Verbs in -ομαι: χαίρομαι, φοβάμαι, βαριέμαι
A Greek verb has two sets of endings. You know the first: -ω, -εις, -ει. The second — in -ομαι — does three different jobs at once. For example: “Χαίρομαι πολύ που σε βλέπω” — I am very glad to see you. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A Greek verb has two sets of endings. You know the first: -ω, -εις, -ει. The second — in -ομαι — does three different jobs at once.
The first is the passive voice: Το φαγητό ετοιμάζεται — the food is being prepared. The second is reflexivity: πλένομαι (plénome) — I wash myself, ντύνομαι (dínome) — I dress. The third, the most frequent in speech, is verbs that simply have no other form: χαίρομαι (I rejoice), φοβάμαι (I am afraid), βαριέμαι (I am bored), έρχομαι (I come), κάθομαι (I sit), σκέφτομαι (I think).
English knows this third group well: "I got up", "I sat down", "I woke up" lean on their little particles the way Greek leans on -ομαι. There is no way to say "I fear him" through an active form in either language.
Within the second conjugation there are two sets of endings: the plain one (χαίρομαι) and one stressed on the ending (φοβάμαι, κοιμάμαι (kimáme), λυπάμαι (lipáme)). The second is shorter and holds the most frequent words — as is always the way with the irregular.
Table
| χαίρομαι | φοβάμαι | |
|---|---|---|
| I | χαίρομαι | φοβάμαι |
| you | χαίρεσαι | φοβάσαι |
| he, she | χαίρεται | φοβάται |
| we | χαιρόμαστε | φοβόμαστε |
| they | χαίρονται | φοβούνται |
By example
- Χαίρομαι πολύ που σε βλέπωkhérome polí pu se vlépoI am very glad to see you
- Φοβάμαι τα φίδιαfováme ta fídiaI am afraid of snakes
- Βαριέμαι, δεν έχω τι να κάνωvariéme, den ékho ti na kánoI'm bored, there's nothing to do
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Verbs in -ομαι: how does it work in Greek?
A Greek verb has two sets of endings. You know the first: -ω, -εις, -ει. The second — in -ομαι — does three different jobs at once.
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Χαίρομαι πολύ που σε βλέπω” (khérome polí pu se vlépo) — I am very glad to see you. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.