Learn Hardcore Greek: Χτες το μεσημέρι έφαγα ψωμί και ήπια τσάι. - Yesterday at noon I ate bread and drank tea.

Yes; that’s the imperfect (past continuous/habitual). It means “I was eating bread and drinking tea (at that time)” or describes a repeated habit. The original aorist (έφαγα, ήπια) presents the events as completed once.

Why is there a definite article το before μεσημέρι? Do I need a preposition like “at”?

Greek uses the definite article with parts of the day to form time expressions, without a preposition: το πρωί, το μεσημέρι, το βράδυ. So χτες το μεσημέρι = “yesterday at noon/early afternoon.” No extra “at” is needed.

Is χτες the same as χθες or εχτές? Which one should I use?

All mean “yesterday.” χτες is the most common in everyday speech; χθες is a bit more formal; εχτές is also common. Use χτες unless you want a more formal tone. Related adjective: χτεσινός/ή/ό (“yesterday’s”).

Does και have to become κι before ήπια?

No. Both are correct. κι is the euphonic form of και used before a vowel, so you can write either και ήπια or κι ήπια.

Where is the subject? Can I say εγώ?

Greek is a pro‑drop language; the subject (“I”) is encoded in the verb endings, so it’s omitted by default. You can add εγώ for emphasis or contrast: Εγώ χτες το μεσημέρι έφαγα… (“I, as opposed to someone else, ate…”).

Why are there no articles with ψωμί and τσάι? How would I say “a loaf of bread” or “a tea”?

As mass nouns used indefinitely, they appear without an article: έφαγα ψωμί, ήπια τσάι = “(some) bread/tea.” To be specific:

“some bread/tea”: λίγο ψωμί, λίγο τσάι
“a loaf of bread”: ένα ψωμί (context implies a loaf)
“a tea” (e.g., when ordering): ένα τσάι, παρακαλώ

What case are ψωμί and τσάι? How can I tell?

They’re accusative as direct objects. For neuter nouns, nominative/accusative/vocative are identical in the singular, so their form doesn’t change. Useful forms:

το ψωμί, genitive του ψωμιού, plural τα ψωμιά
το τσάι, genitive του τσαγιού, plural (for kinds) τα τσάγια

How do I pronounce the sentence?

Approximate pronunciation: “HTES to mesi-MÉ-ri É-fa-ga pso-MÍ ke Í-pya TSÁ-i.” Notes:

χ in Χτες is like the harsh h in Scottish “loch” ().
τσ in τσάι is “ts.”
ήπια sounds like “EE-pya” (the π and ι glide together).
Main stresses: χτες, μεσηΜΈρι, Éφαγα, ψοΜΊ, Íπια, ΤΣΆι.

Should τσάι be written τσαΐ with a diaeresis?

It’s normally written τσάι. The accent on ά already signals that the vowels are pronounced separately (τσά‑ι). τσαΐ is also acceptable but less common. You must use a diaeresis when needed to show separate vowels without such an accent (e.g., Μαΐου, σαΐτα).

Can I move the time phrase to the end?

Yes. Greek word order is flexible. For example:

Έφαγα ψωμί και ήπια τσάι χτες το μεσημέρι. Fronting the time phrase (Χτες το μεσημέρι…) is very common and natural.

Do I need a comma after Χτες το μεσημέρι?

Not required. You may add a comma for a deliberate pause or emphasis: Χτες το μεσημέρι, έφαγα… but most often it’s written without a comma.

Can I use the Greek perfect with χτες (e.g., Έχω φάει… / Έχω πιει… χτες)?

Generally no. The Greek present perfect (έχω φάει, έχω πιει) expresses a present result/relevance and usually does not combine with a specific past time like χτες. Use the aorist instead: Χτες έφαγα… και ήπια….