Numbers and Time in Greek

In Brief

Most Greek number words do not change, but one, three, and four have different forms according to gender: ένας άντρας, μία γυναίκα, ένα παιδί; τρεις άντρες but τρία βιβλία. Ask the time with Τι ώρα είναι; and answer with Είναι..., for example Είναι τρεις η ώρα. Dates commonly combine a day number with a month in the “of” form: πρώτη Μαΐου or πέντε Μαΐου.

Overview

Numbers and clock time belong to the practical core of A1 Greek. You need them to understand prices, phone numbers, addresses, dates, opening hours, transport schedules, and appointments. The basic counting sequence is regular enough to learn quickly, especially once you know the tens.

The main surprise for an English-speaking learner is agreement: matching a word to the gender of the noun beside it. Greek nouns are masculine, feminine, or neuter, and the numbers one, three, and four reflect that gender. English uses the same word in “three men” and “three books”; Greek distinguishes τρεις άντρες from τρία βιβλία.

Time and dates also use a few fixed patterns rather than direct word-for-word equivalents of English. Greek says literally “three and a half” for 3:30 and “four minus a quarter” for 3:45. Month names often appear in the genitive case (the form commonly used for “of”), as in πέντε Μαΐου, “the fifth of May.”

How It Works

Cardinal numbers from 0 to 20

A cardinal number tells you how many: one, two, three, and so on.

Number	Greek	Number	Greek
0	μηδέν	11	έντεκα
1	ένας / μία (μια) / ένα	12	δώδεκα
2	δύο	13	δεκατρία
3	τρεις / τρία	14	δεκατέσσερα
4	τέσσερις / τέσσερα	15	δεκαπέντε
5	πέντε	16	δεκαέξι
6	έξι	17	δεκαεπτά
7	επτά / εφτά	18	δεκαοκτώ
8	οκτώ / οχτώ	19	δεκαεννέα
9	εννέα / εννιά	20	είκοσι
10	δέκα

The paired forms επτά/εφτά, οκτώ/οχτώ, and εννέα/εννιά are all standard. The first form in each pair is common in careful or formal contexts; the second is very frequent in everyday speech.

Tens and compound numbers to 100

Number	Greek	Example
20	είκοσι	είκοσι δύο — 22
30	τριάντα	τριάντα πέντε — 35
40	σαράντα	σαράντα οκτώ — 48
50	πενήντα	πενήντα έξι — 56
60	εξήντα	εξήντα επτά — 67
70	εβδομήντα	εβδομήντα τέσσερα — 74
80	ογδόντα	ογδόντα εννέα — 89
90	ενενήντα	ενενήντα τρία — 93
100	εκατό	εκατό ευρώ — 100 euros

Build numbers from 21 to 99 by placing the unit directly after the ten: είκοσι δύο, σαράντα πέντε, ενενήντα εννέα. There is no equivalent of English “and” inside these numbers.

If the final unit is one, three, or four, it still agrees with the following noun: είκοσι ένας φοιτητές (21 male or mixed-gender students), είκοσι μία σελίδες (21 pages), είκοσι ένα βιβλία (21 books), τριάντα τρεις μέρες (33 days), and σαράντα τέσσερα λεπτά (44 minutes).

Agreement of one to four

A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, or idea. Greek nouns have grammatical gender, and some low numbers choose their form accordingly.

Number	Masculine noun	Feminine noun	Neuter noun
1	ένας άντρας	μία γυναίκα	ένα παιδί
2	δύο άντρες	δύο γυναίκες	δύο παιδιά
3	τρεις άντρες	τρεις γυναίκες	τρία παιδιά
4	τέσσερις άντρες	τέσσερις γυναίκες	τέσσερα παιδιά

The number two and all numbers from five upward are unchanged for gender. Μία and μια are both correct; μια is especially common in ordinary speech.

“One” also functions as the indefinite article, equivalent to English “a/an”: ένα βιβλίο can mean “one book” or “a book,” depending on context. Because one declines for case (changes form according to its role), you may also meet ενός, μιας/μίας, and accusative forms such as έναν. At A1, learn the forms inside useful phrases rather than trying to memorise every case immediately.

Basic ordinal numbers

An ordinal number gives position in a sequence: first, second, third. Greek ordinals behave like adjectives, so they agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Number	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	English
1st	πρώτος	πρώτη	πρώτο	first
2nd	δεύτερος	δεύτερη	δεύτερο	second
3rd	τρίτος	τρίτη	τρίτο	third
4th	τέταρτος	τέταρτη	τέταρτο	fourth
5th	πέμπτος	πέμπτη	πέμπτο	fifth
6th	έκτος	έκτη	έκτο	sixth
7th	έβδομος	έβδομη	έβδομο	seventh
8th	όγδοος	όγδοη	όγδοο	eighth
9th	ένατος	ένατη	ένατο	ninth
10th	δέκατος	δέκατη	δέκατο	tenth

For example, use masculine ο πρώτος όροφος (“the first floor”), feminine η δεύτερη μέρα (“the second day”), and neuter το τρίτο μάθημα (“the third lesson”). In dates, the implied word ημέρα (“day”) is feminine, which explains πρώτη Μαΐου.

