Learn Hardcore Greek: Φεύγω πριν από το βράδυ.

emphasize the subject:
- Εγώ φεύγω πριν από το βράδυ. – I’m the one who’s leaving before evening (not someone else).
contrast with another person:
- Εγώ φεύγω, εσύ μένεις. – I leave, you stay.

In neutral sentences like Φεύγω πριν από το βράδυ, leaving εγώ out is the most natural choice.

Why is it πριν από το βράδυ and not just πριν το βράδυ or just πριν βραδύ?

Πριν από is the standard way to say before + noun:

πριν από το βράδυ – before the evening / before tonight
structure: πριν από + [article] + noun (accusative)

Details:

πριν από + noun
- This is the normal, grammatically complete form.
- Πριν από το βράδυ = before the evening.
πριν + noun (without από)
- In everyday speech you do hear: πριν το βράδυ.
- It’s common and understood, but πριν από is more standard / careful.
πριν by itself
- Usually followed by a clause, not a bare noun:
  - Φεύγω πριν νυχτώσει. – I’m leaving before it gets dark.
  - Πριν φύγω, θα σε πάρω τηλέφωνο. – Before I leave, I’ll call you.

There is no form like πριν βραδύ:

the noun is το βράδυ (stress on the first syllable)
it normally keeps its article in this time-expression.

Why does Greek say το βράδυ with a definite article? In English we just say before evening / before night.

In Greek, time expressions very often use the definite article, where English would not:

το πρωί – in the morning
το μεσημέρι – at noon
το απόγευμα – in the afternoon
το βράδυ – in the evening / at night

So πριν από το βράδυ is literally before the evening, but in natural English you translate that as before evening / before tonight.

Using the article here is the normal idiomatic pattern. Saying just πριν από βράδυ (without το) would sound wrong.

What exactly does το βράδυ mean? Is it evening or night?

Το βράδυ usually means evening / night-time. It covers roughly from early evening until fairly late at night.

Rough guide (this can vary culturally/individually):

απόγευμα – afternoon / early evening (about 4–7 pm)
βράδυ – evening & early night (about 7 pm–midnight)
νύχτα – (late) night (when most people are asleep)

So πριν από το βράδυ is:

before the evening (starts)
or more loosely: before tonight

If you wanted to stress late night, you’d use νύχτα:

Φεύγω πριν από τη νύχτα. – I leave before night (falls).
But το βράδυ is the more common, everyday term.

Would Θα φύγω πριν από το βράδυ be more correct if I’m talking about the future?

Both are correct, but they have slightly different flavors:

Φεύγω πριν από το βράδυ.
- present tense, often used for near future / planned action
- like English I’m leaving before evening.
Θα φύγω πριν από το βράδυ.
- future tense (θα + aorist: φύγω)
- more explicitly I will leave before evening.

In ordinary conversation, Φεύγω πριν από το βράδυ is completely natural when you’re talking about later the same day.
If you want to emphasize the future or sound a bit more formal/neutral, use Θα φύγω πριν από το βράδυ.

Can I change the word order to Πριν από το βράδυ φεύγω? Does it sound natural?

Yes, both orders are possible:

Φεύγω πριν από το βράδυ.
Πριν από το βράδυ φεύγω.

They mean the same thing. Differences:

Version 1 (original) is the most neutral and common.
Version 2 puts extra focus on the time (πριν από το βράδυ), as if answering “When are you leaving?”:
- – Πότε φεύγεις;
- – Πριν από το βράδυ φεύγω.

So Πριν από το βράδυ φεύγω is correct and natural, just a little more time-focused.

What’s the difference between πριν από and μέχρι in time expressions?

Both relate to time limits, but they’re not the same:

πριν από = before
- Φεύγω πριν από το βράδυ.
  - I leave before the evening (starts).
  - The action happens earlier than that time point.
μέχρι = until / by
- Φεύγω μέχρι το βράδυ. (less usual; better: Θα έχω φύγει μέχρι το βράδυ.)
  - I’ll have left by the evening / I leave up to the evening.
  - It sets a deadline: no later than that time.

So if you want to say by tonight, Greek often uses:

Θα έχω φύγει μέχρι το βράδυ. – I will have left by tonight.

Your sentence with πριν από simply stresses that your leaving happens earlier than evening, without necessarily emphasizing a deadline.

How do you pronounce Φεύγω and βράδυ?

Approximate pronunciation (Modern Greek):

Φεύγω – [ˈfev.ɣo]
- φέ- sounds like fe in fell
- -υ here sounds like v (because of the following consonant)
- -γω: Greek γ before ο is like a soft gh sound from the back of the throat, followed by o as in off
- Roughly: FEV-gho
βράδυ – [ˈvra.ði]
- βρ-: like vr in vroom
- -ά-: like a in father
- -δ- in Modern Greek is a voiced “th”, like th in this
- final -υ sounds like i in machine
- Roughly: VRA-dhi (with th as in this).

What’s the difference between βράδυ and νύχτα?

Both relate to the dark hours, but:

βράδυ – evening / early night
- when people are still usually active: going out, having dinner, etc.
- το βράδυ: in the evening / at night (in a social sense)
νύχτα – (late) night
- when most people are asleep
- τη νύχτα: at night (more literally, night-time)

Examples:

Βγαίνω έξω το βράδυ. – I go out in the evening / at night.
Οδηγάω τη νύχτα. – I drive at night (when it’s dark and late).

In Φεύγω πριν από το βράδυ, the idea is before the evening period starts, not necessarily before the deep night.