Breakdown of Όταν η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει, μου λείπει πολύ.
Questions & Answers about Όταν η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει, μου λείπει πολύ.
In Greek the structure is reversed compared to English.
- μου λείπει literally means "she is missing to me".
- λείπει = "is missing" (3rd person singular).
- μου = "to me" (indirect object, in the genitive case).
So:
- English: I (subject) miss her (object).
- Greek: She (subject) is missing to me (indirect object).
That’s why the Greek verb agrees with η φίλη μου:
- η φίλη μου λείπει = my friend is missing (to someone)
- With the indirect object: η φίλη μου μου λείπει = I miss my friend.
If I am the one being missed:
- Της λείπω = She misses me (literally: I am-missing to-her).
μου is a weak (clitic) personal pronoun in the genitive case.
- It usually translates as "me", "to me", or "my", depending on context.
- Here, with λείπει, it means "to me" and marks the experiencer of the emotion.
So:
- λείπει = is missing
- μου λείπει = is missing to me → I miss (her/it)
It’s unstressed and usually attaches closely to the verb:
- μου λείπει
- δεν μου λείπει (it does not miss me / I don’t miss it)
In Greek, after Όταν (when) in general/habitual statements, the present tense is normally used, even if you’re talking about present or future time.
- Όταν η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει, μου λείπει πολύ.
= Whenever/any time my friend travels, I miss her a lot.
For future meaning, Greek often still uses the present in the όταν clause:
- Όταν η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει, θα μου λείπει πολύ.
= When my friend travels, I will miss her a lot.
So, the present ταξιδεύει under Όταν can refer to:
- repeated actions (whenever she travels),
- situations generally true (habitual).
It can mean both. Modern Greek does not distinguish between simple and continuous present the way English does.
- ταξιδεύει = she travels / she is traveling
The exact meaning comes from context:
- Γενικά, η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει πολύ.
= In general, my friend travels a lot. - Τώρα η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει.
= Right now, my friend is traveling.
In your sentence:
- Όταν η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει, μου λείπει πολύ.
= Whenever my friend travels / is traveling, I miss her a lot.
It’s a general/habitual statement, so English can choose either travels or is traveling, depending on nuance.
Greek almost always uses a definite article with a possessive for people:
- η φίλη μου = literally the friend my → my friend
- ο αδελφός μου = my brother
- η μητέρα μου = my mother
So the pattern is:
article + noun + possessive pronoun
Omitting the article here (*φίλη μου) would sound marked or incomplete in standard modern Greek, except in certain fixed expressions (for example in vocatives).
φίλος and φίλη are the masculine and feminine forms of friend:
- ο φίλος = male friend
- η φίλη = female friend
Articles agree in gender with the noun:
- ο for masculine: ο φίλος, ο πατέρας
- η for feminine: η φίλη, η μητέρα
- το for neuter: το παιδί, το βιβλίο
So η φίλη μου specifically means my (female) friend.
Yes, that is perfectly grammatical and natural, provided the subject is clear from context.
Greek is a pro‑drop language:
- Pronouns and even full noun phrases can often be omitted if they are understood.
So:
- Όταν η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει, μου λείπει πολύ.
- Όταν ταξιδεύει, μου λείπει πολύ.
Both are fine. The second sounds like:
- When she travels, I miss her a lot, where she has already been identified in the conversation or text.
Yes, word order in Greek is relatively flexible. These are all grammatical:
- Όταν η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει, μου λείπει πολύ.
- Μου λείπει πολύ η φίλη μου όταν ταξιδεύει.
- Η φίλη μου μου λείπει πολύ όταν ταξιδεύει.
They all express the same basic meaning. Differences are about emphasis and information structure:
- Starting with Όταν η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει foregrounds the situation/condition.
- Starting with Μου λείπει πολύ foregrounds your feeling.
- Putting η φίλη μου next to μου λείπει can highlight who you miss.
In everyday speech, all three could be used; (1) is probably the most neutral.
Because here πολύ is an adverb meaning a lot / very much, and as an adverb it is indeclinable (does not change form):
- μου λείπει πολύ = she is missing to me a lot / I miss her very much
When πολύς / πολλή / πολύ is an adjective meaning many / much, it agrees in gender, number, case with a noun:
- πολύς χρόνος = much time (masculine)
- πολλή αγάπη = much love (feminine)
- πολλά χρήματα = much money / many funds (neuter plural)
So:
- πολύ (adverb) → modifies a verb/adjective: μου λείπει πολύ
- πολλή (feminine adjective) → modifies a feminine noun: πολλή αγάπη
You need plural for both the subject and the verb:
- Όταν οι φίλοι μου ταξιδεύουν, μου λείπουν πολύ.
Breakdown:
- οι φίλοι μου = my (male or mixed group) friends
- ταξιδεύουν = (they) travel / are traveling (3rd person plural)
- μου λείπουν = they are missing to me → I miss them
If your friends are all female:
- Όταν οι φίλες μου ταξιδεύουν, μου λείπουν πολύ.
You can, but there is a nuance difference.
- μου λείπει is the most natural, everyday way to say I miss her.
- νοσταλγώ is closer to I feel nostalgic for / I long for, a bit more literary or emotional.
So:
- Όταν η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει, μου λείπει πολύ.
= When my friend travels, I miss her a lot. (neutral, very common) - Όταν η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει, την νοσταλγώ πολύ.
= When my friend travels, I long for her / I feel great nostalgia for her. (stronger, more poetic tone)
For everyday speech, μου λείπει is the default.
In Greek, just like in English, a dependent clause at the beginning of the sentence is usually followed by a comma:
- Όταν η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει, μου λείπει πολύ.
= When my friend travels, I miss her a lot.
Structure:
- Όταν η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει → subordinate (temporal) clause.
- μου λείπει πολύ → main clause.
If you reverse the order, the comma is often omitted:
- Μου λείπει πολύ όταν η φίλη μου ταξιδεύει.
So the comma here marks the end of the όταν‑clause before the main statement.
λείπει is pronounced /ˈlipi/, roughly like "LEE-pee" in English.
- λεί‑ = /li/ (with a long ee sound)
- ‑πει = /pi/
Modern Greek has several different spellings for the /i/ sound (ι, η, υ, ει, οι, υι), due to historical reasons. In contemporary pronunciation, they are all pronounced the same: /i/.
So λείπει and λίπι would sound identical, but λείπει is the correct historical spelling.