έσβησε
Wordform Details
Translation: he/she/it erasedhe/she/it extinguishedhe/she/it turned offhe/she/it deleted
Part of Speech: verb
Inflection Type:
third-personsingularactiveaoristIs Dictionary Form: No
Dictionary Form Details
Lemma: σβήνω
Translation: to extinguish; to erase; to delete; to turn off; to fade away (verb)
Etymology: From Ancient Greek σβέννυμι (sbénnumi), meaning 'to quench, extinguish'. The word has evolved from the ancient form to its modern usage, maintaining its core meaning of extinguishing or causing something to disappear. The root is related to Proto-Indo-European *gwes- (to extinguish), which connects to concepts of elimination and cessation.
Example Usage
Σβήσε το φως πριν φύγεις.
Turn off the light before you leave.
Η φωτιά έσβησε μόνη της.
The fire went out by itself.
Σβήσε αυτό που έγραψες.
Erase what you wrote.
Οι πυροσβέστες έσβησαν τη φωτιά.
The firefighters extinguished the fire.
Η μνήμη του σβήνει με τον καιρό.
His memory fades with time.
Ήπια νερό για να σβήσω τη δίψα μου.
I drank water to quench my thirst.
Mnemonics
- Think of the 'sv' sound at the beginning like the sound of blowing out a candle - you're extinguishing it.
- Associate with 'saving' (sounds somewhat similar) - when you erase something wrong, you're saving the document.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
In Greek culture, the verb 'σβήνω' is commonly used in everyday contexts from turning off lights to erasing mistakes. It's also metaphorically used to describe the fading of memories or emotions. During summer, Greeks often talk about 'σβήνω τη φωτιά' (extinguishing fire) due to frequent wildfires in the country.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'σβένω' is an older or dialectal variant of 'σβήνω', in standard Modern Greek 'σβήνω' is the correct form.
Notes: The form 'σβένω' might be encountered in some dialects or older texts, but 'σβήνω' is the standard Modern Greek form.
Mnemonic: Remember: 'σβήνω' with 'η' is the standard form you'll need in everyday Greek.
Explanation: Though they look and sound somewhat similar, 'στήνω' means 'to set up' or 'to erect', completely different from 'σβήνω' (to extinguish/erase).
Confused word:
Στήνω μια σκηνή στην παραλία.
I set up a tent on the beach.
Notes: The difference in meaning is significant despite the similar appearance.
Mnemonic: Think: 'σβήνω' has 'β' for 'bye-bye' (erasing/extinguishing), while 'στήνω' has 'τ' for 'tall' (setting up).