προτιμώ means “prefer,” but its citation form hides the present tense you hear most often. It is a wavering Class Β verb: everyday προτιμάς and formal προτιμείς belong to the same verb. Its comparison frame then changes according to whether you compare nouns or clauses.
Principal parts
| Slot | Form | Register or limit |
|---|---|---|
| Present | προτιμώ / προτιμάω | two sets; see below |
| Imperfect | προτιμούσα | all registers |
| Aorist | προτίμησα | ×προτίμισα does not exist |
| Dependent | προτιμήσω | θα / να + perfective |
| Imperative | προτίμα / προτιμήστε | rare; requests normally use θα προτιμούσα |
| Perfect | έχω προτιμήσει | all registers |
| Mediopassive | προτιμάται, προτιμήθηκε, θα προτιμηθούν | mainly third person, often formal |
| Participle | προτιμώμενος | preferred; fully current |
ΛΚΝ lists both mediopassive families, προτιμιέμαι and προτιμώμαι. Their full personal paradigms are marginal in actual use, but they exist; the common forms are third-person προτιμάται / προτιμώνται, the passive aorist, and προτιμώμενος.
Two present sets
| Register | Present forms |
|---|---|
| everyday (informal) | προτιμώ / προτιμάω, προτιμάς, προτιμάει, προτιμάμε, προτιμάτε, προτιμάνε |
| (formal) | προτιμώ, προτιμείς, προτιμεί, προτιμούμε, προτιμείτε, προτιμούν |
Τι προτιμάς για βραδινό, πίτσα ή μακαρόνια;
ti protimás ya vradhinó, pítsa i makarónia;
What would you prefer for dinner, pizza or pasta?
Ποια μέθοδο προτιμείτε για την ανάλυση των δεδομένων;
pia méthodho protimíte ya tin análisi ton dhedhoménon;
Which method do you prefer for analysing the data? (formal)
The first-person προτιμώ is more frequent than προτιμάω even in conversation; that is why the dictionary form misleadingly looks purely formal. The full fork belongs on Class Β subtypes.
Government
Use an accusative object. For two noun phrases, mark the rejected alternative with από + accusative. For two actions, use να … παρά να …: once both alternatives are clauses, από cannot replace παρά.
A single να-clause also stands alone when the rejected alternative is understood: Προτιμώ να μη μιλήσω.
Προτιμώ τον καφέ από το τσάι, αλλά το βράδυ πίνω χαμομήλι.
protimó ton kafé apó to tsái, alá to vrádhi píno chamomíli
I prefer coffee to tea, but in the evening I drink camomile.
Προτιμώ να μείνω σπίτι παρά να βγω με τέτοια βροχή.
protimó na míno spíti pará na vgho me tétia vrochí
I'd rather stay home than go out in this rain.
Θα προτιμούσα να μη μιλήσω πριν διαβάσω ολόκληρη την έκθεση.
tha protimúsa na mi milíso prin dhiaváso olókliri tin ékthesi
I would prefer not to speak before reading the entire report.
The passive and “preferred”
The passive is not a theoretical paradigm. It is common wherever criteria, candidates, methods, or terminology are being selected.
Θα προτιμηθούν οι υποψήφιοι με σχετική εμπειρία.
tha protimithún i ipopsífii me schetikí empiría
Applicants with relevant experience will be preferred. (formal)
Στην ανακοίνωση να χρησιμοποιήσουμε τον προτιμώμενο όρο.
stin anakínosi na chrisimopiísume ton protimómeno óro
Let's use the preferred term in the announcement.
Set phrases
| Τι προτιμάς; | What do you prefer? |
| θα προτιμούσα να… | I would prefer to… |
| κατά προτίμηση | preferably |
| προτιμότερο είναι να… | it is preferable to… |
| δεν έχω ιδιαίτερη προτίμηση | I have no particular preference |
Θέλω ένα δωμάτιο ψηλά, κατά προτίμηση με μπαλκόνι.
thélo éna dhomátio psilá, katá protímisi me balkóni
I'd like a room on a high floor, preferably with a balcony.
Common Mistakes
❌ Προτιμώ να μείνω σπίτι από να βγω.
Incorrect — clauses cannot be compared with από here.
✅ Προτιμώ να μείνω σπίτι παρά να βγω.
protimó na míno spíti pará na vgho
I'd rather stay home than go out.
Key Takeaways
- Both προτιμάς (everyday) and προτιμείς (formal) are real.
- Principal parts: προτιμώ · προτιμούσα · προτίμησα · προτιμήσω · έχω προτιμήσει.
- Compare nouns with από; compare να-clauses with παρά να.
- The passive aorist and προτιμώμενος are fully live, not merely dictionary forms.
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- θέλω (to want)A2 — The full inventory of θέλω — present, the ή- imperfect ήθελα, the rare aorist θέλησα that does not normally render plain 'I wanted', the slots this verb leaves empty, its four complement frames, and the politeness ladder θέλω → ήθελα → θα ήθελα.
- 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.
- Comparative ClausesB2 — Compare Greek propositions with απ' ό,τι and όσο, leave predictable material unspoken, and reject an alternative with παρά να.
- 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.
- Contrast: αλλά, όμως, παράB1 — Choose αλλά or μα for ordinary opposition, mobile όμως for ‘however,’ and negative-frame παρά for corrective ‘not X but rather Y.’
- Principal Parts: Complete IndexA2 — A consolidated index of the principal parts of 151 frequent Modern Greek verbs, including defective and register-limited paradigms.