Days, Months, and Dates

Greek calendar expressions combine vocabulary with case. Day names normally appear in the accusative when they locate an event, while a month in a numerical date appears in the genitive: τη Δευτέρα, στις δεκαπέντε Μαρτίου. Like English, standard Greek writes day and month names with an initial capital even in the middle of a sentence.

The days of the week

The weekday nouns are feminine except neuter το Σάββατο. To say that something happens on a particular day, Greek uses a bare accusative time expression rather than translating English “on” with a preposition.

The fuller accusative article την appears before a vowel and certain consonants; the common form before Δευτέρα is τη Δευτέρα. The underlying time construction is the same.

One Monday or Mondays

For one specific Monday, use singular τη Δευτέρα. For repeated Mondays, plural τις Δευτέρες makes recurrence explicit. A singular day can also be habitual when the wider sentence establishes a repeating weekly schedule.

The last sentence is habitual despite singular τη Δευτέρα, because κάθε εβδομάδα supplies the repeated frame. Plural τις Δευτέρες packages that habitual meaning directly into the day phrase.

The months and their date forms

In a numerical date, use the genitive month form. May shows a particularly important diaeresis: Μάιος but Μαΐου. The two dots keep α and ι in separate syllables.

Everyday dates normally use a cardinal: δέκα Μαρτίου, στις δεκαπέντε Μαρτίου. Greek does not need the English ordinal ending “-th.” The month's genitive already creates the “of March” relationship.

The genitive belongs specifically to the numerical date. When the month by itself answers “when?”, it is normally an accusative time expression: τον Μάρτιο “in March,” but στις δέκα Μαρτίου “on the tenth of March.”

Ordinals and the first of the month

The ordinal is especially common for the first: την πρώτη Μαΐου. The learned calendar formula η δεκάτη Μαρτίου is also possible (formal), but ordinary conversation strongly favors cardinal δέκα Μαρτίου.

In conversation, του μήνα can replace the month name when it is already understood: στις δέκα του μήνα “on the tenth of the month.” For the forms of the ordinals themselves, see ordinal numbers.

Reading the year

A standalone year used as a time expression is introduced by neuter το. The year 2026 is then read το δύο χιλιάδες είκοσι έξι, with the components placed one after another and no English-style “and.”

In a full date, the year can follow the day and month directly, as in that example; του δύο χιλιάδες είκοσι έξι is also found as an explicitly genitive, more formal link. This does not remove το from a standalone year phrase such as το δύο χιλιάδες είκοσι έξι αλλάξαμε γραφείο.

For the wider contrast between English and Greek capitalization categories, consult capitalization rules; day and month names take an initial capital in standard Greek.

Common Mistakes

Key Takeaways

• Learn the seven day names and twelve month names with their stress and spelling.
• A specific weekday is accusative: τη Δευτέρα, το Σάββατο; repeated weekdays are often plural: τις Δευτέρες.
• In dates, the day is normally cardinal and the month is genitive: στις δεκαπέντε Μαρτίου.
• Την πρώτη Μαΐου is common; η δεκάτη Μαρτίου is a (formal) calendar form.
• Use το δύο χιλιάδες είκοσι έξι for a standalone year; after a full day-and-month date, the year can follow directly.