υπακούω
ypakoúo
In Greek, to obey is υπακούω (ypakoúo), which literally means to listen under someone's authority.
Meaning: to do as one is told (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
υπακούω is built from υπ, under and ακούω, I hear or listen.
Which one should you use?
In formal settings Ακολουθώ can also express obedience, but its broader meaning is to follow.
How does it change in a sentence?
Greek verbs are listed in the first person, so υπακούω means I obey. He or she obeys is υπακούει and they obey is υπακούουν.
How do you pronounce it?
Romanized it is ypakoúo, with the stress on the third syllable.
Did you know?
- The English word 'acoustic' is a distant relative of υπακούω because both derive from the Greek root for hearing, ακούω.
- When a Greek parent wants a child to obey, they often skip the formal verb υπακούω and just say άκου (listen), turning a physiological request into a behavioral command.
- The modern υπακούω descends directly from the Ancient Greek ὑπακούω, maintaining the same structure and meaning for over two millennia.
Examples in context
- Εκείνα τα παιδιά δεν υπακούνε ποτέ τους γονείς τους.Those children never obey their parents.Here υπακούνε is a common spoken form of they obey, used with δεν and ποτέ for never.
- Πρέπει να υπακούσετε στις οδηγίες της αστυνομίας.You must obey the instructions of the police.
- Ο πολίτης πρέπει να ακολουθήσει τους κανονισμούς.The citizen must follow the regulations.
- Πρέπει να υπακούω στους κανόνες.Prepei na ypakoúo stous kanónes.I must obey the rules.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry υπακούω, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries υπακούω, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
