Greek2Me staff · Vocab
Greek Months
Every Greek month, plus the seasons and the phrases for 'this month', 'last month', and 'next month'. Every month name traces straight back to Latin, so nine of the twelve are already half familiar.
| Greek | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Months of the year | |||
| Ιανουάριος | January | ||
| Φεβρουάριος | February | ||
| Μάρτιος | March | ||
| Απρίλιος | April | ||
| Μάιος | May | ||
| Ιούνιος | June | ||
| Ιούλιος | July | ||
| Αύγουστος | August | ||
| Σεπτέμβριος | September | ||
| Οκτώβριος | October | ||
| Νοέμβριος | November | ||
| Δεκέμβριος | December | ||
| Seasons | |||
| άνοιξη | spring | ||
| καλοκαίρι | summer | ||
| φθινόπωρο | autumn | ||
| χειμώνας | winter | ||
| Talking about a month | |||
| μήνας | month | ||
| αυτόν τον μήνα | this month | ||
| τον προηγούμενο μήνα | last month | ||
| τον επόμενο μήνα | next month | ||
Every month is Latin in Greek dress
Greek borrowed its month names from Latin (via the Roman calendar), so if you already recognise January, February, March, you're most of the way to Ιανουάριος, Φεβρουάριος, Μάρτιος. The pattern for most of them is the Latin root plus -ιος or -ριος.
The only one that catches learners is Αύγουστος (Ávgoustos), 'August', named after the emperor Augustus. Yusuf spotted the pattern on day one and had all twelve months by the end of the week.
How to say a date in Greek
The formula is: στις [number] [genitive of the month].
- Στις 5 Ιουλίου: on the 5th of July
- Στις 12 Απριλίου: on the 12th of April
- Στις 25 Δεκεμβρίου: on the 25th of December
The month goes into the genitive case (Ιουλίου, Απριλίου, Δεκεμβρίου), which sounds fiddly but comes fast with practice. For a full walkthrough with drills, see the [months and dates lesson](/levels/a1/lessons/numbers-time/months-dates).
Talking about a month or a season
Useful frames:
- Αυτόν τον μήνα δουλεύω πολύ.: This month I'm working a lot.
- Τον προηγούμενο μήνα πήγα Ελλάδα.: Last month I went to Greece.
- Τον επόμενο μήνα θα δούμε.: Next month we'll see.
For seasons, use the accusative:
- Το καλοκαίρι πάμε στη θάλασσα.: In summer we go to the sea.
- Τον χειμώνα κάνει κρύο.: In winter it's cold.
- Την άνοιξη ανοίγουν τα λουλούδια.: In spring the flowers open.
Months, name days, and the Greek calendar
The Greek calendar has a lot going on. Every month is packed with name days (a saint's day for every common name), and August in particular is dominated by Δεκαπενταύγουστος: the 15th of August, feast of the Panayía. Roughly half of Greece has a name-day on that date, and the country moves to the islands and villages to celebrate.
A few dates to have in your head:
- 25 Μαρτίου: Independence Day
- 1 Μαΐου: Labour Day (Πρωτομαγιά)
- 15 Αυγούστου: Assumption of the Panayía
- 28 Οκτωβρίου: 'No' Day (Όχι Day)
- 25 Δεκεμβρίου: Christmas
The months in colloquial short forms
In casual speech and headlines, months often shorten:
- Γενάρης (Yenáris) for January
- Φλεβάρης (Flevaris) for February
- Απρίλης (Aprílis) for April
- Μάης (Máis) for May
- Αύγουστος stays the same
These are the words you'll see in folk songs, poems, and older forms of speech. Modern documents, calendars, and formal writing use the full -ιος forms above. Both are correct.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 12 months in Greek?+
Ιανουάριος, Φεβρουάριος, Μάρτιος, Απρίλιος, Μάιος, Ιούνιος, Ιούλιος, Αύγουστος, Σεπτέμβριος, Οκτώβριος, Νοέμβριος, Δεκέμβριος. All twelve trace straight to the Roman calendar, so most are recognisable to English speakers on first look.
How do you say the date in Greek?+
The formula is στις [day] [month in the genitive]. So στις 5 Ιουλίου is 'on the 5th of July', στις 12 Απριλίου is 'on the 12th of April'. The month name changes ending to the genitive case (Ιουλίου, Απριλίου, Δεκεμβρίου). It takes practice but comes fast.
What are the seasons called in Greek?+
Άνοιξη (spring), καλοκαίρι (summer), φθινόπωρο (autumn), χειμώνας (winter). Three neuter, one feminine (άνοιξη), one masculine (χειμώνας). In phrases: την άνοιξη, το καλοκαίρι, το φθινόπωρο, τον χειμώνα.
Why is August called Αύγουστος in Greek?+
For the same reason it's called August in English, it's named after the Roman emperor Augustus, whose name got attached to the sixth month of the old Roman calendar. Greek picked up the borrowing the same way. It's the only month name that comes from a person rather than a Roman number or god.
What's the difference between Γενάρης and Ιανουάριος?+
They both mean January. Ιανουάριος is the formal, written form and the one you'll see on calendars, official documents, and news. Γενάρης is the older, colloquial form, more common in folk songs, poetry, and informal speech. Both are correct, same month, different registers.
Practise this in the app
Learn months and dates in the app
Short quizzes on months, seasons, and dates, with audio for every word and drills on the genitive endings.
Start the months and dates lesson