Learn Hardcore Greek: Το πρωί δούλευα και μετά έγραφα μηνύματα. - In the morning I was working and then I was writing messages.

Greek is a pro‑drop language: the subject pronoun is usually omitted because the verb ending shows the person. δούλευα and έγραφα are 1st person singular, so “I” is understood. You can add Εγώ for emphasis: Εγώ, το πρωί δούλευα και μετά έγραφα μηνύματα.

What does Το πρωί literally mean, and why isn’t there a preposition like “in the morning”?

Το πρωί literally means “the morning,” but with the article it functions adverbially as “in the morning.” Greek often uses the definite article with times of day: το πρωί (in the morning), το μεσημέρι, το βράδυ. No preposition is needed.

Is this describing one particular morning or a habitual routine?

With just Το πρωί, it most naturally refers to a particular morning (e.g., earlier today), but the imperfect tense also allows a “background/activity” reading. To make a routine explicit, use Κάθε πρωί (“every morning”) or Τα πρωινά (“in the mornings”): Κάθε πρωί δούλευα και μετά έγραφα μηνύματα.

What tense/aspect are δούλευα and έγραφα?

Both are the imperfect: past continuous/habitual aspect. δούλευα = “I was working / I used to work,” and έγραφα = “I was writing / I used to write.” They present the activities as ongoing or descriptive, not as completed events.

Would it be more natural to use the aorist (simple past) for a one‑time sequence?

Often yes. If you want to present a completed sequence, use aorist: Το πρωί δούλεψα και μετά έγραψα μηνύματα (“I worked in the morning and then I wrote messages”). Imperfect focuses on the process; aorist focuses on the whole event as a unit.

Can I mix imperfect and aorist in this sentence?

Yes, and it’s common for nuance:

Το πρωί δούλευα και μετά έγραψα μηνύματα. = I was working in the morning (background), and then I wrote (completed) some messages. Choose the aspect that matches the viewpoint you want.

What’s the difference between έγραφα μηνύματα and έγραψα μηνύματα?

έγραφα μηνύματα: ongoing activity (“I was writing messages” for some time).
έγραψα μηνύματα: completed action (“I wrote messages”). Use the one that matches whether you emphasize process or completion.

Why is there no article before μηνύματα?

Omitting the article makes it indefinite (“messages” in general/some messages). If you mean specific, known ones, use the definite article: τα μηνύματα (“the messages”). To stress “some,” you can add μερικά/κάποια: έγραφα μερικά/κάποια μηνύματα.

Singular or plural: what if I mean just one message?

Use ένα μήνυμα (singular): μετά έγραψα ένα μήνυμα (“then I wrote a message”). The plural is μηνύματα.

How do I pronounce πρωί, and what are the two dots on the i?

πρωί is two syllables: pro-EE. The two dots (diaeresis) on ϊ show that the ι is pronounced separately from the preceding vowel. Without it, it could be misread as part of a vowel combination.

What are the correct past forms of the verbs here? I often mix them up.

δουλεύω → imperfect δούλευα; aorist δούλεψα (not “δούλευσα”).
γράφω → imperfect έγραφα; aorist έγραψα. Notice έ- as the past augment in έγραφα/έγραψα, and an internal vowel change/stress shift in δούλευα.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move μετά?

Word order is flexible. Alternatives:

Το πρωί δούλευα και έγραφα μηνύματα μετά.
Μετά, έγραφα μηνύματα. Placing μετά earlier highlights the sequence; later placement sounds more afterthought-like.

Do I need και before μετά? Could I just say μετά?

και μετά (“and then”) is very natural, but you can also start a new clause with Μετά for emphasis: Το πρωί δούλευα. Μετά έγραφα μηνύματα. Synonyms include Ύστερα and Αργότερα.

What case is μηνύματα, and why does it look the same as the subject form?

It’s accusative plural (direct object of έγραφα). In neuter nouns, nominative and accusative have the same form in both singular and plural, so μηνύματα can be either, depending on its role.

How can I emphasize “I” or “then” in Greek?

Emphasize “I” by adding Εγώ: Εγώ το πρωί δούλευα…
Emphasize “then” by fronting it: Μετά έγραφα μηνύματα or Κι αμέσως μετά έγραψα… Note και becomes κι before vowels; here μετά starts with a consonant, so και μετά stays as is.

How would I say “after work I wrote messages” rather than just “then”?

Use μετά από + noun: Μετά από τη δουλειά έγραφα/έγραψα μηνύματα. With pronouns or clauses, you also use μετά από: Μετά από αυτό… / Μετά από το να τελειώσω…