Greek Words for Time: Essential Vocabulary Guide
Understanding Greek words for time is essential for everyday conversations, from making appointments to discussing your daily schedule. This comprehensive guide covers the vocabulary you need to talk about time confidently in Greek.
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Essential Time Vocabulary
These core Greek words for time form the foundation of temporal expressions. Memorize these first to build your time-telling skills.
| Word & Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| η ώραee OH-rah | the hour / time | Τι ώρα είναι; (What time is it?) |
| το λεπτόtoh lep-TOH | the minute | Περίμενε ένα λεπτό. (Wait a minute.) |
| το δευτερόλεπτοtoh thef-teh-ROH-lep-toh | the second | Θα γυρίσω σε ένα δευτερόλεπτο. (I'll be back in a second.) |
| η ημέραee ee-MEH-rah | the day | Ποια ημέρα είναι σήμερα; (What day is today?) |
| η εβδομάδαee ev-thoh-MAH-thah | the week | Η εβδομάδα έχει επτά ημέρες. (The week has seven days.) |
| ο μήναςoh MEE-nahs | the month | Αυτός ο μήνας είναι πολύ ζεστός. (This month is very hot.) |
| ο χρόνοςoh HROH-nohs | the year / time | Ο χρόνος περνάει γρήγορα. (Time passes quickly.) |
| σήμεραSEE-meh-rah | today | Σήμερα είναι Δευτέρα. (Today is Monday.) |
| αύριοAHV-ree-oh | tomorrow | Θα σε δω αύριο. (I'll see you tomorrow.) |
| χθεςhthes | yesterday | Χθες ήταν Κυριακή. (Yesterday was Sunday.) |
| το πρωίtoh proh-EE | the morning | Ξυπνάω νωρίς το πρωί. (I wake up early in the morning.) |
| το απόγευμαtoh ah-POH-yev-mah | the afternoon | Θα έρθω το απόγευμα. (I'll come in the afternoon.) |
| το βράδυtoh VRAH-thee | the evening / night | Το βράδυ διαβάζω βιβλία. (In the evening I read books.) |
| το μεσημέριtoh meh-see-MEH-ree | noon / midday | Τρώμε στο μεσημέρι. (We eat at noon.) |
| τα μεσάνυχταtah meh-SAH-neeh-tah | midnight | Κοιμήθηκα στα μεσάνυχτα. (I fell asleep at midnight.) |
| τώραTOH-rah | now | Θέλω να φύγω τώρα. (I want to leave now.) |
| αργότεραahr-GOH-teh-rah | later | Θα μιλήσουμε αργότερα. (We'll talk later.) |
| νωρίςnoh-REES | early | Ήρθε πολύ νωρίς. (He came very early.) |
| αργάahr-GAH | late | Είναι πολύ αργά. (It's very late.) |
| πάνταPAHN-dah | always | Πάντα πίνω καφέ το πρωί. (I always drink coffee in the morning.) |
Common Phrases
These everyday expressions will help you discuss time naturally in Greek conversations.
| Phrase & Pronunciation | English | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Τι ώρα είναι;tee OH-rah EE-neh | What time is it? | The most common way to ask for the time |
| Είναι τρεις η ώραEE-neh trees ee OH-rah | It's three o'clock | Basic time telling format |
| και μισήkeh mee-SEE | and half (half past) | Είναι πέντε και μισή. (It's half past five.) |
| και τέταρτοkeh TEH-tahr-toh | and quarter (quarter past) | Είναι δύο και τέταρτο. (It's quarter past two.) |
| παρά τέταρτοpah-RAH TEH-tahr-toh | minus quarter (quarter to) | Είναι έξι παρά τέταρτο. (It's quarter to six.) |
| Πόση ώρα;POH-see OH-rah | How long? | Πόση ώρα θα κάνει; (How long will it take?) |
| μια στιγμήmee-ah steeg-MEE | one moment | Μια στιγμή, παρακαλώ. (One moment, please.) |
| την άλλη φοράteen AH-lee foh-RAH | next time | Θα το κάνουμε την άλλη φορά. (We'll do it next time.) |
| κάθε μέραKAH-theh MEH-rah | every day | Τρέχω κάθε μέρα. (I run every day.) |
| από καιρό σε καιρόah-POH keh-ROH seh keh-ROH | from time to time | Τον βλέπω από καιρό σε καιρό. (I see him from time to time.) |
Usage Notes
Understanding how Greeks talk about time involves more than just vocabulary. Here are important cultural and grammatical points to keep in mind.
- 12-hour vs 24-hour clock: Greeks commonly use both systems. In casual conversation, the 12-hour clock is typical, while official contexts (transportation, appointments) often use the 24-hour format.
- Flexibility with time: Greek culture tends to be more relaxed about punctuality in social situations. Being 15-30 minutes late to a casual gathering is often acceptable, though business meetings expect punctuality.
- The word "χρόνος": This word means both "year" and "time" in general. Context determines the meaning. Καλή χρονιά (Happy New Year) uses the related word χρονιά for a specific year.
- Time of day greetings: Greeks use καλημέρα (good morning) until about 12-1 PM, καλησπέρα (good evening) from afternoon onwards, and καληνύχτα (good night) when parting in the evening.
- The accusative case with time: When expressing duration or specific times, Greek often uses the accusative case: την Δευτέρα (on Monday), τον Αύγουστο (in August).
- "Παρά" for subtraction: When telling time, παρά (minus) is used before the hour to indicate minutes remaining. Δέκα παρά πέντε means "five to ten" (9:55).
Practice Sentences
Put your knowledge of Greek time vocabulary into practice with these example sentences covering various everyday situations.
- Η συνάντηση είναι στις δέκα το πρωί.
ee see-NAHN-dee-see EE-neh stees THEH-kah toh proh-EE
The meeting is at ten in the morning. - Πόσο καιρό μένεις στην Ελλάδα;
POH-soh keh-ROH MEH-nees steen eh-LAH-thah
How long have you been living in Greece? - Δουλεύω από τις εννιά μέχρι τις πέντε.
thoo-LEV-oh ah-POH tees eh-NYAH MEH-hree tees PEN-deh
I work from nine to five. - Το τρένο φεύγει σε μισή ώρα.
toh TREH-noh FEV-yee seh mee-SEE OH-rah
The train leaves in half an hour. - Προχθές ήταν τα γενέθλιά μου.
proh-HTHES EE-tahn tah yeh-NETH-lyah moo
The day before yesterday was my birthday. - Μεθαύριο πάμε διακοπές.
meh-THAV-ree-oh PAH-meh thee-ah-koh-PES
The day after tomorrow we go on vacation. - Κάνει κρύο τον χειμώνα.
KAH-nee KREE-oh ton hee-MOH-nah
It's cold in the winter. - Τι ώρα κλείνουν τα μαγαζιά;
tee OH-rah KLEE-noon tah mah-gah-ZYAH
What time do the shops close? - Περνάει ο καιρός και δεν το καταλαβαίνω.
pehr-NAH-ee oh keh-ROHS keh then toh kah-tah-lah-VEH-noh
Time passes and I don't realize it. - Θα είμαι έτοιμος σε δέκα λεπτά.
thah EE-meh EH-tee-mohs seh THEH-kah lep-TAH
I'll be ready in ten minutes.