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πώ

say (subjunctive form of λέω, as in 'να πω' — let me say / that I say) /ˈpo/

verbB1#1272 most common

Also: tell, mention, let me say

Example sentences

Να πω κάτι;
May I say something?
Δεν ξέρω τι να πω.
I don't know what to say.
Άσε με να σου πω μια ιστορία.
Let me tell you a story.
Πώς να το πω πιο απλά;
How can I put it more simply?
Θα ήθελα να πω δυο λόγια πριν ξεκινήσουμε.
I would like to say a few words before we start.
Δεν είναι υπερβολή αν πω ότι αυτή η ανακάλυψη άλλαξε τον κλάδο.
It is not an exaggeration to say that this discovery changed the industry.

Conjugation

Present ActiveSimple Past ActiveSimple Future Active
1sgλέωείπαθα πω
2sgλεςείπεςθα πεις
3sgλέειείπεθα πει
1plλέμεείπαμεθα πούμε
2plλέτεείπατεθα πείτε
3plλένεείπανθα πουν

Word family

λέωto say, to tell
είπαI said
πεςsay! (imperative)
λόγοςword, speech, reason
ειπωμένοςsaid, aforementioned

Etymology

πω is the modern reflex of Ancient Greek εἴπω, the aorist subjunctive of λέγω, 'to say', built on the old aorist stem εἶπον. In everyday speech the unstressed initial ει- wore away over time, leaving the bare form πω, which today survives only attached to να or θα. The underlying stem goes back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to speak', the same root behind the Ancient Greek noun ἔπος, 'word'.

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