θέλω
Ancient Greek
Etymology
Metanalysis of ἐθέλω (ethélō).
Verb
θέλω • (thélō)
- Alternative spelling of ἐθέλω (ethélō)
References
- “θέλω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- θέλω in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
- θέλω in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
- “θέλω”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
- G2309 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
Greek
Etymology
Inherited from Ancient Greek θέλω (thélō), a parallel form of ἐθέλω (ethélō) of uncertain etymon.
Pronunciation
Verb
θέλω • (thélo) (imperfect ήθελα, past θέλησα, passive —)
- (most senses) want, desire, will
- Θα ήθελα δύο μπύρες. ― Tha íthela dýo býres. ― I would like two beers.
- Ο Σταύρος θέλει την Ελένη. ― O Stávros thélei tin Eléni. ― Stavros desires Eleni.
- Έγινε επειδή έτσι το θέλησε ο Θεός. ― Égine epeidí étsi to thélise o Theós. ― It happened because God willed it.
- (transitive, most senses) need, require
- Νομίζω ότι θέλεις κούρεμα. ― Nomízo óti théleis koúrema. ― I think you need a haircut.
- Για να έχεις επιτυχία θέλει μεγάλη προσπάθεια. ― Gia na écheis epitychía thélei megáli prospátheia. ― For you to have success requires great effort.
- Το αυτοκίνητο μου θέλει πλύσιμο. ― To aftokínito mou thélei plýsimo. ― My car needs a wash.
- Αυτός ο άνθρωπος θέλει γερό ξύλο. ― Aftós o ánthropos thélei geró xýlo. ― That person needs a good beating.
- (intransitive, most senses) intend, mean to, want to (have the intention of)
- Συγγνώμη, δεν ήθελα να σε προσβάλω. ― Syngnómi, den íthela na se prosválo. ― I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you.
- Το ξέρεις ότι δεν ήθελε να σου κάνει κακό. ― To xéreis óti den íthele na sou kánei kakó. ― You know he didn't mean you any harm.
- (transitive) owe (money, etc)
- Τι σου θέλω; ― Ti sou thélo; ― What do I owe you?
- (transitive) have (depict as being)
- Οι φήμες θέλουν να τον είχα φιλήσει. ― Oi fímes théloun na ton eícha filísei. ― The rumours have it that I kissed him.
- (with two instances in the second person singular θες) either ... or
- Δεν ήρθε απόψε· θες γιατί δεν αισθανόταν καλά, θες γιατί βρήκε κάτι καλύτερο να κάνει. ― Den írthe apópse; thes giatí den aisthanótan kalá, thes giatí vríke káti kalýtero na kánei. ― He didn't come tonight; either he wasn't feeling well or he found something better to do.
- (transitive) favour (be lucky at something)
- Αν δεν θέλει κάποιον η τύχη, δεν γίνεται τίποτα. ― An den thélei kápoion i týchi, den gínetai típota. ― If fortune doesn't favour someone, nothing happens.
