How long and when: πριν, σε, για, από… ως
Time in Greek splits into four questions, and each has its own preposition. For example: “Μένω εδώ πέντε χρόνια” — I have been living here for five years. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Time in Greek splits into four questions, and each has its own preposition.
In how much — σε (se): Θα έρθω σε δύο μέρες (tha értho se dío méres) — I'll come in two days. English "in" matches exactly.
How much ago — πριν (prin): Ήρθα πριν δύο μέρες (írtha prin dío méres) — I came two days ago. The same word as in "before"; what follows decides: a number — "ago", a verb — "before".
How long — για (ya): Έμεινα για τρεις μήνες (émina ya tris mínes). In speech για is often dropped: Έμεινα τρεις μήνες (émina tris mínes) — not a mistake but the norm.
From and until — από (apó)… ως (os) or από… μέχρι (mékhri): από τη Δευτέρα ως την Παρασκευή (apó ti Deftéra os tin Paraskeví), από τις οκτώ μέχρι τις πέντε (apó tis októ mékhri tis pénde). The difference between ως and μέχρι is minimal; the second is a touch more bookish.
The question of duration is asked with the turn πόσο καιρό (póso keró): Πόσο καιρό μένεις εδώ (póso keró ménis edó); Literally "how much time", but καιρός (kerós) here means a stretch of time, not the weather — one of the two jobs of that word.
And the thing English will envy: Greek marks "for so long and still counting" against "used to" without leaving the present. Μένω εδώ πέντε χρόνια (méno edó pénde khrónia) — I have been living here for five years and still do (the present!). Έμενα εδώ πέντε χρόνια (émena edó pénde khrónia) — I used to live here, and no longer do. English reaches for its perfect here; Greek stays in the present.
Table
| the question | the preposition | example |
|---|---|---|
| in how much | σε | σε δύο μέρες |
| how much ago | πριν | πριν δύο μέρες |
| how long | για | για τρεις μήνες |
| from and until | από… ως | από τη Δευτέρα ως την Παρασκευή |
| for how long now | the present tense | μένω εδώ πέντε χρόνια |
By example
- Μένω εδώ πέντε χρόνιαméno edó pénde khróniaI have been living here for five years
- Ήρθα πριν δύο βδομάδεςírtha prin dío vdomádesI arrived two weeks ago
- Δουλεύω από τις οκτώ ως τις πέντεdulévo apó tis októ os tis péndeI work from eight 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
How long and when: how does it work in Greek?
Time in Greek splits into four questions, and each has its own preposition.
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Μένω εδώ πέντε χρόνια” (méno edó pénde khrónia) — I have been living here for five years. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.