ψοφάω

Greek

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Ancient Greek φοφέω (phophéō) / ψοφῶ (psophô, “to make loud noise; Koine Greek sense: die -of an animal-”), from ψόφος (psóphos, “loud noise”). From the noise made by someone literally dropping dead.[1]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /psoˈfao/
  • Hyphenation: ψο‧φά‧ω

Verb

ψοφάω, ψοφώ • (psofáo, psofó) (simple past ψόφησα, passive —)

  1. (intransitive) die (of an animal)
    Τα πρόβατα ψόφησαν από το κρύο. ― Ta próvata psófisan apó to krýo. ― The sheep died from the cold.
  2. (intransitive, derogatory) die (of a person, see below)
    Έχει ψοφήσει ακόμα ο παλιόγερος; ― Échei psofísei akóma o paliógeros? ― Has that old bastard died yet?
  3. (intransitive, figuratively) to be worn out, to die (of the cold, etc)
    Έχω ψοφήσει από τη δουλειά. ― Écho psofísei apó ti douleiá. ― Work has killed me.
  4. (intransitive, figuratively) to have a strong desire for, to have a thirst for (of the cold, etc)
    Η αδερφή μου ψοφάει για κουτσομπολιό. ― I aderfí mou psofáei gia koutsompolió. ― My sister is crazy about gossip.
  5. (transitive) to kill (an animal)
    Ψόφησε το σκυλί της από την πείνα. ― Psófise to skylí tis apó tin peína. ― She killed her dog with hunger (by not feeding it).
  6. (transitive, figuratively) to wear out, exhaust
    Μας έχει ψοφήσει στις πρόβες, μέχρι να μάθουμε ολόκληρο το κομμάτι. ― Mas échei psofísei stis próves, méchri na máthoume olókliro to kommáti. ― He's exhausting us with practice, until we learn the entire piece.

Usage notes

When used of a person instead of an animal, it is quite dysphemistic and carries the implication that either:

  • the person was horrible, undesirable or bad and deserved it, or
  • they died in an unseemly or ungraceful manner.

Conjugation
ψοφάω / ψοφώ
Active voice ➤
Indicative mood ➤ Imperfective aspect ➤ Perfective aspect ➤
Non-past tenses ➤ Present ➤ Dependent ➤
1 sg ψοφάω, ψοφώ ψοφήσω
2 sg ψοφάς ψοφήσεις
3 sg ψοφάει, ψοφά ψοφήσει
1 pl ψοφάμε, ψοφούμε ψοφήσουμε, [‑ομε]
2 pl ψοφάτε ψοφήσετε
3 pl ψοφάν(ε), ψοφούν(ε) ψοφήσουν(ε)
Past tenses ➤ Imperfect ➤ Simple past ➤
1 sg ψοφούσα, ψόφαγα ψόφησα
2 sg ψοφούσες, ψόφαγες ψόφησες
3 sg ψοφούσε, ψόφαγε ψόφησε
1 pl ψοφούσαμε, ψοφάγαμε ψοφήσαμε
2 pl ψοφούσατε, ψοφάγατε ψοφήσατε
3 pl ψοφούσαν(ε), ψόφαγαν, (ψοφάγανε) ψόφησαν, ψοφήσαν(ε)
Future tenses ➤ Continuous ➤ Simple ➤
1 sg θα ψοφάω, θα ψοφώ ➤ θα ψοφήσω ➤
2,3 sg, 1,2,3 pl θα ψοφάς, … θα ψοφήσεις, …
Perfect aspect ➤
Present perfect ➤   έχω, έχεις, … ψοφήσει
Past perfect ➤   είχα, είχες, … ψοφήσει
Future perfect ➤   θα έχω, θα έχεις, … ψοφήσει
Subjunctive mood ➤ Formed using present, dependent (for simple past) or present perfect from above with a particle (να, ας, όταν, …).
Imperative mood ➤ Imperfective aspect Perfective aspect
2 sg ψόφα, ψόφαγε ψόφησε, ψόφα
2 pl ψοφάτε ψοφήστε
Other forms
Active present participle ➤   ψοφώντας ➤
Active perfect participle ➤   έχοντας ψοφήσει ➤
Passive perfect particple ➤ 1 ➤
Nonfinite form ➤   ψοφήσει
Notes    1. Possible passive perfect participle, the rare ψοφημένος, ‑η, ‑ο. There is also a version: ψοφισμένος after the ‑ίζω, ‑ισμένος verbs. But the adjective ψόφιος is preferred instead.
 • (…) 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
  • άψοφος (ápsofos, “hard to die”), αψόφητος (apsófitos), αψόφιστος (apsófistos)
  • ψοφίμι n (psofími, “carcass”)
  • ψοφοδεής (psofodeḯs, “easily frightened”)
  • ψοφόκρυο n (psofókryo, “extreme cold”)
  • ψόφος m (psófos, “death; extreme cold”)
  • ψοφώδης (psofódis, “noisy”) (formal, archaic)

References
  1. ψοφάω in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], 1998, by the "Triantafyllidis" Foundation.
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