Conjugation
θέλω (active forms only plus passive perfect participle)
Active voice ➤ | ||||
Indicative mood ➤ | Imperfective aspect ➤ | Perfective aspect ➤ | ||
Non-past tenses ➤ | Present ➤ | Dependent ➤ | ||
1 sg | θέλω | θελήσω | ||
2 sg | θέλεις, θες1 | θελήσεις | ||
3 sg | θέλει2 | θελήσει | ||
1 pl | θέλουμε, (‑ομε), (θέμε)1 | θελήσουμε, [‑ομε] | ||
2 pl | θέλετε, (θέτε)1 | θελήσετε | ||
3 pl | θέλουν2 (θένε)1 | θελήσουν(ε) | ||
Past tenses ➤ | Imperfect ➤ | Simple past ➤ | ||
1 sg | ήθελα | θέλησα | ||
2 sg | ήθελες | θέλησες | ||
3 sg | ήθελε2 | θέλησε | ||
1 pl | θέλαμε | θελήσαμε | ||
2 pl | θέλατε | θελήσατε | ||
3 pl | ήθελαν, θέλαν(ε)2 | θέλησαν, θελήσαν(ε) | ||
Future tenses ➤ | Continuous ➤ | Simple ➤ | ||
1 sg | θα θέλω ➤ | θα θελήσω ➤ | ||
2,3 sg, 1,2,3 pl | θα θέλεις, … | θα θελήσεις, … | ||
Perfect aspect ➤ | ||||
Present perfect ➤ | έχω, έχεις, … θελήσει | είμαι, είσαι, … θελημένος, ‑η, ‑ο ➤ (also passive voice) | ||
Past perfect ➤ | είχα, είχες, … θελήσει | ήμουν, ήσουν, … θελημένος, ‑η, ‑ο | ||
Future perfect ➤ | θα έχω, θα έχεις, … θελήσει | θα είμαι, θα είσαι, … θελημένος, ‑η, ‑ο | ||
Subjunctive mood ➤ | Formed using present, dependent (for simple past) or present perfect from above with a particle (να, ας). | |||
Imperative mood ➤ | Imperfective aspect | Perfective aspect | ||
2 sg | θέλε | θέλησε | ||
2 pl | θέλετε | θελήστε | ||
Other forms | ||||
Active present participle ➤ | θέλοντας ➤ | |||
Active perfect participle ➤ | έχοντας θελήσει ➤ | |||
Passive perfect participle ➤ | {ηθελημένος, ‑η, ‑o} [θελημένος, ‑η, ‑o] ➤ | |||
Nonfinite form ➤ | θελήσει | |||
Notes Appendix:Greek verbs |
1. Colloquial, vernacular. 2. 3rd persons, also as impersonal: "he/she/it/they needs", "needed" • (…) optional or informal. […] rare. {…} learned, archaic. • Multiple forms are shown in order of reducing frequency. • Periphrastic imperative forms may be produced using the subjunctive. | |||
Synonyms
- (desire): επιθυμώ (epithymó), ποθώ (pothó)
- (need): χρειάζομαι (chreiázomai)
- (mean, intend): εννοώ (ennoó), σκοπεύω (skopévo)
- (owe): χρωστώ (chrostó), οφείλω (ofeílo)
- (favour): ευνοώ (evnoó)
Derived terms
- (imperfect form): ήθελα (íthela)
- θα ήθελα (tha íthela, “I would like”)
- θα θέλαμε (tha thélame, “we would like”)
- τα 'θελες και τα 'παθες (ta 'theles kai ta 'pathes, “serves you right”)
- θα (tha, “particle of future tense”)
- θενά (thená, “dated particle of future tense”)
Related terms
- αθέλητος (athélitos, “unintentional”)
- άθελος (áthelos, “unintentional”)
- εθελο- (ethelo-) compounds
- εθελοντής m (ethelontís, “volunteer”)
εθελόντρια f (ethelóntria) - εθελοντικός (ethelontikós, “voluntary”)
- εθελούσιος (etheloúsios, “voluntary, of own will”)
- ετσιθελικός (etsithelikós)
- ετσιθελισμός m (etsithelismós)
- ηθελημένος (itheliménos, “intentional”, formal participle)
- θέλημα n (thélima, “will, desire; errand”)
- θεληματικός (thelimatikós, “strong-willed”)
- θελημένος (theliménos, “intentional”, participle)
- θέληση f (thélisi, “will, volition”)
- καλοθελητής m (kalothelitís)
- καλοθέλω (kalothélo)
- μονοθελητισμός m (monothelitismós, “Monothelism”) (religion)
- οικειοθελής (oikeiothelís, “voluntary, of own will”)
- οικειοθελώς (oikeiothelós, “of own will”, formal adverb)
See also
- θέλει ἵνα (thélei hína) (of the formation of periphrastic future)
Categories:
- Ancient Greek non-lemma forms
- Ancient Greek verb forms
- Ancient Greek paroxytone terms
- Greek terms inherited from Ancient Greek
- Greek terms derived from Ancient Greek
- Greek terms with IPA pronunciation
- Greek lemmas
- Greek verbs
- Greek terms with usage examples
- Greek transitive verbs
- Greek intransitive verbs
- Greek irregular verbs
- Greek verbs lacking passive forms