news, administrative, legal, and academic prose. English readily keeps conduct active, but Greek is especially frequent in the passive: a reader meets διεξάγονται εκλογές or διεξήχθη έρευνα far more often than an active first-person form.
That skew is semantic as well as stylistic. Reports foreground the public event—an election, trial, match, investigation—not the institution managing it. The passive lets that event become the subject. In conversation, έγιναν εκλογές or κάναμε έρευνα usually conveys the same news without the official tone; see journalistic style.
Οι εκλογές διεξάγονται σε ήρεμο κλίμα.
i ekloghés dhieksághonde se íremo klíma
The elections are being held in a calm atmosphere. (formal)
Έγιναν εκλογές την περασμένη Κυριακή.
éyinan ekloghés tin perazméni Kiriakí
Elections were held last Sunday. (informal)
Principal parts
| Slot | Form | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Present | διεξάγω, διεξάγεις, διεξάγει, διεξάγουμε, διεξάγετε, διεξάγουν | (formal) |
| Imperfect | διεξήγα | (formal) |
| Active aorist | διεξήγαγα | reduplicated stem |
| Dependent / perfect | να διεξαγάγω / έχω διεξαγάγει | perfect is uncommon |
| Mediopassive | διεξάγεται / διεξάγονται | the high-frequency series |
| Passive aorist | διεξάχθηκε; διεξήχθη / διεξήχθησαν | modern; learned (formal) |
| Perfect passive | έχει διεξαχθεί | |
| Present participle | διεξαγόμενος, -η, -ο | ongoing; common in formal prose |
| Imperative | διεξάγετε | real but specialist/formal |
| Regular active aorist in -σα | Does not exist: no ×διεξήγαξα | |
The imperfect διεξήγα and aorist διεξήγαγα preserve internal augmentation. The aorist also repeats -αγ-, so this is not a form learners can safely guess. The passive offers both an adapted modern past and the inherited third-person -ήχθη forms that headlines preserve.
The tolerated dependent να διεξάγω can sometimes appear where conservative formal prose prefers perfective να διεξαγάγω. It also has an unambiguously imperfective reading, “to keep conducting.” Because the shapes overlap in actual modern usage, context and the kind of event matter more than policing every occurrence. The learned active past, however, remains διεξήγαγα, never the invented ×διεξήγαξα.
Η εταιρεία διεξήγα έρευνες κάθε έξι μήνες.
i etería dhieksígha érevnes káthe éksi mínes
The company conducted surveys every six months. (formal)
Το πανεπιστήμιο διεξήγαγε νέα μελέτη πέρσι.
to panepistímio dhieksíghaghe néa meléti pérsi
The university conducted a new study last year. (formal)
Η έρευνα διεξήχθη σε τρία νοσοκομεία.
i érevna dhieksíchthi se tría nosokomía
The study was conducted in three hospitals. (academic)
The two passive aorists differ principally in register. διεξάχθηκε fits modern inflection, while διεξήχθη and plural διεξήχθησαν are learned third-person survivals especially at home in headlines, official reports, and academic prose. Both are current; calling the learned form dead would misdescribe modern news Greek. Their historical position is covered under Katharevousa relics.
An imperative does exist: instructional διεξάγετε is grammatical, but rare and specialist because everyday Greek normally says κάντε.
Διεξάγετε τον έλεγχο πριν από την έναρξη της διαδικασίας.
dhieksághete ton élencho prin apó tin énarksi tis dhiadhikasías
Conduct the inspection before the procedure begins. (formal)
Government
Active διεξάγω takes an accusative process: έρευνα, εκλογές, διαπραγματεύσεις, δίκη, αγώνα, εξετάσεις. In the passive, that noun becomes the nominative subject and controls agreement.
Οι δύο πλευρές διεξάγουν διαπραγματεύσεις για τη νέα σύμβαση.
i dhío plevrés dhieksághun dhiapraghmatéfsis ya ti néa símvasi
The two sides are conducting negotiations over the new agreement. (formal)
Ο αγώνας θα διεξαχθεί στις οκτώ χωρίς θεατές.
o aghónas tha dhieksachthí stis októ chorís theatés
The match will be held at eight without spectators. (formal)
Set phrases
διεξάγεται δίκη “a trial is under way”; διεξήχθη έρευνα “an investigation was conducted”; η διεξαγωγή των εξετάσεων “the holding of the exams”; υπό διεξαγωγή “in progress” (formal).
Η δίκη βρίσκεται ακόμη υπό διεξαγωγή.
i dhíki vrískete akómi ipó dhieksaghoghí
The trial is still in progress. (formal)
Common Mistakes
❌ Διεξήχθησαν τις εκλογές τον Ιούνιο.
Incorrect — in the passive, οι εκλογές is the nominative subject.
✅ Διεξήχθησαν οι εκλογές τον Ιούνιο.
dhieksíchthisan i ekloghés ton Iúnio
The elections were held in June. (formal)
Key Takeaways
- διεξάγω · διεξήγα · διεξήγαγα · διεξαγάγω; the active past is learned and irregular.
- Passive διεξάγεται · διεξήχθη / διεξάχθηκε · διεξαχθεί dominates actual usage.
- In conversation, prefer κάνω or γίνομαι; an active διεξάγω often sounds needlessly official.
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