What time is it: στις τρεις και μισή, παρά τέταρτο
The hour is feminine in Greek, because the word η ώρα is felt behind it. Hence η μία, οι δύο, οι τρεις — a feminine article, though "hour" is never said. For example: “Τι ώρα είναι; — Τρεις και τέταρτο” — 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 (i óra) is felt behind it. Hence η μία (i mía), οι δύο (i dío), οι τρεις (i tris) — a feminine article, though "hour" is never said.
The question is Τι ώρα είναι (ti óra íne); The answer: Είναι τρεις (íne tris) — it is three. The verb follows the number: Είναι μία (íne mía), but Είναι τρεις.
Minutes past the hour come with και (ke): τρεις και δέκα (tris ke déka), τρεις και μισή (half past three). Minutes before it come with παρά (pará): τέσσερις παρά τέταρτο (quarter to four).
For "at what time" use σε (se) fused with the article: στη μία (sti mía), στις τρεις (stis tris), στις τρεις και μισή (stis tris ke misí). The part of the day is added as a word: στις τρεις το πρωί (stis tris to proí), στις οκτώ το βράδυ (stis októ to vrádi).
Table
| in Greek | word for word | in English |
|---|---|---|
| τρεις | three | three o'clock |
| τρεις και δέκα | three and ten | ten past three |
| τρεις και μισή | three and a half | half past three |
| τέσσερις παρά τέταρτο | four against a quarter | quarter to four |
| στις τρεις | at three | at three o'clock |
By example
- Τι ώρα είναι; — Τρεις και τέταρτοti óra íne? — tris ke tétartoWhat time is it? — Quarter past three
- Το ραντεβού είναι στις πέντε παρά δέκαto randevú íne stis pénde pará dékaThe appointment is at ten to five
- Ξυπνάω στις επτά το πρωίksipnáo stis eptá to proíI get up at seven in the morning
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 is felt behind it. Hence η μία, οι δύο, οι τρεις — a feminine article, though "hour" is never said.
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Τι ώρα είναι; — Τρεις και τέταρτο” (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.