γνωρίζω links a state, “know,” to the perfective event γνώρισα, “met/got to know.” That aspect contrast changes the English translation even when the Greek object stays identical. In everyday factual “know,” ξέρω is usually more conversational; γνωρίζω is neutral with people and common in more formal information language.
Γνωρίζω τη Μαρία από το πανεπιστήμιο.
ghnorízo ti María apó to panepistímio
I know Maria from university.
Γνώρισα τη Μαρία στο πανεπιστήμιο.
ghnórisa ti María sto panepistímio
I met Maria at university.
Principal parts
| Slot | Form | Core value |
|---|---|---|
| Present | γνωρίζω, γνωρίζεις, γνωρίζει, γνωρίζουμε, γνωρίζετε, γνωρίζουν | know; be acquainted |
| Imperfect | γνώριζα | knew; was familiar with |
| Aorist | γνώρισα | met; came to know; experienced |
| Dependent / perfect | να γνωρίσω / έχω γνωρίσει | |
| Imperative | γνώρισε / γνωρίστε | meet; discover |
| Mediopassive | γνωρίζομαι / γνωρίστηκα | be acquainted; meet each other |
| Lexical adjective | γνωστός, -ή, -ό | known, famous; acquaintance as a noun |
| Result participle | γνωρισμένος, -η, -ο | having met/already acquainted; chiefly regional or old-fashioned today |
| γνωρισμένος meaning “known/famous” | Does not exist in current standard use: use γνωστός | |
The state/event split is lexicalised. γνώριζα looks at an existing relationship over time; γνώρισα selects the boundary where that relationship began. English uses two verbs (know and meet), while Greek lets aspect divide one verb's meanings.
The perfective can also package an experience rather than a first meeting: a city may γνώρισε ανάπτυξη “experience growth,” or a generation γνώρισε δυσκολίες “experience hardships.” These are normal extensions of “come to know through experience,” not separate conjugations.
Τον γνώριζα καλά όταν δουλεύαμε μαζί.
ton ghnóriza kalá ótan dhulévame mazí
I knew him well when we worked together.
Χάρηκα πολύ που σε γνώρισα επιτέλους.
chárika polí pu se ghnórisa epitélus
It was great finally meeting you.
The mediopassive is often reciprocal in the plural: the participants met one another. γνωρισμένος survives chiefly in regional and older Greek for prior acquaintance; it cannot replace γνωστός for a known person or famous actor in current standard use.
Γνωριστήκαμε πέρσι σε μια συναυλία.
ghnoristíkame pérsi se mia sinavlía
We met each other last year at a concert.
Είναι γνωστός ηθοποιός, αλλά αποφεύγει τις συνεντεύξεις.
íne ghnostós ithopiós, alá apofévyi tis sinendéfksis
He's a famous actor, but he avoids interviews.
Government
Use an accusative object for a person, subject, or experience. Facts take ότι / πως; embedded questions take αν, πού, ποιος. Reciprocal γνωρίζομαι takes με + accusative, while an introduction uses να σου γνωρίσω + accusative.
In official correspondence, Σας γνωρίζω ότι… can mean “I hereby inform you that…” (formal). This transitive announcement sense is genuine but markedly bureaucratic; everyday speech uses σας ενημερώνω or simply να σας πω. Do not assume every γνωρίζω in a document means “know.”
Γνωρίζετε αν το μουσείο είναι ανοιχτό σήμερα;
ghnorízete an to musío íne anichtó símera;
Do you know whether the museum is open today? (formal)
Να σου γνωρίσω τον Νίκο, τον νέο μας γείτονα.
na su ghnoríso ton Níko, ton néo mas ghítona
Let me introduce you to Nikos, our new neighbour.
For the register choice between factual ξέρω and γνωρίζω, see ξέρω vs γνωρίζω.
Set phrases
Χάρηκα που σε γνώρισα “nice to meet you”; γνωρίζω από κοντά “know/experience firsthand”; απ' όσο γνωρίζω “as far as I know” (formal); ένας γνωστός μου “an acquaintance of mine”; είναι γνωστό ότι “it is known that” (formal).
Απ' όσο γνωρίζω, η συμφωνία δεν έχει υπογραφεί ακόμη.
ap' óso ghnorízo, i simfonía dhen échi ipoghrafí akómi
As far as I know, the agreement has not yet been signed. (formal)
Common Mistakes
❌ Γνωρίστηκα τον αδερφό της χθες.
Incorrect — reciprocal γνωρίστηκα requires με before the other person.
✅ Γνωρίστηκα με τον αδερφό της χθες.
ghnorístika me ton adherfó tis chthes
I met her brother yesterday.
Key Takeaways
- γνωρίζω / γνώριζα presents knowing as a state; γνώρισα / γνωρίσω presents meeting or coming to know as an event.
- Reciprocal γνωρίστηκα takes με + accusative.
- γνωστός means “known/famous” or “acquaintance”; regional or old-fashioned γνωρισμένος means “already acquainted,” not “famous.”
Related Topics
- ξέρω (to know)A2 — ξέρω has a present stem and the imperfect ήξερα, but no perfective stem. This card maps its inflectional gaps and the verbs that fill them: μαθαίνω for 'find out', γνωρίζω for meeting or acquaintance and for formal-leaning informational 'know'.
- συναντάω/συναντώ (to meet)B1 — English 'meet' is three or four Greek verbs, and συναντάω is only one of them — the encounter, not the introduction and not the social arrangement. Forms, the accusative it takes for difficulties as well as people, and the reciprocal συναντιέμαι με, which cannot take a bare object.
- ξέρω vs γνωρίζωB1 — Choose everyday ξέρω or overlapping γνωρίζω for knowing, then distinguish the state γνώριζα from the meeting or coming-to-know event γνώρισα.
- Reciprocal Use of the Middle VoiceB1 — How the mediopassive says 'each other' — αγαπιούνται, φιλιούνται, συναντιούνται, αγκαλιάζονται, τσακώνονται, δεν μιλιούνται — and why the requirement is two parties, not a plural subject: Συναντιέμαι με τη Μαρία is just as reciprocal. Covers the singular + με construction, the two disambiguators μεταξύ τους and ο ένας τον άλλον (with the neuter το ένα το άλλο and the case forms), the actives that are reciprocal on their own, and the overlap with the plain passive.
- Aspect in the Past: Imperfect vs AoristA2 — For verbs that supply an aspect pair, Greek contrasts the imperfect's internal or unbounded view (έγραφα) with the aorist's bounded view (έγραψα); context and construal, not event count alone, decide the aspect.
- Principal Parts: Complete IndexA2 — A consolidated index of the principal parts of 151 frequent Modern Greek verbs, including defective and register-limited paradigms.