λέω
léo/ˈleo/
To say in Greek is λέω (léo).
The verb is used to communicate something verbally or in writing.
Meaning: to communicate verbally or in writing (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb λέω is highly irregular in its conjugation patterns across different tenses. The form λέω means 'I say' or 'I tell' in the first-person singular present. For the past tense, use είπα to mean 'I said'. To express the future, use θα πω to mean 'I will say'.
How do you pronounce it?
léo
Did you know?
- The Ancient Greek ancestor of λέω, λέγω, originally meant 'to gather' or 'to collect'. The sense of 'saying' evolved from the idea of gathering words together to form a speech.
- In Modern Greek, λέω is often used in the phrase Λέγε!, which literally means 'say' but functions as 'tell me more' or 'spill the beans' during a gossip session.
- The root of λέω is also the ancestor of the English word 'lexicon', which refers to the vocabulary of a language.
Examples in context
- Παρακαλώ επανέλαβε ό,τι λέω.Please repeat everything that I say.This sentence shows how to use λέω when asking someone to repeat what you say.Tatoeba #7774324 by eypros, translation #7774233 by CK
- Σε παρακαλώ επανέλαβε ό,τι λέω.Please repeat everything I say.This sentence is another way to ask someone to repeat what you say using λέω.Tatoeba #7774325 by eypros, translation #7774234 by CK
- Λυπάμαι που το λέω, αλλά δεν μπορώ να σε βοηθήσω.It hurts me to say this, but I can't help you.This sentence uses λέω to express the difficulty of saying something that might be hurtful.Tatoeba #5142470 by katkat, translation #5141499 by ddnktr
- Παρακαλώ, πείτε μου τη γνώμη σας.Please, tell me your opinion.
- Μπορείτε να μας πείτε περισσότερα για αυτό το θέμα;Can you tell us more about this topic?
- Πες μου τι έγινε σήμερα.Tell me what happened today.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maria and Dimitris are discussing a secret.
- Μαρία MariaΤι λέω, είναι πραγματικό;Ti leo, einai pragmatiko;What I'm saying, is it true?
- Δημήτρης DimitrisΝαι, Μαρία, το είπες σωστά.Nai, Maria, to eipes sosta.Yes, Maria, you said it correctly.
- Μαρία MariaΤότε γιατί δεν το λέω σε όλους;Tote giati den to leo se olous?Then why don't I say it to everyone?
- Δημήτρης DimitrisΠρέπει να το κρατήσουμε κρυφό, Δημήτρη.Prepei na to kratisoume kryfo, Dimitri.We must keep it secret, Dimitris.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry λέω, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
