Telling the Time in Greek: Και, Παρά and the Daily Rhythm
How to ask and tell the time in Greek, using και and παρά for past and to, plus mealtimes and daily rhythm in Greece.
Time-telling in Greek is straightforward and follows the same idea as English "past" and "to", using και (and) and παρά (less).
Asking the time
- Τι ώρα είναι; — What time is it?
- Ξέρετε τι ώρα είναι; — Do you know what time it is?
- Τι ώρα ...; — At what time...?
Telling the hour
- Είναι μία. — It's one o'clock (μία is feminine, agreeing with ώρα).
- Είναι δύο. — It's two.
- Είναι τρεις. — It's three.
- Είναι τέσσερις. — It's four.
- Είναι πέντε, έξι, επτά ... — five, six, seven...
- Είναι δώδεκα / μεσημέρι / μεσάνυχτα. — twelve / noon / midnight.
Μία, τρεις and τέσσερις use the feminine forms, as ώρα is feminine.
Past and to
- και (and) for minutes past: Είναι τρεις και πέντε. — 3:05.
- και τέταρτο — quarter past: Είναι τρεις και τέταρτο. — 3:15.
- και μισή — half past: Είναι τρεις και μισή. — 3:30.
- παρά (less) for minutes to: Είναι τέσσερις παρά είκοσι. — 3:40 (four less twenty).
- παρά τέταρτο — quarter to: Είναι τέσσερις παρά τέταρτο. — 3:45.
- παρά πέντε — five to.
At a time
Use στις for "at" plural hours, and στη for one o'clock:
- Στη μία. — At one.
- Στις δύο. — At two.
- Στις οχτώ και μισή. — At 8:30.
Parts of the day
- το πρωί — in the morning
- το μεσημέρι — at midday
- το απόγευμα — in the afternoon
- το βράδυ — in the evening
- τη νύχτα — at night
For clarity, add these to the time: στις εφτά το πρωί (at 7 a.m.), στις εφτά το βράδυ (at 7 p.m.).
24-hour clock
Timetables for ferries, buses and trains often use the 24-hour clock: 18:30 is δεκαοκτώ και τριάντα.
Useful phrases
- Πότε ανοίγει το μαγαζί; — When does the shop open?
- Ανοίγει στις εννιά. — It opens at nine.
- Κλείνει στις οχτώ. — It closes at eight.
- Είμαι στην ώρα μου. — I'm on time.
- Άργησα. — I'm late (I was late).
- Νωρίς / αργά — early / late.
- Σε πέντε λεπτά. — In five minutes.
The daily rhythm
Daily life in Greece has its own timing. Lunch is typically eaten late, often between 2 and 4 p.m., and dinner is often at 9 p.m. or later, especially in summer. In hot weather, many people rest in the afternoon, and some shops close for a few hours then, reopening in the evening. Public offices usually work morning hours. These are general patterns and vary by place and season, so check opening hours.
"Greek time"
Social events may start later than announced, but appointments with doctors, officials and business meetings are expected to be on time.
Practice
Tell the time each hour in Greek for a day. Then say what time you get up, have lunch and go to bed.
English Greek Dictionary
Offline English–Greek dictionary with meanings in proper Greek script
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