Asking and telling the time

The standard question is Τι ώρα είναι; (“What time is it?”). A common answer begins with Είναι (“It is”). At one o’clock, use the feminine form because ώρα is feminine.

Time	Greek	Literal pattern
1:00	Είναι μία η ώρα.	It is one, the hour.
2:00	Είναι δύο η ώρα.	It is two, the hour.
3:05	Είναι τρεις και πέντε.	three and five
3:15	Είναι τρεις και τέταρτο.	three and a quarter
3:30	Είναι τρεις και μισή.	three and a half
3:45	Είναι τέσσερις παρά τέταρτο.	four minus a quarter
3:50	Είναι τέσσερις παρά δέκα.	four minus ten

In και μισή, the feminine μισή agrees with the understood word ώρα. In και τέταρτο, neuter τέταρτο means “a quarter.” For minutes after the half-hour, Greek often counts down to the next hour with παρά: πέντε παρά είκοσι is 4:40.

To say at a particular time, use στις with most hours but singular στη μία for one o’clock:

• Το μάθημα αρχίζει στη μία. — The lesson starts at one.
• Το λεωφορείο φεύγει στις έξι και τέταρτο. — The bus leaves at 6:15.

To avoid ambiguity, add a part of the day: το πρωί (in the morning), το μεσημέρι (at noon/in the early afternoon), το απόγευμα (in the afternoon), το βράδυ (in the evening/at night), or τα μεσάνυχτα (at midnight). Greek conversation commonly uses the 12-hour clock with such phrases, while timetables and official schedules often use 24-hour notation.

Days of the week

English	Greek
Monday	Δευτέρα
Tuesday	Τρίτη
Wednesday	Τετάρτη
Thursday	Πέμπτη
Friday	Παρασκευή
Saturday	Σάββατο
Sunday	Κυριακή

Day names are capitalised in standard Greek writing. With no article, they can identify a day: Σήμερα είναι Τρίτη (“Today is Tuesday”). With την or its contracted form τη, they can mean “on”: την Παρασκευή (“on Friday”). The plural often expresses a regular habit: τις Δευτέρες (“on Mondays”).

Months and dates

English	Basic form	Form commonly used in dates
January	Ιανουάριος	Ιανουαρίου
February	Φεβρουάριος	Φεβρουαρίου
March	Μάρτιος	Μαρτίου
April	Απρίλιος	Απριλίου
May	Μάιος	Μαΐου
June	Ιούνιος	Ιουνίου
July	Ιούλιος	Ιουλίου
August	Αύγουστος	Αυγούστου
September	Σεπτέμβριος	Σεπτεμβρίου
October	Οκτώβριος	Οκτωβρίου
November	Νοέμβριος	Νοεμβρίου
December	Δεκέμβριος	Δεκεμβρίου

Ask Τι ημερομηνία έχουμε σήμερα; (“What is today’s date?”) or, less formally, Πόσο έχουμε σήμερα; A natural answer is Σήμερα είναι πέντε Μαΐου (“Today is May fifth”). The first day is traditionally ordinal: πρώτη Μαΐου. For events, use στις: στις δέκα Ιουλίου (“on July tenth”).

Years are cardinal numbers. For example, 2026 is δύο χιλιάδες είκοσι έξι. Writing dates numerically follows day-month-year order: 10/7/2026 means 10 July 2026, not October 7.

Seasons

English	Greek	Common time phrase
spring	η άνοιξη	την άνοιξη — in spring
summer	το καλοκαίρι	το καλοκαίρι — in summer
autumn/fall	το φθινόπωρο	το φθινόπωρο — in autumn
winter	ο χειμώνας	τον χειμώνα — in winter

These time expressions commonly use the accusative case without an English-style preposition. This is why τον χειμώνα means “in winter,” even though τον is normally learned as “the” in an object phrase.

Examples in Context

Greek	English	Note
Θέλω δύο εισιτήρια, παρακαλώ.	I’d like two tickets, please.	δύο does not change.
Έχω τρεις αδελφούς και μία αδελφή.	I have three brothers and one sister.	Masculine/feminine number forms.
Αγόρασα τέσσερα βιβλία.	I bought four books.	Neuter τέσσερα.
Το δωμάτιο κοστίζει ογδόντα ευρώ.	The room costs eighty euros.	A price.
Μένουμε στον δεύτερο όροφο.	We live on the second floor.	The ordinal changes for case.
Είναι τρεις η ώρα.	It’s three o’clock.	Standard full-hour pattern.
Είναι μία και μισή.	It’s half past one.	Feminine μία and μισή.
Το τρένο φεύγει στις επτά παρά δέκα.	The train leaves at ten to seven.	Literally “seven minus ten.”
Θα συναντηθούμε στις οκτώ το βράδυ.	We’ll meet at eight in the evening.	Part of day removes ambiguity.
Σήμερα είναι Τετάρτη.	Today is Wednesday.	Weekday after είναι.
Δουλεύω τις Δευτέρες.	I work on Mondays.	Plural for a repeated schedule.
Τα γενέθλιά μου είναι στις είκοσι τρεις Απριλίου.	My birthday is on April twenty-third.	Month in the genitive.
Η πρώτη Μαΐου είναι αργία.	The first of May is a public holiday.	Feminine ordinal for the date.
Πηγαίνουμε στην Ελλάδα το καλοκαίρι.	We go to Greece in summer.	Accusative time expression.

