μαγειρεύω is a Class Α (-ω) verb, not Class Β. It owns the pattern learners also meet in ταξιδεύω and χορεύω: the present stress stays on the stem, while the perfective stem ends in -εψ-. English gives no clue that “cook” and “travel” share a conjugation pattern; in Greek, their stem stress puts both in Class Α. The verb also means figurative “cook something up.”
Principal parts
| Slot | Form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Present | μαγειρεύω, μαγειρεύεις, μαγειρεύει, μαγειρεύουμε, μαγειρεύετε, μαγειρεύουν(ε) | one stem-stressed Class Α set |
| -άω/-ώ doublet | does not exist | no μαγειράω or μαγειρώ |
| Imperfect | μαγείρευα | |
| Aorist | μαγείρεψα | |
| Dependent | μαγειρέψω | θα / να + perfective |
| Imperative | μαγείρευε · μαγείρεψε / μαγειρέψτε | ongoing · bounded task |
| Perfect | έχω μαγειρέψει | |
| Mediopassive | μαγειρεύομαι, μαγειρεύεται · μαγειρεύτηκα | fully live |
| Participle | μαγειρεμένος | -ευ- drops; ×μαγειρευμένος does not exist |
Why -εύω is Class Α
Class Β verbs advertise themselves through ending stress: αγαπώ, θεωρώ. In μαγειρ-εύ-ω, the stress is already inside the stem, and there is only one present set. Before the perfective -σ-, the [v] of -ευ- merges with it and is written ψ: μαγειρεύω → μαγείρεψα. Consonant merges explains the sound change; the similar-looking Β aorists are contrasted on the Class Β aorist.
Τι μαγειρεύεις; Μυρίζει υπέροχα.
ti majirévis; mirízi ipérocha
What are you cooking? It smells wonderful.
Χθες μαγείρεψα φακές και περίσσεψαν για σήμερα.
chthes majírepsa fakés ke perísepsan ya símera
Yesterday I cooked lentils, and there are leftovers for today.
The imperfective command μαγείρευε keeps an activity going; μαγείρεψε asks for one meal or dish to be completed.
Μαγείρεψε κάτι απλό, θα γυρίσουμε αργά.
majírepse káti apló, tha yirísume arghá
Cook something simple; we'll be back late.
Government
The active may be intransitive, or it takes the food as a direct accusative object. για + accusative names who the food is for; με introduces an ingredient or cooking medium. Third-person mediopassive forms describe how a dish is prepared.
Μαγειρεύω για όλη την οικογένεια κάθε Κυριακή.
majirévo ya óli tin ikoyénia káthe Kiriakí
I cook for the whole family every Sunday.
Τις φακές τις μαγειρεύω με λίγο λάδι και πολύ κρεμμύδι.
tis fakés tis majirévo me lígho ládhi ke polí kremídhi
I cook the lentils with a little oil and plenty of onion.
Το κρέας μαγειρεύεται σιγά σιγά σε χαμηλή φωτιά.
to kréas majirévete sighá sighá se chamilí fotiá
The meat cooks slowly over a low heat.
The participle describes food that has been cooked, with the -ευ- absent.
Υπάρχει μαγειρεμένο φαγητό στο ψυγείο, μόνο ζέστανέ το.
ipárchi majireméno fayitó sto psiyío, móno zéstané to
There is cooked food in the fridge; just heat it up.
Cooking up a plan
With a vague object such as κάτι, or in the mediopassive, μαγειρεύω means secretly arrange, manipulate, or plot something (informal). Context makes the metaphor obvious.
Κάτι μαγειρεύουν αυτοί οι δύο και δεν μου το λένε.
káti majirévun aftí i dhío ke dhen mu to léne
Those two are cooking something up and aren't telling me.
Η συμφωνία μαγειρεύτηκε πίσω από κλειστές πόρτες.
i simfonía majiréftike píso apó klistés pórtes
The deal was cooked up behind closed doors. (informal)
Set phrases
Τι μαγειρεύεις; “What are you cooking?”; δεν ξέρω να μαγειρεύω “I cannot cook”; μαγειρεύω με λίγο λάδι “cook with little oil”; κάτι μαγειρεύουν “they are plotting something”; μαγειρεμένο φαγητό “cooked food.”
Common Mistakes
❌ Έμεινε ένα μαγειρευμένο γεύμα στο ψυγείο.
Incorrect — the participle loses -ευ-.
✅ Έμεινε ένα μαγειρεμένο γεύμα στο ψυγείο.
émine éna majireméno yévma sto psiyío
A cooked meal was left in the fridge.
The aorist is μαγείρεψα, not ×μαγείρευσα.
Key Takeaways
- μαγειρεύω is Class Α: one stem-stressed present set, never -άω/-ώ.
- Principal parts: μαγειρεύω · μαγείρευα · μαγείρεψα · μαγειρέψω · μαγείρεψε.
- The mediopassive is live; the participle is μαγειρεμένος, without -ευ-.
- κάτι μαγειρεύουν extends literal cooking to a secret plan (informal).
Related Topics
- ετοιμάζω (to prepare)B1 — Three Greek constructions sit behind one English 'get ready': ετοιμάζω makes something ready, ετοιμάζομαι gets yourself ready, είμαι έτοιμος reports the state. Principal parts, the mediopassive imperative Ετοιμάσου!, and why the active can never turn intransitive.
- ταξιδεύω (to travel)A2 — The Class Α forms of ταξιδεύω, its journey-scale limit, transport and destination frames, and ταξιδεμένος.
- Aorist: Class ΒA2 — The aorist of second-conjugation (Class Β) verbs — the contract verbs in -άω/-ώ. They are the most regular aorist in Greek: slot a linking vowel before the -σ- and add the past endings — αγάπησα, μίλησα, ρώτησα, περπάτησα. Covers the three linking-vowel families (-ησ-, -ασ-, -εσ-), the stress that rides the antepenult, and the -εύω lookalikes that are really Class Α.
- Text: A Greek RecipeA2 — Make a traditional χωριάτικη σαλάτα while learning the Greek instructional present, sequencing markers, and quantity expressions without an English-style ‘of’.
- Principal Parts: Complete IndexA2 — A consolidated index of the principal parts of 151 frequent Modern Greek verbs, including defective and register-limited paradigms.