Ways to say it
| Greek | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| λείπω | leípo | /ˈli.po/ |
| νοσταλγώ | nostalgó | /no.stalˈɣo/ |
The primary way to express the feeling of missing someone or something is by using the verb λείπω. When the feeling is more intense, such as yearning for a person, a place or a specific time, the verb νοσταλγώ is used to convey a sense of longing or nostalgia.
Which one should you use?
While λείπω is the general term for missing someone or something, νοσταλγώ is used when the emotion is deeper, akin to 'to yearn for' or 'to feel nostalgia for'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using λείπω to say 'I miss you', the grammatical structure changes from English. Instead of making the person you miss the subject, the person being missed becomes the subject of the sentence. You use the construction of an indirect object pronoun followed by the verb, such as μου λείπεις (literally, 'you are missing to me'). To express the past tense 'I missed you', you would say μου λείψες (literally, 'you were missing to me').
How do you pronounce it?
leípo is pronounced /ˈli.po/. It has 2 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid translating 'I miss you' literally from English. In Greek, you do not say you are the one performing the action of missing. Instead, you say the other person is 'missing to you' (e.g., μου λείπεις).
Did you know?
- The word νοσταλγία itself, from which νοσταλγώ is derived, originally combined the Greek words for 'homecoming' and 'pain'.
- The verb νοσταλγώ is actually a modern creation based on the word 'nostalgia'. It was formed by taking the noun 'nostalgia' and forcing it into a Greek verb pattern.
- The root of λείπω is shared with the English word 'leave', as both come from the Proto-Indo-European root for 'to depart' or 'to be left behind'.
Example sentences for Greek are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “miss” translations and entries λείπω, νοσταλγώ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries λείπω, νοσταλγώ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