Common Mistakes

Using the same form of three or four with every noun

• Wrong: τρία άντρες
• Right: τρεις άντρες
• Why: Masculine and feminine nouns use τρεις and τέσσερις; neuter nouns use τρία and τέσσερα.

Treating two as if it agreed for gender

• Wrong: δύες γυναίκες
• Right: δύο γυναίκες
• Why: δύο is invariable in normal Modern Greek: it has the same form with all genders.

Translating “half past” word for word

• Wrong: μισή μετά τις τρεις
• Right: τρεις και μισή
• Why: Everyday Greek says “three and a half,” with feminine μισή because ώρα is understood.

Using στις before one o’clock

• Wrong: στις μία
• Right: στη μία
• Why: One o’clock is singular. Other clock hours normally take plural στις: στις δύο, στις έξι.

Leaving the month in its basic form in a date

• Wrong: πέντε Μάιος
• Right: πέντε Μαΐου
• Why: A month in a date is conventionally in the genitive, the “of” form: “the fifth of May.”

Reading a numeric date in US order

• Wrong interpretation: 6/9 as June 9
• Right interpretation in Greek: 6 September
• Why: Greek numeric dates normally follow day-month-year order.

Usage Notes

In conversation, Greek speakers often omit η ώρα once the context is clear: Τι ώρα είναι; — Τρεις και τέταρτο. They may also ask Τι ώρα; in a short, informal exchange. Full forms remain useful when you are first learning.

Both more careful and more conversational number variants occur. You may hear επτά or εφτά, οκτώ or οχτώ, and εννέα or εννιά. Recognise both sets; you do not need to force the colloquial variants into formal writing.

Greek normally uses a comma as the decimal separator and a full stop or space to group thousands: 3,50 € means three euros and fifty cents. Prices are often spoken as τρία ευρώ και πενήντα λεπτά. The symbol usually follows the amount in Greek typography.

For phone numbers, account numbers, and codes, speakers may group digits rather than pronounce the whole sequence as one large number. Listen to how the speaker divides the sequence, and repeat the same grouping to confirm it.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master these details at A1, but they explain forms you will encounter later.

The numbers one, three, and four can change not only for gender but also for case. The genitive forms ενός/μίας/ενός, τριών, and τεσσάρων appear in phrases such as διάρκεια τριών ημερών (“a duration of three days”). Larger compounds preserve this behavior at the end: είκοσι τριών ημερών (“of twenty-three days”).

Higher ordinals continue with forms such as ενδέκατος (eleventh), εικοστός (twentieth), and εικοστός πρώτος (twenty-first). Like other adjectives, every part that requires agreement follows the noun’s grammatical features. In everyday dates, however, cardinal numbers are far more usual after the first: δύο Ιουνίου, δεκαπέντε Αυγούστου.

Formal time announcements and schedules may use the 24-hour clock: Η πτήση αναχωρεί στις δεκαοκτώ και τριάντα (“The flight departs at 18:30”). In ordinary conversation, στις έξι και μισή το απόγευμα is more natural. You may also hear δώδεκα το μεσημέρι for noon and δώδεκα τα μεσάνυχτα for midnight.

Time expressions illustrate a broader Greek pattern called the accusative of duration or extent: an accusative phrase can say how long something lasts, without “for.” Thus Περίμενα δύο ώρες means “I waited for two hours.” This becomes more important when you study advanced uses of the case system.

Practice Tips

1. Count with nouns, not just in isolation. Cycle through τρεις φίλοι, τρεις μέρες, τρία βιβλία and then do the same with four. This trains the agreement that English does not require.
2. Describe a real daily schedule. Say five times aloud using στη μία, στις... και, and στις... παρά. Include το πρωί or το βράδυ where needed.
3. Build a personal calendar in Greek. Write today’s weekday and date, three appointments, a birthday, and one activity for each season. Read every entry aloud so that month genitives become automatic.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Case System Introduction — explains why forms can change according to their role and why dates use month genitives.
• Useful companion: Noun Gender — helps you choose the correct forms of one, three, and four.
• Useful companion: Adjective Agreement — ordinals follow the same gender, number, and case agreement as adjectives.
• Next step: Adverbs of Time and Frequency — extends time expressions with words such as “today,” “tomorrow,” “often,” and “never.”