desum
[ˈdeː.sũː]
To miss in Latin can be expressed as desum or dēsīderō.
Meaning: to feel the absence of someone or something, to feel the want or need of (verb)
Ways to say it
| Latin | IPA |
|---|---|
| desum | [ˈdeː.sũː] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈdɛː.s̬um] (narrow) |
| dēsīderō |
Use desum to state that someone or something is not present or is lacking. Use dēsīderō when you want to express the feeling of longing or desiring what is not there.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb desum is a compound of de-, meaning 'away from' and sum, meaning 'to be', which literally translates to 'to be away from' or 'to be lacking'.
Which one should you use?
desum focuses on the state of being absent or lacking, whereas dēsīderō focuses on the emotional longing or desire for the person or thing that is missing.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form desunt is the third-person plural present indicative of desum, used to say 'they are missing' or 'they are absent'.
Did you know?
- The word dēsīderō is often linked to sīdus, meaning 'star', though the connection is uncertain.
- Because desum uses the verb 'to be', the subject of the sentence is actually the thing that is missing, rather than the person who feels the absence.
Example sentences for Latin are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “miss” translations and entries desum, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
