Learn Hardcore Greek: Χρειάζομαι περισσότερα χρήματα για το ταξίδι.

The verb χρειάζομαι is what’s called a “middle/passive-only” verb (often called deponent): it only appears in the -ομαι form, but it has an active meaning: I need.

So:

χρειάζομαι ≈ I need (not I am needed or I need myself)

It conjugates like this in the present tense:

(εγώ) χρειάζομαι – I need
(εσύ) χρειάζεσαι – you need
(αυτός/η/ο) χρειάζεται – he/she/it needs
(εμείς) χρειαζόμαστε – we need
(εσείς) χρειάζεστε – you (pl/formal) need
(αυτοί/ές/ά) χρειάζονται – they need

There is a form χρειάζω, but it’s rare and usually means to render necessary or appears in passive-like constructions; for everyday “need,” you use χρειάζομαι.

Do I need to say εγώ in front of χρειάζομαι?

No. In Greek the verb ending already shows the subject, so εγώ is usually omitted unless you want to emphasize it.

Χρειάζομαι περισσότερα χρήματα για το ταξίδι. = I need more money for the trip.
Εγώ χρειάζομαι περισσότερα χρήματα για το ταξίδι. adds emphasis: I need more money (as opposed to someone else).

Why is χρήματα plural if it means “money,” which is uncountable in English?

In Greek, χρήματα is grammatically neuter plural, but it usually means money in the mass/uncountable sense, just like English “money.”

There is a singular το χρήμα, but it’s more abstract (often “capital” or “wealth”) and not used in everyday speech to mean “money” in your wallet.
In daily language, speakers use:
- χρήματα (more neutral/formal), or
- λεφτά (colloquial, very common).

So:

Χρειάζομαι περισσότερα χρήματα.
Χρειάζομαι περισσότερα λεφτά.

Both mean I need more money.

Why is it περισσότερα χρήματα and not some other form of περισσότερος?

Περισσότερος is an adjective meaning more. It must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun it describes.

χρήματα is neuter plural, accusative.
So περισσότερος must also be neuter plural accusative: περισσότερα.

Other forms for comparison:

περισσότερος χρόνος – more time (masc. sg.)
περισσότερη δουλειά – more work (fem. sg.)
περισσότερα χρήματα – more money (neut. pl.)

That’s why περισσότερα is the correct form here.

Can I say πιο πολλά χρήματα instead of περισσότερα χρήματα? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say πιο πολλά χρήματα and it’s very common in spoken Greek.

περισσότερα χρήματα – a bit more neutral/standard
πιο πολλά χρήματα – slightly more colloquial

Meaning-wise, both are “more money”, and they are interchangeable in most contexts:

Χρειάζομαι περισσότερα χρήματα για το ταξίδι.
Χρειάζομαι πιο πολλά χρήματα για το ταξίδι.

Both are perfectly acceptable.

Why is it για το ταξίδι and not just για ταξίδι?

Greek tends to use the definite article much more often than English, especially with concrete nouns.

για το ταξίδι literally = for the trip
It usually refers to a specific trip (e.g. the one you’re planning or talking about).

You can sometimes drop the article (για ταξίδι) but:

για ταξίδι sounds more like for travelling / for a (generic) trip, or appears in set expressions.
In your sentence, the natural, everyday way to say it is για το ταξίδι.

What case are χρήματα and το ταξίδι in, and why?

Both χρήματα and το ταξίδι are in the accusative case.

χρειάζομαι περισσότερα χρήματα
- The verb χρειάζομαι takes a direct object in the accusative:
  - περισσότερα χρήματα = “more money” (direct object).
για το ταξίδι
- The preposition για (“for”) is always followed by the accusative:
  - το ταξίδι = “the trip” (accusative, but neuter singular looks the same as nominative: το ταξίδι).

So accusative is used both after χρειάζομαι (direct object) and after για (preposition).

What does για mean here, and are there other common uses of για?

In this sentence, για means for:

για το ταξίδι = for the trip (purpose)

Other common uses:

Μιλάω για σένα. – I’m talking about you.
Αυτό είναι για μένα. – This is for me.
Φεύγω για Αθήνα. – I’m leaving for Athens.

In all these cases, για is followed by accusative.

Can I change the word order and still be correct?

Yes, Greek word order is relatively flexible, as long as you keep the grammatical links clear. All of these are correct, with slightly different emphasis:

Χρειάζομαι περισσότερα χρήματα για το ταξίδι.
Για το ταξίδι χρειάζομαι περισσότερα χρήματα.
Περισσότερα χρήματα χρειάζομαι για το ταξίδι. (emphasis on “more money”)

The most neutral, everyday version is the original:
Χρειάζομαι περισσότερα χρήματα για το ταξίδι.

What’s the difference between χρειάζομαι and θέλω? Could I say Θέλω περισσότερα χρήματα?

You can say Θέλω περισσότερα χρήματα για το ταξίδι. It’s correct and natural.

Nuance:

χρειάζομαι = I need (suggests necessity)
θέλω = I want (expresses desire)

So:

Χρειάζομαι περισσότερα χρήματα για το ταξίδι.
= I need more money for the trip (it’s necessary).
Θέλω περισσότερα χρήματα για το ταξίδι.
= I want more money for the trip (I’d like to have more).

Context often makes them overlap, but χρειάζομαι is stronger in terms of necessity.

How do I pronounce Χρειάζομαι and περισσότερα?

Approximate pronunciation (stress in bold):

Χρειάζομαι → chri-*A-zo-me*
- χρ → like hr with a rough ch (as in German “Bach”)
- ει → like ee in “see”
- ζ → like z
- με → “meh”
περισσότερα → pe-ri-SO-te-ra
- περισ → “pe-ris” (short e, rolled/trilled r)
- σώ → stressed “SO”
- τερα → “te-ra”

Stress is essential in Greek; moving the stress can make words hard to recognize.

How would I say “I will need more money for the trip” or “I needed more money for the trip”?

Using χρειάζομαι, the most common forms are:

Present:
- Χρειάζομαι περισσότερα χρήματα για το ταξίδι.
  – I need more money for the trip.
Future (simple, one-time need):
- Θα χρειαστώ περισσότερα χρήματα για το ταξίδι.
  – I will need more money for the trip.
Past (ongoing need in the past – imperfect):
- Χρειαζόμουν περισσότερα χρήματα για το ταξίδι.
  – I needed / I was needing more money for the trip.

These are the most natural choices for everyday language.

Is there a more polite or softer way to say this, like “I would need more money for the trip”?

Yes. You can soften it with the conditional:

Θα χρειαζόμουν περισσότερα χρήματα για το ταξίδι.
= I would need more money for the trip.

This sounds:

more hypothetical, or
more polite/indirect, depending on context.