Learn Hardcore Greek: Σήμερα το πρωί περιμένω στην ουρά στην τράπεζα με τη φίλη μου. - Today in the morning I am waiting in line at the bank with my friend.

With σήμερα το πρωί, the present makes sense if you are currently there (e.g. texting someone from the bank: “This morning I’m waiting in line at the bank with my friend”).
If you want to describe something that already finished earlier today, you would normally use the past tense:
- Σήμερα το πρωί περίμενα στην ουρά στην τράπεζα με τη φίλη μου.
  = This morning I was waiting/queued up at the bank with my friend.

So:

περιμένω – I am (now) waiting / that’s what is happening right now or as part of a present-time narration.
περίμενα – I was waiting / I waited (earlier, in the past).

Why isn’t there a subject pronoun εγώ? How do we know it means “I am waiting”?

Greek usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person:

περιμένω = I wait / I am waiting
περιμένεις = you (singular) wait
περιμένει = he/she/it waits
περιμένουμε = we wait
etc.

So περιμένω automatically tells you the subject is I, even without εγώ.

You can say Εγώ σήμερα το πρωί περιμένω…, but that adds emphasis, like “I (as opposed to someone else) am waiting this morning…”. In neutral speech, you just say περιμένω.

What is the difference between περιμένω στην ουρά and something like είμαι στην ουρά?

περιμένω στην ουρά = I am waiting in line.
This focuses on the action of waiting.
είμαι στην ουρά = I am in the line / I’m in the queue.
This focuses on your location/position, not explicitly on the act of waiting (though it’s usually implied).

In your sentence, you actually want to express the action, so περιμένω στην ουρά is the natural choice.

Why do we say στην ουρά? What does ουρά literally mean?

ουρά literally means:

tail (of an animal, object, etc.)
queue / line (of people waiting)

So στην ουρά means in the queue / in line.

The preposition + article:

σε
- την → στην
  - σε = in/at
  - την = the (feminine, accusative singular)

So:

στην ουρά = in the line / in the queue

Why do we have στην twice: στην ουρά στην τράπεζα? Is that normal, and can we say it another way?

Yes, it’s normal and quite natural:

στην ουρά = in the line
στην τράπεζα = at the bank

Together: περιμένω στην ουρά στην τράπεζα = I am waiting in line at the bank.

You are giving two location details:

In a line
And that line is at the bank

You could also say:

περιμένω στην ουρά της τράπεζας
= I’m waiting in the bank’s queue. (more tightly linked: it’s specifically the bank’s queue)

The original sentence with στην … στην … is very common and completely correct.

Why is it στην ουρά and στην τράπεζα and not some other case? Does Greek use the accusative after σε?

Yes. In modern Greek, almost all prepositions, including σε, take the accusative case.

So we get:

η ουρά → στην ουρά (feminine accusative singular)
η τράπεζα → στην τράπεζα (feminine accusative singular)

Pattern:

σε + την → στην
σε + το → στο
σε + τον → στον

So: preposition σε + definite article in accusative → contracted forms στον/στην/στο.

Why is it σήμερα το πρωί and not something like σήμερα την πρωί? Why is πρωί neuter?

πρωί is a neuter noun in Greek, so it takes the neuter article το:

το πρωί = the morning

Therefore:

σήμερα το πρωί = this morning (literally “today the morning”).

Using την would be wrong because την is feminine, and πρωί is neuter.

Compare:

το πρωί – the morning
η μέρα – the day (feminine: η, τη(ν))
το βράδυ – the evening/night (neuter: το)

Is there a difference between σήμερα το πρωί and just το πρωί?

Yes:

σήμερα το πρωί = this morning
It’s specific: the morning of today.
το πρωί alone = in the morning / mornings / the morning
Could be:
- a general habit: Το πρωί πίνω καφέ. = I drink coffee in the morning.
- or it might refer to a specific morning already clear from context.

Your sentence uses σήμερα το πρωί to pinpoint today’s morning, not mornings in general.

Why is it written τη φίλη μου instead of την φίλη μου? When can you drop the ν?

The “full” form is:

την φίλη μου = the friend (feminine) of mine

In modern spelling, the final ν of την / τον is often dropped before many consonants. So you frequently see:

τη φίλη μου instead of την φίλη μου

Basic rule (as usually taught): keep -ν before:

vowels
κ, π, τ, ξ, ψ, γκ, μπ, ντ, τσ, τζ

Many people also drop it more freely in casual writing. Pronunciation is usually the same: ti fíli mu.

So both την φίλη μου and τη φίλη μου are accepted; your sentence just uses the more modern, simplified spelling.

Why is it τη φίλη μου and not ο φίλος μου? What does φίλη specifically mean?

Greek distinguishes gender in nouns:

ο φίλος = (male) friend
η φίλη = (female) friend

In your sentence, τη φίλη μου means my female friend.

Context decides whether that’s just a friend who is a woman or a girlfriend / romantic partner. Greek φίλη by itself does not automatically mean “girlfriend” in the romantic sense; it depends on situation and tone.

If someone wants to be unambiguously romantic, they might use:

η κοπέλα μου = my girlfriend
ο φίλος μου / η φίλη μου can still be romantic, but also can be purely platonic.

Why is τη φίλη μου in the accusative case?

Because it’s the object of the preposition με:

με = with
με + accusative is the standard pattern.

So:

η φίλη μου (nominative: subject form)
→ τη φίλη μου (accusative: object form after με)

Full structure:

με τη φίλη μου = with my (female) friend

Could I change the word order, for example: Σήμερα το πρωί με τη φίλη μου περιμένω στην ουρά στην τράπεζα? Is that still correct?

Yes, Greek word order is quite flexible, and your example is still correct. Some common variations:

Σήμερα το πρωί περιμένω στην ουρά στην τράπεζα με τη φίλη μου.
Σήμερα το πρωί με τη φίλη μου περιμένω στην ουρά στην τράπεζα.
Με τη φίλη μου σήμερα το πρωί περιμένω στην ουρά στην τράπεζα.

All make sense. Differences are mostly about emphasis and rhythm rather than grammar:

Putting με τη φίλη μου earlier can slightly highlight the fact that you are with your friend.
The neutral, very natural-sounding order is close to the original sentence you gave.

How would I say “This morning I was waiting in line at the bank with my friend” (clearly in the past)?

Use the imperfect past of περιμένω, which is περίμενα:

Σήμερα το πρωί περίμενα στην ουρά στην τράπεζα με τη φίλη μου.
= This morning I was waiting in line at the bank with my (female) friend.

If you want a more “completed event” feeling (closer to “I queued” or “I waited”), many speakers still use περίμενα here; context and adverbs will clarify whether it’s more ongoing or more completed.