Ways to say it
| Greek | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| μεσημεριανό | mesimerianó | neuter | |
| γεύμα | gévma | /ˈʝev.ma/ | neuter |
The term μεσημεριανό is used to refer specifically to the meal eaten around midday. If you want to be more explicit, you can use the phrase μεσημεριανό γεύμα, though simply saying μεσημεριανό is more common. If you want to express the action of eating lunch, you can use the verb γευματίζω.
What does it mean word for word?
The word μεσημεριανό is literally derived from the word for midday, μεσημέρι.
Which one should you use?
While μεσημεριανό refers specifically to the midday meal, the word γεύμα is a more general term that can mean any meal.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a neuter noun, μεσημεριανό takes the neuter article το.
How do you pronounce it?
mesimerianó
When do people say it?
When someone is about to eat, you might say καλή όρεξη!, which means 'Bon appétit!' For context in a full day of meals, πρωινό is used for breakfast and δείπνο is used for dinner.
Did you know?
- In Greece, the 'lunch' known as μεσημεριανό is often the largest and most important meal of the day, frequently eaten much later than in English-speaking countries.
- The word γεύμα shares a root with the English word 'gustatory', as both come from the concept of tasting.
- Depending on the region in Greece, a midday meal might be called μεσημεριανό but can be followed by a traditional afternoon nap, which is a cultural custom linked to the heavy meal.
Examples in context
- Ο Τομ έφερε το μεσημεριανό του σήμερα.Tom brought his lunch today.This example shows how to use μεσημεριανό to describe someone bringing their lunch.Tatoeba #5636560 by Zeus, translation #5633173 by CK
- Πεινάω διότι δεν έχω φάει μεσημεριανό.I'm hungry because I haven't had lunch.This sentence uses μεσημεριανό to explain hunger due to a missed lunch.Tatoeba #7323829 by amoeba, translation #1687503 by aka_aj
- Είμαι πεινασμένος επειδή δεν έφαγα μεσημεριανό.I am hungry because I did not eat lunch.This is another way to express being hungry because lunch was not eaten, using μεσημεριανό.Tatoeba #3216993 by glavkos, translation #259470 by CK
- Σήμερα θα φάμε μεσημεριανό στο εστιατόριο.Today we will have lunch at the restaurant.
- Ας πάμε για ένα γεύμα στο εστιατόριο.Let's go for a meal at the restaurant.
- Τι θα φάμε για το μεσημεριανό;What will we have for lunch?
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nikos and Anastasia are deciding what to eat together.
- Νίκος NikosΤι θα φάμε για μεσημεριανό σήμερα;Ti tha fame gia mesimeriano simera?What shall we eat for lunch today?
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΘέλω μια σαλάτα για μεσημεριανό.Thelo mia salata gia mesimeriano.I want a salad for lunch.
- Νίκος NikosΕίναι καλή ιδέα, Αναστασία.Einai kali idea, Anastasia.That is a good idea, Anastasia.
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΠάμε τώρα για το μεσημεριανό μας.Pame tora gia to mesimeriano mas.Let's go for our lunch now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lunch” translations and entries μεσημεριανό, γεύμα, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
