Language/Modern-greek-1453/Vocabulary/Telling-Time
| ◀️ Numbers 1-100 — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Adjective Agreement ▶️ |
As a Modern Greek (1453-) language teacher, one of the most practical and essential topics I teach is telling time. Whether you are on vacation or communicating with locals while living in Greece, knowing how to tell time will always come in handy. In this lesson, you will learn how to tell time in Modern Greek, as well as talk about your daily routines.
Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: Banking Terminology & Popular Expressions.
Numbers Recap[edit | edit source]
Before we dive deep into telling time, let's do a quick recap of numbers 1 through 100 in Modern Greek. As you might remember from the previous lesson, Modern Greek adopted the Arabic numerals for writing numbers. However, when you speak, you have to use the Greek number names. Here is a table summarizing the numbers we will use in this lesson:
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ένα (éna) | EH-nah | one |
| δύο (dýo) | THEE-oh | two |
| τρία (tría) | TREE-ah | three |
| τέσσερα (téssera) | TESS-eh-rah | four |
| πέντε (pénte) | PEN-teh | five |
| έξι (éxi) | EHK-see | six |
| επτά (eftá) | ehf-TAH | seven |
| οκτώ (októ) | ohk-TOH | eight |
| εννιά (enniá) | eh-NEE-ah | nine |
| δέκα (déka) | THEH-kah | ten |
| είκοσι (íkosi) | EE-koh-see | twenty |
| τριάντα (triánta) | ttee-AHN-tah | thirty |
| σαράντα (saránta) | sah-RAHN-tah | forty |
| πενήντα (penínta) | peh-NEEN-dah | fifty |
| εξήντα (exínta) | ex-EEN-tah | sixty |
| εβδομήντα (evdomínta) | ev-doh-MEE-n-tah | seventy |
| ογδόντα (ogdónta) | og-DOHN-tah | eighty |
| ενενήντα (enenínda) | eh-neh-NEE-n-dah | ninety |
| εκατό (ekatό) | eh-kah-TOH | one hundred |
As shown, the rule for constructing numbers is rather straightforward. We first say the tens' digit, and then the ones' digit. The exception occurs when we count from ten to nineteen. In that case, we use unique forms. So, eleven would be δέκα ένα, which translates to "ten one." Keep these in mind as we begin the lesson on telling time.
Telling Time[edit | edit source]
Time in Modern Greek is expressed using the 24-hour format. There are no specific terms for "a.m." and "p.m." Instead, you add the necessary context to let others know whether it is morning or night. Here are some common examples:
- 7:00 A.M.: επτά ακριβώς (eptá akrivôs) - seven minus a quarter, i.e., a quarter to seven
- 9:30 A.M.: εννέα και μισή (ennéa kee mee-SEE) - nine and a half
- 12:00 P.M.: δώδεκα το μεσημέρι (dόdeka to mesimeΡi) - twelve at noon
- 6:15 P.M.: έξι και τέταρτο (Ε-ksi keh dhe-kah-PEHN-deh) - six and fifteen, i.e., quarter past six
- 9:00 P.M.: εννέα το βράδυ (ennéa to vraΘi) - nine in the evening
Now, let's look at some different ways to create complex sentences that involve telling time by putting words we learned so far into practice.
Vocabulary[edit | edit source]
Let's first introduce the new vocabulary:
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| η ώρα (ee όra) | Ó-ra | hour |
| το λεπτό (to lep-Tό) | to lep-tô | minute |
| το δευτερόλεπτο (to defteΡόlep'to) | to de-fte-rô-le-pto | second |
Phrases[edit | edit source]
Here are some useful phrases that will help you communicate fluently:
- Τι ώρα είναι;(Tee όra eé-neh) - What time is it?
- Είναι τρείς και δέκα. (Eé-neh ee tríti keh dé-kah lep-TA) - It is three ten. (Three ten = 3:10)
- Είναι μεσημέρι. (Eé-neh toh mesimeΡi) - It is noon.
- Είναι μία τα ξημερώματα. (Eé-neh ee MEEa to vraΘi) - It is one in the morning.
- Είναι τρεις και πέντε. (Eé-neh treis keh pénte) - It is three and five, i.e., three oh five = 3:05
- Είναι εννιά και είκοσι. (Eé-neh en-NEE-ah kee E-ko-see) - It is nine and twenty, i.e., nine twenty = 9:20
- Είναι ένα λεπτό πριν από τις δώδεκα. (Eé-neh eé-NA lep-TΟ prin a-PO tiς dόdeka) - It is one minute before twelve.
- Είναι μία και πέντε. (Eé-neh pénte lep-TA me-TA tee MEEa) - It is five minutes past one.
Understanding time in Greek, especially when someone speaks fast, can be challenging. A useful phrase to use whenever you didn't get the time or didn't catch the word is "Ξαναπες το" (xana-pes-to), which translates to "Say it again."
Furthermore, using time in sentences is quite common since it is an essential aspect of everyday life. Here are some example sentences to help you get more practice with telling time in context:
- Τι ώρα ξυπνάς καθημερινά;(Peea όra xeep-NΑs kathime-RINa) - What time do you wake up on weekdays?
- Ξυπνάω στις επτά. (Xee-pnah-oh stees eftá) - I wake up at seven.
- Στις οκτώ πηγαίνω στη δουλειά μου. (Steess ohk-TΟ pee-geh-NO stee doo-leé-a moo) - I go to work at eight.
- Τελειώνω τη δουλειά μου στις πέντε. (O-lo-klee-rό-noh tee doo-leé-a moo stis pénte) - I finish work at five.
- Καθημερινά, επιστρέφω σπίτι στις εννιά. (Kathime-RINa e-pis-TRE-fo sto spee-TEE stees En-NEE-a) - I return home every day at nine.
- Καταλαβαίνω ότι είναι αργά. (Kata-lavaínoh óti éeh-neh ar-GA) - I realize it is late.
- Πηγαίνω για ύπνο στις μία το βράδυ. (Pee-geh-NO yia EEp-no ste MEEa to vraΘi) - I go to bed at one in the morning.
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Learning how to tell time in Greek is vital for anyone who wants to communicate effectively. Using time-related vocabulary and phrases is a great way to sound more natural when communicating with native speakers. In this lesson, we reviewed the numbers we learned previously and introduced new words and phrases related to time. Remember to keep practicing, and don't forget to enjoy the learning process.
Upon wrapping up this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Geography & Kitchen.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Idiomatic Expressions
- Family
- Sports
- Overview of physician specialties
- Parts of the Body
- Education and careers
- Politics and government
- Foreign loanwords
- Washing clothes Lexicon
- Happy New Year
| ◀️ Numbers 1-100 — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Adjective Agreement ▶️ |