Telling the time

1. Asking what time it is

2. Saying the exact hour

The numbers agree with the feminine noun ώρα (hour): use μία, not ένα, for one o’clock.

Both forms of seven, eight, and nine are correct; εφτά, οχτώ, and εννιά are common in everyday speech.

You can add η ώρα (Είναι τρεις η ώρα), but it is usually omitted in conversation.

3. Minutes past the hour — και

Use και (“and”) to add minutes after the hour.

Hour + και + minutes

You can answer with or without Είναι: Είναι τρεις και δέκα or Τρεις και δέκα.

4. Quarter past — και τέταρτο

Τέταρτο means a quarter of an hour (15 minutes).

You can also use the number of minutes: τρεις και δεκαπέντε (3:15).

5. Half past — και μισή

Use και μισή for half past. Μισή is feminine because it refers to μισή ώρα (half an hour).

You can also say τρεις και τριάντα (three thirty).

6. Minutes to the next hour — παρά

Παρά means “minus” here. Count back from the next hour.

Next hour + παρά + minutes remaining

You can also read the hour and minutes directly: τρεις και σαράντα (3:40).

7. Quarter to — παρά τέταρτο

Use παρά τέταρτο with the next hour.

For 12:45, the next hour is one: μία παρά τέταρτο.

8. Parts of the day

To distinguish morning from evening, add a phrase such as το πρωί or το βράδυ.

The boundaries are flexible: το μεσημέρι can include early afternoon, while το απόγευμα refers to later afternoon.

For noon and midnight, say Είναι μεσημέρι (It’s noon) and Είναι μεσάνυχτα (It’s midnight).

9. Reading the 24-hour clock

Written schedules often use the 24-hour clock. You can read the numbers directly or convert them to a 12-hour expression.

The 12-hour expressions are more usual in everyday conversation.

10. Saying “at” a particular time

Compare telling the time with saying when something happens:

Use στη μία for “at one” and στις for the other hours. These combine σε with the accusative article: σε + τη → στη, σε + τις → στις. One hour takes the singular; the other hours take the plural.

11. Asking what time something happens

Use Τι ώρα…; to ask when something happens.

Στις πόσες…; is an alternative in conversation:

12. Saying “from … until …”

• από — from
• μέχρι — until

Keep the article before the hour: τις, or τη for one o’clock.

13. Approximate times

14. Practice exercises

Translate into Greek. Write the times in words.

1. What time does the shop close?

2. It’s exactly four o’clock.

3. It’s ten past five.

4. It’s quarter past nine.

5. It’s half past eight in the morning.

6. It’s ten to one.

7. It’s 20:45. (Give both a 24-hour reading and a conversational 12-hour expression, including the part of the day in the latter.)

8. I’ll come around one o’clock.

9. What time will you leave? At half past nine. (To one person informally.)

10. The shop is open from eight until six.