Learn Greek › B1 › δεί
δεί
it is necessary / one must /deî/
verbB1#1886 most common
Also: must, it behooves, there is need
Example sentences
Δεῖ σε μανθάνειν.
You must learn.
Δεῖ ἡμᾶς ἐργάζεσθαι.
We must work.
Δεῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον δίκαιον εἶναι.
A person must be just.
Δεῖ τοὺς πολίτας τοῖς νόμοις πείθεσθαι.
Citizens must obey the laws.
Δεῖ τὸν φιλόσοφον τὴν ἀλήθειαν ζητεῖν.
The philosopher must seek the truth.
Πολλὰ δεῖ μαθεῖν τὸν μέλλοντα σοφὸν ἔσεσθαι.
One who intends to become wise must learn many things.
Conjugation
| Present Active | Simple Past Active | Simple Future Active | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3sg | δεῖ | ἔδει | δεήσει |
Word family
δέομαιto need, to request
δέονduty, that which is necessary
δεόντωςduly, properly
ἔνδειαlack, want
Etymology
δεῖ is the third-person singular present of the ancient verb δέω, meaning to lack or to be in want of. Used impersonally, its sense shifted from there is a lack to there is a need, and from there to it is necessary or one must. The form is a contraction of an older ending, the same pattern found in other epsilon-contract verbs. Used with an infinitive and an accusative subject, it became a standard way to state necessity in formal and philosophical Greek prose.
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