LingoflyTime, days and hours in Greek
142 words in Greek on the topic “time, days and hours”: μέρα (méra) — day, σήμερα (símera) — today, αύριο (ávrio) — tomorrow, χθες (khthes) — yesterday. 142 words can be played from recordings.
142 words on the topic
- μέραméradaythe full form is iméra, but the opening vowel gets swallowed in speech. The root of 'ephemeral' — living a single day
- σήμεραsímeratoday'this day' fused into one word, as ávrio and khthes likewise: Greek names time in one word, with no preposition
- αύριοávriotomorrowav before the voiced ρ gives av: AV-rio. Sigá sigá, ávrio — slowly, slowly, tomorrow — is the most Greek of excuses
- χθεςkhthesyesterdaythree consonants in a row and not a single vowel at the start: khthes. A variant ekhthés exists, with a vowel up front
- πρωίproímorningthe ω and ι are read apart, stress on the second: pro-I. 'In the morning' is simply to proí — the article doing the preposition's job
- βράδυvrádieveningthe β is v, the υ is ee: VRA-di. The same root as 'bradycardia', the slow rhythm
- νύχταníkhtanightthe υ is ee, the chi is kh: NEE-khta. The same nýhta inside kaliníkta
- ώραórahourwritten with ω though it sounds like o — memorize it with the word. It also asks the time: Ti óra íne?
- Τι ώρα;ti óra?what time?the same question asks the hour of day: ti óra íne?
- Είναι αργάíne argáit's lateargá means both late and slowly; the context tells them apart
- η εβδομάδαi evdomádaweekFrom eptá, seven: the week is named after its count of days
- οι σχολικές διακοπέςi skholikés diakopésschool holidaysDrop the scholikés and it's plain vacation: grown-ups take the same diakopés
- η αρχήi arkhíbeginningBeginning, rule and principle in one: i archés are 'the authorities'
- το τέλοςto télosendEnd, goal and fee in one — hence telonío, the customs house, the place of payments
- κάθε χρόνοkáthe khrónoevery yearThe object form with no preposition: time phrases in Greek stand just like that
- φέτοςfétosthis yearOne word instead of a phrase. Last year is pérsi — also just one word
- μεθαύριοmethávriothe day after tomorrowMetá plus ávrio — 'after tomorrow', grown into one word
- προχθέςprokhthésthe day before yesterdayPro plus chthes — 'before yesterday'. The partner of methávrio
- την περασμένη εβδομάδαtin perazméni evdomádalast weekPerasménos is 'passed', from pernáo, to go by — the week that has gone by
- σε δύο μέρεςse dío méresin two daysThe preposition se sets a deadline ahead; 'prin dyo méres' is two days ago
- πρώταprótaat firstThe plural neuter of prótos. Don't confuse with próton, firstly
- μετάmetáafterwardsThe adverb 'after' and the preposition 'after': 'metá to fagitó' — after the meal
- μετά από αυτόmetá apó aftóafter thatThe double preposition 'metá apó' is ordinary in living speech
- επιτέλουςepitélusfinallyFrom télos, an end. Often with the shade of 'at long last'
- ενώenówhereasBoth at-the-same-time and whereas: enó pulls both senses
- ταυτόχροναtaftókhronaat the same timeTaftó plus chrónos, 'same-time': the root of 'synchronous' in sense
- πρινprinbefore'Before' and 'ago' in one: 'prin dýo méres' — two days ago
- αφούafúonceAt the start of a phrase it often means 'since': 'afoú to xéris' — since you know
- μόλιςmólisas soon asAlso means 'just now': 'mólis írtha' — I've just come
- από τότεapó tótesince thenTóte is 'then'; the preposition apó sets the starting point
- πάνταpándaalwaysNt reads 'nd': PAnda. The bookish word is pántote
- συχνάsikhnáoftenFrom sichnós, frequent — the same root as sichnótita, frequency
- σπάνιαspániararelyFrom spánios, rare: sparse, in sense — though the Greek root is its own
- μερικές φορέςmerikés foréssometimesLiterally 'a few times'. There's a one-word option too: kápote
- ποτέpoténeverWith 'den' it means never; without it in a question — 'ever'
- συνήθωςsiníthosusuallyFrom siníthia, habit: to do something usually is to do it by habit
- πολλή ώραpolí órafor a long timeLiterally 'many hours': Greek measures duration in hours
- κάθε φοράkáthe foráevery timeForá is a time, a round — and also the force in physics
- πού και πούpu ke pufrom time to timeLiterally 'where and where': place in Greek answers for time as well
- μέχρι τώραmékhri tóraso farMechri is 'up to': about time and about place alike
