How to SAY the TIME in GREEK : COMPLETE GUIDE
Ever found yourself lost in translation, wondering what time it is in Greece?
Today, you’ll learn how to tell the time in Greek, and trust me, it’s an amazing adventure!
Better Greek has uncovered all the secrets, and I’m excited to share them with you.
Today, you’ll learn how to tell the time in Greek, and trust me, it’s an amazing adventure!
Better Greek has uncovered all the secrets, and I’m excited to share them with you.
The Basics of Time in Greek
First things first, let’s start with the basics of time in Greek.
Unlike in English, where we use AM and PM, Greek has specific phrases for different times of the day:
– το πρωί“: in the morning. (until 12pm)
– το μεσημέρι“: in the early afternoon. (12-5 pm)
– το απόγευμα“: in the late afternoon. (5-9 pm)
– το βράδυ“: at night. (9pm and later)
These phrases help you express whether it’s seven o’clock in the morning or ten o’clock at night (“7 το πρωί” or “10 το βράδυ“). Unlike in English, we never say AM or PM, these are only used in the written language. Instead we say the part of the day.
Differentiating between “το πρωί,” “το μεσημέρι”, “το απόγευμα“ and “το βράδυ” is important, especially if you have a doctor’s appointment or an exciting Greek class.
Unlike in English, where we use AM and PM, Greek has specific phrases for different times of the day:
– το πρωί“: in the morning. (until 12pm)
– το μεσημέρι“: in the early afternoon. (12-5 pm)
– το απόγευμα“: in the late afternoon. (5-9 pm)
– το βράδυ“: at night. (9pm and later)
These phrases help you express whether it’s seven o’clock in the morning or ten o’clock at night (“7 το πρωί” or “10 το βράδυ“). Unlike in English, we never say AM or PM, these are only used in the written language. Instead we say the part of the day.
Differentiating between “το πρωί,” “το μεσημέρι”, “το απόγευμα“ and “το βράδυ” is important, especially if you have a doctor’s appointment or an exciting Greek class.
The Magic Phrase: “Τι ώρα είναι;"
When you want to ask someone the time, the magical phrase is
Τι ώρα είναι; – what time is it?
Τι ώρα είναι; – what time is it?
DID YOU KNOW…?
There are many different ways you can ask for the time in Greek! And you can use them to start a conversation with someone you want to meet, asking for the time can be a real conversation starter. Let’s look at a few fun ways you can do this:
The Classic Approach:
“Συγνώμη, τι ώρα είναι;” translates to “Excuse me, What time is it?”
It’s the tried-and-true method that works every time.
A Polite Approach:
Want to add a touch of politeness? Try…
“Μπορείτε να μου πείτε τι ώρα είναι, παρακαλώ;” which means “Could you tell me what time it is, please?”
The Casual Approach:
If you’re among friends, you might keep it relaxed with
“Έχεις ώρα;” “Do you have time?”
So next time you’re in Greece, why not try one of these out?
You’ll not only learn what time it is but also make connections and memories along the way.
The Classic Approach:
“Συγνώμη, τι ώρα είναι;” translates to “Excuse me, What time is it?”
It’s the tried-and-true method that works every time.
A Polite Approach:
Want to add a touch of politeness? Try…
“Μπορείτε να μου πείτε τι ώρα είναι, παρακαλώ;” which means “Could you tell me what time it is, please?”
The Casual Approach:
If you’re among friends, you might keep it relaxed with
“Έχεις ώρα;” “Do you have time?”
So next time you’re in Greece, why not try one of these out?
You’ll not only learn what time it is but also make connections and memories along the way.
Hour Expressions in Greek
Here’s where the real fun begins!
The numbers 1, 3 and 4 have a feminine gender. Because time in Greek (η ώρα) is feminine, that’s why we need to use the feminine 1, 3 and 4.
To say it’s one o’clock, you say “είναι μία (1),” it’s three o’clock, you say “είναι τρεις (3),” it’s four o’clock, you say “είναι τέσσερις (4),”
Let’s take a closer look:
It’s one o’clock – Είναι 1 (μία)
It’s two o’clock – Είναι 2
It’s three o’clock – Είναι 3 (τρεις)
It’s four o’clock – Είναι 4 (τέσσερις)
It’s five o’ clock – Είναι 5
It’s six o’ clock – Είναι 6
It’s seven o’ clock – Είναι 7
It’s eight o’ clock – Είναι 8
It’s nine o’ clock – Είναι 9
It’s ten o’ clock – Είναι 10
It’s eleven o’ clock – Είναι 11
It’s twelve o’ clock – Είναι 12
The numbers 1, 3 and 4 have a feminine gender. Because time in Greek (η ώρα) is feminine, that’s why we need to use the feminine 1, 3 and 4.
To say it’s one o’clock, you say “είναι μία (1),” it’s three o’clock, you say “είναι τρεις (3),” it’s four o’clock, you say “είναι τέσσερις (4),”
Let’s take a closer look:
It’s one o’clock – Είναι 1 (μία)
It’s two o’clock – Είναι 2
It’s three o’clock – Είναι 3 (τρεις)
It’s four o’clock – Είναι 4 (τέσσερις)
It’s five o’ clock – Είναι 5
It’s six o’ clock – Είναι 6
It’s seven o’ clock – Είναι 7
It’s eight o’ clock – Είναι 8
It’s nine o’ clock – Είναι 9
It’s ten o’ clock – Είναι 10
It’s eleven o’ clock – Είναι 11
It’s twelve o’ clock – Είναι 12
Expressing Minutes and Specific Times
Time to dig deeper!
Greek time isn’t just about the hour; it’s also about minutes, quarters, and halves.
In Greek, we start from the hour and then we say the minutes.
