Έγινε διακοπή ρεύματος.

There was a power cut.

Breakdown of Έγινε διακοπή ρεύματος.

• γίνομαι: to happen
• το ρεύμα: the electricity
• η διακοπή: power cut; disconnection

Questions & Answers about Έγινε διακοπή ρεύματος.

What does Έγινε mean here?

Here Έγινε means there was, there occurred, or more literally it happened / it became.

It comes from the verb γίνομαι, which often means to become or to happen. In this sentence, Greek uses it in an impersonal way:

• Έγινε διακοπή ρεύματος. = There was a power cut.

So even though γίνομαι often means become, here it is better understood as happen / occur.

What tense is Έγινε?

Έγινε is the aorist (simple past) form of γίνομαι.

So it refers to a completed event in the past:

• γίνεται = it happens / it is happening
• έγινε = it happened / there was

In this sentence, the idea is that a power cut occurred at some point in the past.

Why is there no η / μια before διακοπή?

Greek often leaves out the article in expressions like this, especially when announcing or stating that an event occurred.

So:

• Έγινε διακοπή ρεύματος. = There was a power cut.

This sounds natural and idiomatic.

You could also say:

• Έγινε μια διακοπή ρεύματος. = There was a power cut / There was a power outage.

Adding μια makes it sound a bit more like a particular incident. Without it, the phrase is more neutral and report-like.