- ξαφνικάksafnikásuddenlyFrom xafnikós, abrupt. It often opens the story of an incident
- εκ των προτέρωνek ton protéronin advanceA bookish turn in an old case form; in speech — 'apó prin'
- στην ώραstin óraon timeIn full it's 'stin óra tu', at its hour; two words are enough in speech
- επειγόντωςepigóndosurgentlyEnvelopes say EPIGON; the emergency room is 'ta epígonda' — the urgent ones
- αμέσωςamésosright awayFrom ámesos, immediate: with nothing in between
- σταδιακάstadiakágraduallyFrom stádio, a step — the same word as the stadium, a track of steps
- την τελευταία στιγμήtin teleftéa stigmíat the last momentStigmí is an instant; in grammar the same word means 'point'
- αργά ή γρήγοραargá i grígorasooner or laterGreek says 'late or fast' — the order is its own
- κάποτεkápoteone day'Once upon a time' and 'someday' both: the verb's tense decides
- όταν ήμουν μικρόςótan ímun mikróswhen I was littleLiterally 'when I was small': a woman says 'mikrí'
- εκείνη την εποχήekíni tin epokhíback in those daysEpochí is an era — and a season: 'i epochí ton vrochÓn' is the rainy season
- ήταν πολύ παλιάítan polí paliáit was long ago'PaliÁ' as an adverb means ages ago; as an adjective, old
- πρώτη φοράpróti foráfirst timeThe same forÁ as 'kÁthe forá' and 'merikÉs forÉs'
- το μέλλονto mélonthe futureFrom mÉlo, to be about to. In grammar the 'mÉlondas' is the future tense
- το παρελθόνto parelthónthe pastFrom pernáo, to go by: literally 'the gone-by'
- τα άμεσα σχέδιαta ámesa skhédiaimmediate plansÁmesos is immediate, nearest: the same root as amÉsoS, right away
- σε έναν χρόνοse énan khrónoin a yearThe preposition 'se' sets a deadline ahead, as in 'se dÝo méres'
- μόνιμαmónimapermanentlyFrom mÉno, to stay: the permanent is what stays
- προσωρινάprosorinátemporarilyFrom Óra, an hour: the temporary is measured out in hours
- η βολική ώραi volikí óraa time that worksFrom volÉvo, to suit: 'me volÉvi' means it works for me
- κανονίζω ώραkanonízo órato set a timeFrom kanÓnas, a rule: to agree is to set a rule
- το απόγευμαto apóyevmaduring the afternoonLiterally 'after the meal': the Greek day is divided by lunch, not noon
- προς το βράδυpros to vráditoward eveningThe same 'pros' as 'pros to kÁlitero': movement toward
- οποιαδήποτε ώραopiadípote óraany timeThe suffix '-dípote' gives 'whatever': 'otidípote' — whatever you like
- όχι πριν τις πέντεókhi prin tis péndenot before five'Prin' takes the object form: 'prin tis pÉnde', not 'prin pÉnde'
- θα είμαι στην ώρα μουtha íme stin óra muI'll be on timeLiterally 'I'll be at my hour': the possessive is obligatory here
- μέχρι ναmékhri nauntilThe same mechri as 'so far'. Greek adds no negation here
- ο αιώναςo eónasa centuryA hundred years and an age at once: 'the twentieth century', 'the century of machines'
- η εποχήi epokhíeraThe same word as a season: 'the era of the rains'
- η δεκαετίαi dekaetíadecadeDéka plus étos, 'ten years': the same build as the five-year plan
- η περίοδοςi períodosperiodPerí plus odós, 'a way around'. Feminine despite the -os
- η στιγμήi stigmíinstantFrom stízo, to prick: the instant as a prick. In grammar, stigmí is 'point'
- μακροχρόνιοςmakrokhrónioslong-termMakrýs plus chrónos: 'of long time'
- τις μέρες αυτέςtis méres aftésone of these daysWorks for the near future and the recent past alike
- στις μέρες μαςstis méres masnowadaysLiterally 'in our days': the calque matches English exactly
- από παλιάapó paliásince time immemorialLiterally 'from long ago'. The bookish form: 'from the most ancient times'
- σε ελάχιστα λεπτάse elákhista leptáin a matter of minutesEláchistos is the least: the same root as 'at least'
- σύγχρονοςsínkhronosmodernSyn plus chrónos, 'of the same time': the root of 'synchronous'
- αρχαίοςarkhéosancientFrom archí, a beginning: 'Ancient Greece' is Archaía Elláda
- τα παλιάta paliáthe old daysA neuter plural adjective grown into a noun
- πού και πού σπάνιαpu ke pu spániaonce in a whileRarer than 'from time to time': the 'spanía' boosts the rarity
- καθημερινάkathimerinádailyFrom kafimeriní, a weekday: literally 'for every day'
- τακτικάtaktikáregularlyFrom táxi, order: the same root as 'getting settled'
