ψοφάω

Greek

Alternative forms
  • ψοφώ (psofó) (less frequent variant)

Etymology

ψοφ(ώ) (psof(ó)) + -άω (-áo). From Ancient Greek ψοφῶ (psophô), contracted form of ψοφέω (psophéō, “to make loud noise; (Koine) to die (of an animal)”), from ψόφος (psóphos, “loud noise”). From the noise made by someone literally dropping dead.[1]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /psoˈfa.o/
  • Hyphenation: ψο‧φά‧ω

Verb

ψοφάω • (psofáo) / ψοφώ (past ψόφησα, passive —)

  1. (intransitive) to 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) to 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 by starving 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.

Also attested, a rare passive perfect participle ψοφισμένος (psofisménos) [2]

Conjugation
ψοφάω / ψοφώ   (active forms only)
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 ψοφάνε, ψοφάν, 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).
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 participle ➤ 1 ➤
Nonfinite form ➤   ψοφήσει
Notes  
 
Appendix:Greek verbs		  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
  • αψοφητί (apsofití, “with not sound”, adverb) (dated)
  • άψοφος (ápsofos, “hard to die”), αψόφητος (apsófitos), αψόφιστος (apsófistos)
  • μισοψόφιος (misopsófios, “half dead; half tired”)
  • ψοφάλογο n (psofálogo)
  • ψοφίμι n (psofími, “carcass”)
  • ψοφισμένος (psofisménos, participle with no verb) (demotic)
  • ψοφοδεής (psofodeḯs, “easily frightened”)
  • ψοφοζώ (psofozó)
  • ψοφόκρυο n (psofókryo, “extreme cold”)
  • ψοφολιμασμένος (psofolimasménos, participle)
  • ψοφολογάω (psofologáo, “die off”) (with emphasis)
  • ψοφολόγημα n (psofológima)
  • ψόφος m (psófos, “death; extreme cold”)
  • ψοφώδης (psofódis, “noisy”) (formal, archaic)

References
  1. ψοφάω - Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], 1998, by the "Triantafyllidis" Foundation.
  2. ψοφισμένος - Anastasiadi-Symeonidi. The Reverse Index [of Modern Greek] at the Centre for the Greek Language.
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