κανονίζω is how Greek speakers arrange a meeting, settle details, fix an appointment, or take care of a practical matter. English distributes those uses across several verbs, so the most useful translation is often simply “sort out.”
Principal parts
| Slot | Form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Present | κανονίζω, κανονίζεις, κανονίζει, κανονίζουμε, κανονίζετε, κανονίζουν | |
| Imperfect | κανόνιζα | |
| Aorist | κανόνισα | |
| Dependent | κανονίσω | |
| Imperative | κανόνισε / κανονίστε | |
| Perfect | έχω κανονίσει | |
| Gerund | κανονίζοντας | |
| Mediopassive | κανονίζομαι · κανονίστηκα · να κανονιστώ | full personal passive |
| -μένος participle | κανονισμένος | arranged, settled |
| Missing core slots | none | no “impersonal-only” restriction exists |
From a plan to “It's sorted”
The object can be explicit—details, bills, an appointment—or compressed into the neuter clitic το. Το κανόνισα is a complete, frequent answer: the speaker has handled the matter and no further action is needed.
Μην ανησυχείς για τα εισιτήρια, το κανόνισα.
min anisichís ya ta isitíria, to kanónisa
Don't worry about the tickets; I've sorted it.
Θα το κανονίσω εγώ και θα σου στείλω μήνυμα.
tha to kanoníso eghó ke tha su stílo mínima
I'll take care of it and send you a message.
For arrangements between people, κανονίζω is normally more idiomatic than οργανώνω. οργανώνω suits an event, campaign, or complex operation; κανονίζω suits who meets whom, when, and where.
Οργανώνουμε το συνέδριο, αλλά ακόμη δεν κανονίσαμε πότε θα έρθουν οι ομιλητές.
orghanónume to sinédhrio, alá akómi dhen kanonísame póte tha érthun i omilités
We're organizing the conference, but we still haven't arranged when the speakers will arrive.
The difference is one of scale and focus, not an absolute ban. A large event is organized; its appointments, payments, and practical details are arranged.
Government
- Accusative object: the matter settled.
- να + dependent: the agreed action.
- με + person: the other party to the arrangement.
- για + time or occasion: when the arrangement applies.
Κανονίσαμε να βρεθούμε στις οκτώ έξω από το θέατρο.
kanonísame na vrethúme stis októ ékso apó to théatro
We arranged to meet at eight outside the theatre.
Τα κανόνισα με τον ιδιοκτήτη και μένει μόνο να υπογράψουμε.
ta kanónisa me ton idhioktíti ke méni móno na ipoghrápsume
I sorted it out with the owner; now all that remains is for us to sign.
Κανονίσαμε για αύριο, αλλά δεν έχουμε αποφασίσει την ώρα.
kanonísame ya ávrio, alá dhen échume apofasísi tin óra
We've arranged it for tomorrow, but we haven't decided the time.
The selected complement is να, not ότι, because this frame establishes an intended action rather than reporting information. See να after modal and selecting verbs.
A genuinely personal passive
κανονίστηκε is often used without an overt subject, but the construction is not restricted to that pattern. A singular matter or plural differences can be its grammatical subject, and an agent may be added with από.
Το θέμα της πληρωμής κανονίστηκε από το λογιστήριο.
to théma tis pliromís kanonístike apó to loyistírio
The payment issue was settled by accounts.
Οι διαφορές μας κανονίστηκαν χωρίς δικηγόρους.
i dhiaforés mas kanonístikan chorís dhikighórus
Our differences were settled without lawyers.
Κανονίστηκε για την Πέμπτη, μένει μόνο να βρούμε αίθουσα.
kanonístike ya tin Pémpti, méni móno na vrúme éthusa
It's been arranged for Thursday; we only need to find a room.
Set phrases
| Το κανόνισα. | It's sorted; I've handled it. |
| Τι κανονίσατε; | What did you arrange? |
| κανονισμένος γάμος | arranged marriage |
| μένει να κανονίσουμε τις λεπτομέρειες | the details remain to be settled |
| Θα σε κανονίσω! | I'll deal with you! (informal, threatening; potentially vulgar) |
Άγγιξε πάλι το κινητό μου και θα σε κανονίσω!
ángikse páli to kinitó mu ke tha se kanoníso!
Touch my phone again and I'll deal with you! (informal, threatening; potentially vulgar)
Common Mistakes
Two verb-specific corrections: ×Κανόνισα ότι θα βρεθούμε becomes Κανόνισα να βρεθούμε, because an intended action takes να; ×κανόνησα becomes κανόνισα.
Key Takeaways
- κανονίζω · κανόνιζα · κανόνισα · να κανονίσω · κανόνισε · έχω κανονίσει.
- Το κανόνισα means “I've handled it”; arrangements take να, με the other person, and για the time.
- κανονίζομαι, κανονίστηκα, κανονισμένος are fully live, and the passive is personal even when used without an overt subject.
Related Topics
- αποφασίζω (to decide)B1 — Two forms off one stem that point in opposite directions: αποφασισμένος is about the person's resolve, αποφασίστηκε is about the matter being settled. Plus the four frames — να, ότι, bare accusative and για — and why only the first of them actually decides anything.
- 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.
- περιμένω (to wait)A2 — One past tense for two English ones: περίμενα is both 'I waited' and 'I was waiting', because this compound never grew a perfective stem. Card gives the single paradigm, stress retraction without an inserted augment, the bare accusative object (Σε περιμένω), and the από frame for expecting something of someone.
- Principal Parts: Complete IndexA2 — A consolidated index of the principal parts of 151 frequent Modern Greek verbs, including defective and register-limited paradigms.
- Dialogue: Making PlansB1 — Arrange an evening out with deliberative να, decisive bare plurals, hortative ας, future arrangements, time phrases, and correctly placed clitics.
- να After Modal VerbsA2 — The everyday frame [modal + να + verb] — θέλω να, μπορώ να, πρέπει να, ξέρω να, πάω να, αρχίζω να — where the second verb is person-marked and personal main verbs conjugate too.