It’s better to say “It’s half past ten” than “ten thirty”. (10.30)
It’s better to say “It’s quarter past ten” than “ten fifteen”. (10.15)
Generally, we avoid saying fifteen or thirty and we prefer to say quarter and half.
Here’s how you can express specific times:
It’s 5 past 3 (3.05) – Είναι τρεις και πέντε
It’s 10 past 3 (3.10) – Είναι τρεις και δέκα
It’s quarter past 3 (3.15) – Είναι τρεις και τέταρτο
It’s 20 past 3 (3.20) – Είναι τρεις και είκοσι
It’s 25 past 3 (3.25) – Είναι τρεις και είκοσι πέντε
It’s half past 3 (3.30) – Είναι τρεις και μισή
It’s 25 to 4 (3.35) – Είναι τέσσερις παρά είκοσι πέντε
It’s 20 to 4 (3.40) – Είναι τέσσερις παρά είκοσι
It’s quarter to 4 (3.45) – Είναι τέσσερις παρά τέταρτο
It’s 10 to 4 (3.50) – Είναι τέσσερις παρά δέκα
It’s 5 to 4 (3.55) – Είναι τέσσερις παρά πέντε
Greek time isn’t just about the hour; it’s also about minutes, quarters, and halves.
In Greek, we start from the hour and then we say the minutes.
It’s better to say “It’s half past ten” than “ten thirty”. (10.30)
It’s better to say “It’s quarter past ten” than “ten fifteen”. (10.15)
Generally, we avoid saying fifteen or thirty and we prefer to say quarter and half.
Here’s how you can express specific times:
It’s 5 past 3 (3.05) – Είναι τρεις και πέντε
It’s 10 past 3 (3.10) – Είναι τρεις και δέκα
It’s quarter past 3 (3.15) – Είναι τρεις και τέταρτο
It’s 20 past 3 (3.20) – Είναι τρεις και είκοσι
It’s 25 past 3 (3.25) – Είναι τρεις και είκοσι πέντε
It’s half past 3 (3.30) – Είναι τρεις και μισή
It’s 25 to 4 (3.35) – Είναι τέσσερις παρά είκοσι πέντε
It’s 20 to 4 (3.40) – Είναι τέσσερις παρά είκοσι
It’s quarter to 4 (3.45) – Είναι τέσσερις παρά τέταρτο
It’s 10 to 4 (3.50) – Είναι τέσσερις παρά δέκα
It’s 5 to 4 (3.55) – Είναι τέσσερις παρά πέντε
Using “στην” or “στις”
If you want to say “at 1, at 2 at 3” etc. we will use “στην” only for 1 and “στις” for all the rest.
at 1: “στην 1 (μία)”
at 2: “στις 2”
at 3: “στις 3 (τρεις)”
at 4: “στις 4 (τέσσερις)”
at 5: “στις 5”
For example
Ξυπνάω στις 7 το πρωί – I wake up at 7 AM.
Δουλεύω στις 9 το πρωί – I work at 9AM
Τρώω μεσημεριανό στην 1 το μεσημέρι – I eat lunch at 1 PM
Κοιμάμαι στις 11 το βράδυ – I sleep at 11PM
at 1: “στην 1 (μία)”
at 2: “στις 2”
at 3: “στις 3 (τρεις)”
at 4: “στις 4 (τέσσερις)”
at 5: “στις 5”
For example
Ξυπνάω στις 7 το πρωί – I wake up at 7 AM.
Δουλεύω στις 9 το πρωί – I work at 9AM
Τρώω μεσημεριανό στην 1 το μεσημέρι – I eat lunch at 1 PM
Κοιμάμαι στις 11 το βράδυ – I sleep at 11PM
Military Time and the 24-Hour Clock
In Greece, the 24-hour clock is used only in written language. We never say it orally. Instead, we will switch to 12-hour clock.
For example, if an event we see in a poster starts at 21.00 then we will say “στις 9 το βράδυ”.
For example, if an event we see in a poster starts at 21.00 then we will say “στις 9 το βράδυ”.
Practice with Real-world Scenarios
One of the best ways to master the time in Greek is to practice in real-world scenarios.
Imagine
scheduling a doctor’s appointment “στις 10 το πρωί”,
booking a train στις 12 το μεσημέρι or
calling your friend “στις 8 το απόγευμα”
Engage with native Greek speakers, and don’t shy away from asking “Τι ώρα είναι;” Remember, practice makes perfect!
Take advantage of Better Greek online classes and A Dedicated Teacher is here to help you master every aspect of the Greek language.
Until next time, keep exploring, keep learning!
Τα λέμε,
Θανάσης
(If you like my free lessons and you’d like to donate and support this website, treat me a tasty Greek coffee☕ Your contribution helps me continue to create great free content.)
Imagine
scheduling a doctor’s appointment “στις 10 το πρωί”,
booking a train στις 12 το μεσημέρι or
calling your friend “στις 8 το απόγευμα”
Engage with native Greek speakers, and don’t shy away from asking “Τι ώρα είναι;” Remember, practice makes perfect!
Take advantage of Better Greek online classes and A Dedicated Teacher is here to help you master every aspect of the Greek language.
Until next time, keep exploring, keep learning!
Τα λέμε,
Θανάσης
(If you like my free lessons and you’d like to donate and support this website, treat me a tasty Greek coffee☕ Your contribution helps me continue to create great free content.)
It would be a great improvement if you’d show the Greek words in English phonetics for the purpose of correct communication for people who haven’t memorized Greek letter sounds.
I hope you can do this very soon.
Ευχαριστώ
Ex: παρά – pará
Thank you for your suggestion. I get your point. However, the reason there are no English phonetics is because it’s a prerequisite to know how to read in Greek before studying the time or similar topics.