Learn Greek › B2 › κλέβω
κλέβω
to steal /ˈkle.vo/
verbB2#2432 most common
Also: to rob, to pilfer, to steal away (figuratively, e.g. a glance, a heart)
Example sentences
Κάποιος έκλεψε το ποδήλατό μου.
Someone stole my bicycle.
Μην κλέβεις, είναι κακό.
Don't steal, it's wrong.
Ο κλέφτης έκλεψε χρήματα από την τράπεζα.
The thief stole money from the bank.
Είχαν κλέψει το αυτοκίνητο πριν προλάβει η αστυνομία.
They had stolen the car before the police could catch up.
Η εταιρεία κατηγορήθηκε ότι έκλεβε ιδέες από τους ανταγωνιστές της.
The company was accused of stealing ideas from its competitors.
Αν δεν του είχε κλέψει την καρδιά με τα λόγια της, δεν θα την είχε εμπιστευτεί ποτέ.
If she hadn't stolen his heart with her words, he would never have trusted her.
Conjugation
| Present Active | Simple Past Active | Simple Future Active | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | κλέβω | έκλεψα | θα κλέψω |
| 2sg | κλέβεις | έκλεψες | θα κλέψεις |
| 3sg | κλέβει | έκλεψε | θα κλέψει |
| 1pl | κλέβουμε | κλέψαμε | θα κλέψουμε |
| 2pl | κλέβετε | κλέψατε | θα κλέψετε |
| 3pl | κλέβουν | έκλεψαν | θα κλέψουν |
Word family
κλέφτηςthief
κλοπήtheft, robbery
κλεψύδραwater clock (literally water thief)
κλεπτομανίαkleptomania
κλεπτομανήςkleptomaniac
Etymology
κλέβω is the modern form of Ancient Greek κλέπτω, which meant to steal or to act in secret. The change from -πτ- to -β- happened gradually in spoken Greek over the medieval period. The underlying sense of hiding or concealment still shows up in related words like κλεψύδρα, the water clock, whose name means water thief.
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