Λείπει
Wordform Details
Translation: is missingis absentis away
Part of Speech: verb
Inflection Type:
third-personsingularpresentIs Dictionary Form: No
Dictionary Form Details
Lemma: λείπω
Translation: to be absent; to be missing; to lack; to be away; to fail to be present (verb)
Etymology: From Ancient Greek λείπω (leípō), meaning 'to leave, abandon, be lacking'. This verb is cognate with English 'leave' through Proto-Indo-European *h₁leikʷ- ('to leave'). The connection to English 'leave' makes it memorable - when you 'leave' somewhere, you are 'absent' from that place. The root also appears in English words like 'eclipse' (from Greek ἔκλειψις, literally 'abandonment' of light) and 'ellipsis' (from ἔλλειψις, 'omission, falling short').
Example Usage
Λείπει από το σπίτι εδώ και δύο μέρες.
He/She has been missing from home for two days.
Μου λείπει η οικογένειά μου.
I miss my family.
Λείπουν δύο σελίδες από το βιβλίο.
Two pages are missing from the book.
Θα λείψω για μια εβδομάδα.
I will be away for a week.
Ο Γιάννης λείπει από το σχολείο σήμερα.
John is absent from school today.
Μου λείπεις πολύ.
I miss you a lot.
Mnemonics
- Think 'LEAP away' - when you leap away from somewhere, you are absent from that place
- Remember 'eclipse' - during an eclipse, the sun 'leaves' or is 'absent' from view
Antonyms
Cultural Context
Commonly used in educational contexts when discussing student absences, in family contexts when someone is away from home, and in formal situations to indicate something is missing or lacking. Often used with the preposition 'από' (from) to indicate what someone is absent from.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: λείπω means 'to be absent/missing' while λιώνω means 'to melt' or colloquially 'to be exhausted'. They sound somewhat similar but have completely different meanings.
Confused word:
Το παγωτό λιώνει στον ήλιο.
The ice cream melts in the sun.
Notes: The vowel difference (ει vs ιώ) is crucial for meaning distinction.
Mnemonic: λείπω = LEAP away (absent), λιώνω = LIQUID (melting)