- για πρώτη φοράya próti foráfor the first timeThe same forá as 'every time': counting in times
- από την αρχήapó tin arkhíanewLiterally 'from the beginning': the same archí as the beginning and the authority
- όλο και πιο συχνάólo ke pio sikhnámore and more oftenThe scheme 'ólo ke pio' works with any adverb: 'harder and harder' too
- τις καθημερινέςtis kathimerinéson weekdaysKafimeriní is a weekday; the weekend is 'ta savatokýriaka'
- τη μία φορά ναι, την άλλη όχιti mía forá ne, tin áli ókhievery other timeThere's no single word: Greek unfolds it into a whole phrase
- μια φορά τον χρόνοmia forá ton khrónoonce a yearTime in the object form without a preposition: the same scheme as 'every year'
- κάθε τρεις και λίγοkáthe tris ke lígoevery so oftenLiterally 'every three and a bit': a set phrase with a shade of annoyance
- εν τω μεταξύen to metaksíin the meantimeA bookish turn in an old case form; in speech 'sto metaxý'
- παράλληλαparálilain parallelPará plus állilos, 'beside one another'
- μέχρι τότεmékhri tóteuntil thenThe same scheme as 'so far'
- αργότεραargóteralater onThe comparative of argá, late: literally 'later'
- την παραμονήtin paramoníon the eveFrom paraméno, to stay beside: Christmas Eve is 'i paramoní Christoyénnon'
- στο εξήςsto eksísgoing forwardFrom exís, next: in announcements it means 'from now on'
- αυτή τη φοράaftí ti foráthis timeThe same forá as 'time': with the demonstrative pronoun
- εγκαίρωςengérosin good timeEn plus kerós, 'in season'. Kerós is both the weather and the right moment
- αναδρομικάanadromikáretroactivelyFrom drómos, a way, with 'aná-': a run backward. About back-payments too
- χωρίς καθυστέρησηkhorís kathistérisiwithout delayThe same kathystérisi as the flight delay
- ο Φεβρουάριοςo FevruáriosFebruarymonths take a capital letter. In a date they go into the "of what" form: tu Fevruaríu
- ο Μάρτιοςo MártiosMarchMarch 25 is a national holiday — the most famous date of the year
- ο Απρίλιοςo ApríliosAprilGreek Easter falls in this month more often than in any other
- ο Μάιοςo MáiosMayno two dots needed over the i here: the accent already splits the ai
- ο Ιούνιοςo IúniosJunedon't mix it with Ioúlios, July — the difference is one letter
- ο Αύγουστοςo ÁvgustosAugustthe month of vacations: on August 15 half of Greece shuts down
- ο Σεπτέμβριοςo SeptémvriosSeptemberfrom the Latin 'seventh': the Roman year once began in March
- ο Οκτώβριοςo OktóvriosOctoberOctober 28 is the second national holiday — the day of the Ochi
- ο Νοέμβριοςo NoémvriosNovemberfrom the Latin 'ninth', like its three neighbors
- ο Δεκέμβριοςo DekémvriosDecemberfrom déka, ten, through Latin: the tenth month of the old Roman year
- ο χρόνοςo khrónosyearthe same word means 'time' in general. The plural is ta chrónia
- το εικοσιτετράωροto ikositetráorotwenty-four hoursliterally 'a twenty-four-hour span': there is no separate word for it
- η εκατονταετίαi ekatondaetíacenturyexactly one hundred years, a stretch. Aiónas is wider: an age, an epoch too
- το λεπτόto leptóminutethe same word means a small coin and the adjective 'thin'
- το δευτερόλεπτοto defteróleptoa secondliterally 'a second minute': the hour's second-stage division
- η μισή ώραi misí órahalf an hourfrom misó, half. On the clock: októ ke misí — half past eight
- το μεσημέριto mesimérinoonmésos plus iméra — the middle of the day. The same word names the lunchtime hours
- τα μεσάνυχταta mesánikhtamidnightalways plural; built like mesiméri, its daytime twin
- τώραtóranowtóra amésos means 'right this minute', with emphasis
- η προθεσμίαi prothezmíadeadlinethe same prothesmía as a payment due date: an appointed limit of time
- επόμενοςepómenosnextfrom épome, to follow; the same root in synépies — consequences
- περασμένοςperazménospastfrom pernáo, to pass by; the same participle in ti perasméni evdomáda — last week
- αργώargóbe latefrom argá, late. The everyday synonym kathistéro belongs to another root but says the same
- προλαβαίνω στην ώραprolavéno stin óramake it in timethe same prolabéno as managing at work; stin óra pins down the deadline
- ξανάksanáagainas a prefix xana- glues onto verbs: xanaléo — I say again
- σύντομαsíndomasoonfrom síntomos, brief: soon means after a short time
