λυπάμαι
Wordform Details
Translation: I'm sorryI regretI feel sorry
Part of Speech: verb
Inflection Type:
first-personsingularpresentpassiveIs Dictionary Form: No
Dictionary Form Details
Lemma: λυπάμαι
Translation: to be sorry; to regret; to feel sorry; to be sad; to grieve (verb)
Etymology: From Ancient Greek λυπέομαι (lupéomai), meaning 'to be grieved, distressed'. The root λύπη (lúpē) means 'pain, grief, sadness'. This verb has evolved from expressing physical pain to emotional distress and regret in Modern Greek. The concept of emotional pain as expressed by this verb has parallels in English expressions like 'heartache' or 'to be pained by something'.
Example Usage
Λυπάμαι, δεν μπορώ να έρθω.
I'm sorry, I can't come.
Λυπάμαι πολύ για την απώλειά σας.
I'm very sorry for your loss.
Λυπάμαι, αλλά δεν γίνεται.
I'm sorry, but it's not possible.
Λυπάμαι πολύ για ό,τι συνέβη.
I'm very sorry for what happened.
Λυπάμαι, αλλά δεν μπορώ να έρθω.
I'm sorry, but I can't come.
Λυπάμαι, αλλά δεν μπορώ να έρθω απόψε.
I'm sorry, but I can't come tonight.
Λυπάμαι πολύ για την απώλειά σου.
I'm very sorry for your loss.
Λυπήθηκα όταν άκουσα τα νέα.
I felt sad when I heard the news.
Θα το λυπηθείς αυτό αργότερα.
You will regret this later.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'λυπάμαι' as related to 'lupine' (wolf-like) - imagine a sad, lonely wolf howling in grief.
- The 'λυπ-' root sounds a bit like 'loop' - imagine being caught in a loop of regret or sadness.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
This verb is extremely common in everyday Greek conversation. It's used both for expressing sympathy ('I'm sorry for your loss') and for apologizing ('I'm sorry I'm late'). Greeks often use this expression more readily than English speakers might use 'I'm sorry', making it an essential verb for social interactions.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'λυπάμαι' means 'to be sorry/sad', 'λείπομαι' means 'to be missing something' or 'to lack'. They sound similar but have different meanings and spellings.
Confused word:
Μου λείπεται ένα ευρώ για να αγοράσω το εισιτήριο.
I'm missing one euro to buy the ticket.
Notes: The confusion often happens because both verbs are deponent (middle voice) and have similar conjugation patterns.
Mnemonic: 'Λυπάμαι' has 'υ' (upsilon) which looks like a sad face 'υ', while 'λείπομαι' has 'εί' which sounds like 'away' - something that's missing.
Explanation: 'Λυπάμαι' is the passive/middle form meaning 'to be sorry/sad', while 'λυπώ' is the active form meaning 'to sadden someone else' or 'to cause grief'.
Confused word:
Δεν θέλω να σε λυπώ.
I don't want to make you sad.
Notes: These are essentially active and passive forms of the same verb root, but with distinct usages in modern Greek.
Mnemonic: 'Λυπάμαι' ends with '-μαι' indicating it's about my feelings, while 'λυπώ' is about affecting others.