Questions & Answers about Σήμερα έχω λίγο χρόνο.
The sentence breaks down as:
- Σήμερα = today
- έχω = I have (1st person singular of έχω = to have)
- λίγο = a little / a bit of
- χρόνο = time (accusative singular of χρόνος = time)
So literally: Today I have a little (bit of) time.
This is a case issue:
- λίγος χρόνος is nominative (subject form): a little time (does something)
- λίγο χρόνο is accusative (object form): I have a little time
In this sentence, χρόνο is the object of the verb έχω (I have what? → λίγο χρόνο).
So we must use the accusative:
- Nominative: λίγος χρόνος (subject)
- Accusative: λίγο χρόνο (object)
The adjective λίγος changes form to match:
- Nom.: λίγος χρόνος
- Acc.: λίγο χρόνο
Greek usually does not use an article with uncountable / abstract nouns used in a general sense, especially with λίγο or πολύ:
- έχω λίγο χρόνο = I have a little time
- έχω πολύ χρόνο = I have a lot of time
If you add the definite article τον, you change the meaning:
- έχω τον χρόνο = I have the time (some specific/known time)
Σήμερα έχω λίγο τον χρόνο is ungrammatical.
You either say:
- Σήμερα έχω λίγο χρόνο (correct, general “time”)
- Σήμερα έχω τον χρόνο (correct, but “I have the time” in a specific context)
Yes, Greek word order is quite flexible. All of these are grammatically correct:
- Σήμερα έχω λίγο χρόνο.
- Έχω λίγο χρόνο σήμερα.
- Έχω σήμερα λίγο χρόνο.
The differences are mainly in emphasis:
- Σήμερα έχω λίγο χρόνο. → light emphasis on today (Today, I have a little time.)
- Έχω λίγο χρόνο σήμερα. → more neutral; common in speech.
- Έχω σήμερα λίγο χρόνο. → slightly marked; often used if you’re contrasting today with another day.
All are fine in everyday use.
They are different:
χρόνος = time in general, duration, “time” as a concept
- Δεν έχω χρόνο. = I don’t have (any) time.
- Πόσο χρόνο έχουμε; = How much time do we have?
ώρα = mainly clock time / hour
- Τι ώρα είναι; = What time is it?
- Έχω μια ώρα. = I have one hour.
So:
- Σήμερα έχω λίγο χρόνο. = Today I have a bit of time (in general).
- Σήμερα έχω μία ώρα. = Today I have one hour.
Χρόνο is accusative singular of the masculine noun χρόνος.
Singular:
- Nominative: ο χρόνος (the time – subject)
- Genitive: του χρόνου (of the time / of next year in another meaning)
- Accusative: τον χρόνο / χρόνο (the time – object)
- Vocative: χρόνε (used in calling, rarely in modern use)
In Σήμερα έχω λίγο χρόνο, χρόνο is direct object, so it appears in the accusative.
In this sentence, λίγο functions as an adjective modifying the noun χρόνο:
- λίγο χρόνο = a little (amount of) time
As an adverb, λίγο modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb:
- Κοιμάμαι λίγο. = I sleep a little.
- Μίλα λίγο πιο αργά. = Speak a bit more slowly.
So:
- λίγο χρόνο → adjective + noun
- κοιμάμαι λίγο → adverb modifying the verb
Approximate phonetics (in English-style notation):
- Σήμερα → SEE-meh-rah (stress on Σή)
- έχω → E-cho where χ is a voiceless “h” in the back of the throat, like the German Bach
- λίγο → LEE-gho (the γ is like a soft “gh” in the back of the mouth, between g and h)
- χρόνο → HRO-no with the same “Bach”-type χ, stress on ΧΡΌ
Put together with stress:
SÍ-me-ra É-cho LÍ-gho HRÓ-no
In Greek, the present tense is often used with a time word like σήμερα to refer to planned or scheduled future events, especially the near future.
So Σήμερα έχω λίγο χρόνο can mean:
- I have a little time today (in general today, not necessarily exactly at this moment).
Context will show if you mean “right now” or “at some point today,” similar to English:
- “I have some time today.”
You would typically say:
- Σήμερα δεν έχω πολύ χρόνο.
Breakdown:
- δεν = not
- πολύ = much / a lot (here as an adjective modifying χρόνο)
- πολύ χρόνο = much time / a lot of time
λίγο χρόνο → a little time
πολύ χρόνο → a lot / much time
With negation, English “I don’t have much time” corresponds to δεν έχω πολύ χρόνο.
- σήμερα = today (all or part of this day)
- τώρα = now, at this moment
So:
Σήμερα έχω λίγο χρόνο.
- At some point today, I have a bit of time (not necessarily right now).
Τώρα έχω λίγο χρόνο.
- Right now I have a bit of time.
You choose depending on whether you mean “today” as a whole or “right now.”
It’s neutral and perfectly fine in both informal and semi-formal contexts.
- Informal speech: completely natural.
- With colleagues, in emails, with your teacher: also appropriate.
To be more formal, you might lengthen the sentence (e.g. Σήμερα έχω λίγο χρόνο διαθέσιμο → “I have a little time available today”), but the original sentence is already polite and neutral.