- παλιάpaliálong agoabout a time in the past. Prin polí keró — a very long time ago
- πρόσφαταprósfatarecentlyin speech the simpler prin lígo keró — a little time back — does the job
- αργάargálatethe same word means 'slowly': time and speed meet in one word
- νωρίςnorísearlythe partner of argá. Polý norís — far too early
- γρήγοραgrígoraquicklyfrom grígoros, quick — originally 'awake, brisk'
- μόλις τώραmólis tórajust nowthe same mólis as 'as soon as'; tóra pins it to the present
- το πρωίto proíin the morningno preposition needed: article plus the object form alone means 'in the morning'. The other words for times of day work the same way
- τη μέραti mérain the afternoonthe feminine shows in the article: i méra becomes ti méra. Noon has its own separate word, to mesiméri
- το βράδυto vrádiin the eveningneuter: 'evening' and 'in the evening' look identical — only the place in the sentence tells them apart
- τη νύχταti níkhtaat nightthe chi here is breathy: NI-khta, not nik-ta. The same nýhta hides in kaliníkta, good night
- κάθε μέραkáthe méraevery daykáthe never changes for gender or number and refuses to carry an article
- όλη μέραóli méraall daywithout the article it means 'the whole day long'; with it, óli ti méra sounds a touch more formal
- μια στιγμήmia stigmímomentthe same stigmí that means an instant; from stízo, to prick — and in grammar class this very word means a full stop
- το ρολόιto rolóiclockneuter and singular: one clock is éna rolói
- τι ώρα είναι;ti óra íne?what time is it?the Greek question mark looks like a semicolon. Literally: 'which hour is it?'
- κάποια στιγμήkápia stigmísomedayliterally 'at some moment'; ekíni ti stigmí is at that moment. The word káporte is taken for once, and in a question about the past Greeks take poté: Écheis pái poté stin Kríti?
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How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
What is worth knowing about these words
μέρα (méra) — day. The full form is iméra, but the opening vowel gets swallowed in speech. The root of 'ephemeral' — living a single day.
σήμερα (símera) — today. 'this day' fused into one word, as ávrio and khthes likewise: Greek names time in one word, with no preposition.
αύριο (ávrio) — tomorrow. Av before the voiced ρ gives av: AV-rio. Sigá sigá, ávrio — slowly, slowly, tomorrow — is the most Greek of excuses.
χθες (khthes) — yesterday. Three consonants in a row and not a single vowel at the start: khthes. A variant ekhthés exists, with a vowel up front.
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is μέρα (méra) — day.
- What is this word?
It is ώρα (óra) — hour.
- What is this word?
It is κάθε χρόνο (káthe khróno) — every year.
- What is this word?
It is μετά (metá) — afterwards.
- What is this word?
It is μόλις (mólis) — as soon as.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “day” in Greek?
the full form is iméra, but the opening vowel gets swallowed in speech. The root of 'ephemeral' — living a single day
- How do you say “hour” in Greek?
written with ω though it sounds like o — memorize it with the word. It also asks the time: Ti óra íne?
- How do you say “every year” in Greek?
The object form with no preposition: time phrases in Greek stand just like that
- How do you say “afterwards” in Greek?
The adverb 'after' and the preposition 'after': 'metá to fagitó' — after the meal
- How do you say “as soon as” in Greek?
Also means 'just now': 'mólis írtha' — I've just come
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Today, tomorrow, in the morning, at six. You cannot arrange to meet without these — let alone understand the answer.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- Study spread over days wins not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “day” in Greek?
«μέρα» (méra), read “méra”. The full form is iméra, but the opening vowel gets swallowed in speech. The root of 'ephemeral' — living a single day. It is one of 142 words in the set “time, days and hours” — the rest are in the table above.
How many time words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 142 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.
Is there audio?
Yes, 142 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.