LingoflyWhat time is it: στις τρεις και μισή, παρά τέταρτο
The hour is feminine in Greek, because the word η ώρα (óra) is felt behind it. Hence η μία (mía), οι (i) δύο (dío), οι (i) τρεις (tris) — a feminine article, though "hour" is never said. For example: “Τι ώρα είναι; (ti óra íne) — Τρεις (tris) και (ke) τέταρτο” (tétarto) — What time is it? — Quarter past three. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The hour is feminine in Greek, because the word η ώρα (óra) (i óra) is felt behind it. Hence η μία (mía) (i mía), οι (i) δύο (dío) (i dío), οι (i) τρεις (tris) (i tris) — a feminine article, though "hour" is never said.
The question is Τι (ti) ώρα (óra) είναι (íne) (ti óra íne); The answer: Είναι (íne) τρεις (tris) (íne tris) — it is three. The verb follows the number: Είναι (íne) μία (mía) (íne mía), but Είναι (íne) τρεις (tris).
Minutes past the hour come with και (ke): τρεις (tris) και (ke) δέκα (déka) (tris ke déka), τρεις (tris) και (ke) μισή (misí) (half past three). Minutes before it come with παρά (pará): τέσσερις (téseris) παρά (pará) τέταρτο (tétarto) (quarter to four).
For "at what time" use σε (se) fused with the article: στη (sti) μία (mía) (sti mía), στις (stis) τρεις (tris) (stis tris), στις (stis) τρεις (tris) και (ke) μισή (misí) (stis tris ke misí). The part of the day is added as a word: στις (stis) τρεις (tris) το πρωί (to proí) (stis tris to proí), στις (stis) οκτώ (októ) το βράδυ (to vrádi) (stis októ to vrádi).
Table
| in Greek | word for word | in English |
|---|---|---|
| τρεις (tris) | three | three o'clock |
| τρεις (tris) και (ke) δέκα (déka) | three and ten | ten past three |
| τρεις (tris) και (ke) μισή (misí) | three and a half | half past three |
| τέσσερις (téseris) παρά (pará) τέταρτο (tétarto) | four against a quarter | quarter to four |
| στις (stis) τρεις (tris) | at three | at three o'clock |
By example
- to randevú íne stis pénde pará dékaThe appointment is at ten to five
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
What time is it: how does it work in Greek?
The hour is feminine in Greek, because the word η ώρα (óra) is felt behind it. Hence η μία (mía), οι (i) δύο (dío), οι (i) τρεις (tris) — a feminine article, though "hour" is never said.
What does it look like in a Greek example sentence?
“Τι ώρα είναι; (ti óra íne) — Τρεις (tris) και (ke) τέταρτο” (tétarto) (ti óra íne? — tris ke tétarto) — What time is it? — Quarter past three. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.