Learn Greek › C1 › κοντεύω
κοντεύω
to be about to, to almost (do something) /konˈdevo/
verbC1#3118 most common
Also: to draw near, to approach (in time or space), to nearly (do something), to have a close call
Example sentences
Κοντεύει μεσάνυχτα.
It's almost midnight.
Κοντεύω να τελειώσω τη δουλειά μου.
I'm almost done with my work.
Κοντεύουμε να φτάσουμε στο σπίτι.
We're almost home.
Το καλοκαίρι κοντεύει να τελειώσει.
Summer is about to end.
Κόντευε να βραδιάσει όταν φύγαμε.
It was nearly dusk when we left.
Κόντεψα να πέσω από τη σκάλα.
I nearly fell off the ladder.
Conjugation
| Present Active | Simple Past Active | Simple Future Active | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | κοντεύω | κόντεψα | θα κοντέψω |
| 2sg | κοντεύεις | κόντεψες | θα κοντέψεις |
| 3sg | κοντεύει | κόντεψε | θα κοντέψει |
| 1pl | κοντεύουμε | κοντέψαμε | θα κοντέψουμε |
| 2pl | κοντεύετε | κοντέψατε | θα κοντέψετε |
| 3pl | κοντεύουν | κόντεψαν | θα κοντέψουν |
Word family
Etymology
Κοντεύω is built from the adjective κοντός, meaning short or near, plus the verb-forming suffix -εύω, which turns nouns and adjectives into verbs of process or state (compare δουλεύω from δούλος). The verb literally suggests closing a distance, and this sense shifted into a marker of imminence: something κοντεύει when it draws near in time, not just in space. In Ancient Greek κοντός originally named a punting pole, and the later Greek sense of short is a separate semantic development from that same word.
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