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Learn How to Read Dates in Greek: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, and Key Historical Dates
Hey there, my fellow Greek language enthusiast!
Ever found yourself daydreaming about a sun-drenched Greek island and wondered, “How would I tell the date here in Greek?” Well, wonder no more!
We’re about to embark on an informative journey through the world of Greek dates.
Trust me, it’ll be a piece of cake—or should I say, a slice of baklava! Ok, now I’m hungry but let’s get started!
The Basic Structure
To properly say the dates in Greek, you’ll need to understand the structure of dates in the language.
You’ll need to know the days of the week,months of the year, and Greek ordinal and cardinal numbers.
To say a date in Greek, you typically use the following structure:
Day, Number + Month (Month in Genitive) + Year
For example:
Greek: Τετάρτη 8 Ιουνίου 2024(Tetarti ohto Iuniu 2024)
English: Wednesday, June 8 2024
Months in the Genitive Case
Months, when included in full dates, are in the genitive case.
So, in the example above, Ιούνιος(Iunios) becomes (του) Ιουνίου (Iuniu) meaning June’s.
In other words, we could say that in Greek, the actual meaning is “June’s 8th day.”
Here’s a list of all Greek months in the genitive case:
Ιανουαρίου(Ianuariu) – January’s
Φεβρουαρίου(Fevruariu) – February’s
Μαρτίου (Martiu) – March’s
Απριλίου(Apriliu) – Aprils’s
Μαΐου(Maiu) – May’s
Ιουνίου (Iuniu) – June’s
Ιουλίου(Iuliu) – July’s
Αυγούστου(Avgustu) – August’s
Σεπτεμβρίου (Septemvriu) – September’s
Οκτωβρίου(Oktovriu) – October’s
Νοεμβρίου(Noemvriu) – November’s
Δεκεμβρίου(Thekemvriu) – December’s
Day and Month Structure
In Greek, dates are typically read using cardinal numbers.
Exceptions
For the first day of each month, we use an ordinal number.
The term πρώτη(proti) is used, meaning first in the feminine form. Since numbers in Greek act like adjectives, they must match the gender of the noun they describe. Here, the numbers correspond to the feminine noun ημέρα (imera), meaning day, which is implied and therefore not explicitly stated.
But let’s see how to read the first date of a month in some examples:
Greek: Τρίτη 1 Μαρτίου 1981
We read: Triti proti Martiu hilia enniakosia ogdonta ena
English: Tuesday, March 1 20241981
Greek: Πέμπτη 1 Σεπτεμβρίου 2022
We read: Pempti proti Septemvriu dio hiliades eekosi dio
English: Thursday, September 1 2022
2. We use ordinal numbers when stating specific dates in a more formal context.
Examples
Greek: 20η Απριλίου
We read: Eekosti Apriliu
English: 20th of April
Greek: 16η Σεπτεμβρίου
We read: Thekati ekti Septemvriu
English: 16th of September
As you can see in the examples above, we read the year as a regular number.
So, a good knowledge of Greek numbers will be very helpful with your journey in Greek dates.
Dates Using Only Numbers
If you want to say a date only with numbers, the same format is followed:
(Day) Number + Month + Year
and the only thing you need to remember is that the month must be read as an ordinal number in the genitive case.
Examples
We write: 05/10/1994
We read: πέντε, δεκάτου, χίλια εννιακόσια ενενήντα τέσσερα (pende, thekatu, hiliaeniakosia eneninta tessera)
We write: Κυριακή, 26/08/2005
We read: Κυριακή, είκοσι έξι, ογδόου, δύο χιλιάδες πέντε (Kiriaki,eekosi eksi, ogdoou, dio hiliathes pente)
Useful Expressions for Dates
Τι ημερομηνία έχουμε σήμερα; (Ti hmerominia ehume simera?) -What date is it today?
Σήμερα είναι Δευτέρα 17 Ιουλίου (του 2023)(Simera eene dekaepta Iuliou (tu diohiliades eekosi tria) – Today is Monday 17th of July 2023 or
Σήμερα έχουμε Δευτέρα 17 Ιουλίου (του 2023) (Simera ehume dekaepta Iuliou (tu dio hiliades eekosi tria) – Today is Monday 17th of July 2023
Ποια είναι η ημερομηνία γέννησής σου;(Pia eene ee imerominia yennisis su?) – Which is your birth date?
Η ημερομηνία γέννησής μου είναι 15/12/1992(Ee imerominia yennisis mu eene dekapente Dekemvriu hilia eniakosia eneninta dio) – My date of birth is 15/12/1992
or
Πότε γεννήθηκες;(Pote yennithikes?) – When were you born?
Γεννήθηκα στις 29 Απριλίου του 2001 (Yennithika stis eekosi ennea Apriliu tu diohiliades ena) – I was born on April 29th of 2001
Πότε είναι τα γενέθλιά σου;(Pote eene ta yenethlia su?) – When is your birthday?
Τα γενέθλιά μου είναι στις 19 Οκτωβρίου(Ta yenethlia mu eene stis dekaenea Oktovriu) – My birthday is on October 19th
And because we Greeks love to celebrate our namedays, this is how you can ask in Greek about it.
Πότε γιορτάζεις; (Pote yiortazees?) – When do you celebrate?
Γιορτάζω στις 15 Αυγούστου (Yiortazo stis 15 Avgustu) – I celebrate on 15th of August
or
Πότε είναι η ονομαστική σου εορτή;(Pote eene ee onomastiki su eorti?) – When is your name day?
Στις 7 Ιανουαρίου(Stis epta Ianuariu) – On January 7th
Important Dates in Greek History
The following dates mark pivotal moments in Greek history and are commemorated for their significance in shaping modern Greece.
March 25, 1821
Greek: 25η Μαρτίου 1821 (eekosti pempti Martiu hilia oktakosia eekosi ena)
Description: The Greek War of Independence began, marking the start of the struggle against Ottoman rule. This date is celebrated as Greek Independence Day.
October 28, 1940
Greek: 28η Οκτωβρίου 1940 (eikosti ogdoi oktovriu hilia eniakosia saranda)
Description: Known as “Ohi Day,” this date commemorates the Greek rejection of the Italian ultimatum and the subsequent entry of Greece into World War II.
April 21, 1967
Greek: 21η Απριλίου 1967 (eikosti proti Apriliu hilia eniakosia eksinda epta)
Description: The beginning of the Greek military junta, a period of military dictatorship that lasted until 1974.
November 17, 1974
Greek: 17 Νοεμβρίου 1974 (thekaepta Noemvriu hilia eniakosia evdominta tessera)
Description: The fall of the Greek military junta and the restoration of democracy in Greece occurred on July 24, 1974, but it is commemorated and celebrated annually on November 17th.
January 1, 1981
Greek: 1η Ιανουαρίου 1981 (proti Ianouariu hilia eniakosia ogdontaena)
Description: Greece officially became a member of the European Economic Community (EEC), now the European Union (EU).
August 13-29, 2004
Greek: 13η-29η Αυγούστου 2004 (dekatris – eekosienea Avgustu dio hiliades tessera)
Description: Athens hosted the Summer Olympic Games, marking a significant event in modern Greek history.
And there you have it, my friend!
You’re now equipped with the knowledge to navigate the calendar like a true Greek.
Whether you’re planning your next holiday or remembering an important historical event, you’re ready to go!
Useful Links
I have gathered all the links to the articles mentioned here, to help you find them more easily.
Keep practicing, have fun and happy learning!
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