Dialogue: At the Shop

This exchange takes place at a neighborhood greengrocer's. The customer and shopkeeper do not know each other, so they maintain neutral-polite εσείς address throughout. The dialogue also moves through three current request frames—direct θέλω, deferential θα ήθελα, and permission-like μπορώ να έχω—without implying that only one can sound polite.

The complete exchange

Customer

Shopkeeper

Customer

Shopkeeper

Customer

Shopkeeper

Customer

Shopkeeper

Customer

Shopkeeper

Quantity directly before the goods

In δύο κιλά ντομάτες, Greek places the measure and the goods next to each other. It does not insert a general equivalent of English of. The whole requested quantity functions as the object of understood θέλω, so ντομάτες has its ordinary accusative plural form.

The same pattern appears in ένα κιλό μήλα and ένα μπουκάλι νερό. The second noun names what is measured or contained:

English uses of in all three phrases. Greek normally does not. A preposition can appear when the meaning becomes genuinely partitive—“one of those”—but that is a different structure, not the basic measure phrase. The broader accusative use for measure and quantity explains why these compact counter orders behave like objects.

Asking how much and stating a unit price

Shopkeeper Πόσο θέλετε; asks for an amount. Here πόσο is a neuter quantity word, understood with a measure such as ένα κιλό. Customer Πόσο κάνουν; asks the price of the plural tomatoes; singular Πόσο κάνει; would ask about one item.

In a clothes or shoe shop, size replaces amount. The compact Τι νούμερο; asks “What size?”, while the full polite question can name the item:

The answer δύο ευρώ το κιλό is a bare price followed by the definite article plus unit: literally “two euros the kilo.” Greek does not need a preposition equivalent to English per in this everyday pattern.

Κάνει/κάνουν and κοστίζει/κοστίζουν directly mean “cost” in these questions and statements. Contextual Πόσο είναι; can also ask for a total or amount, so it is not ungrammatical; the dialogue teaches the more explicit cost collocation. See prices and money for decimals, receipts, and payment language.

At the point of choosing goods, παίρνω is the ordinary conversational verb “take/get”: θα πάρω μισό κιλό ελιές. Αγοράζω is also grammatical when the act of purchasing itself is foregrounded, but Greek does not need it every time English uses buy or get.

Demonstrative plus definite article

Greek normally combines a demonstrative with the definite article when a noun is expressed: αυτό το μεγάλο μπουκάλι, εκείνο το μικρό μπουκάλι. The demonstrative identifies distance or discourse contrast; the article belongs to the definite noun phrase.

In the customer's reply, εκείνο το μικρό omits repeated μπουκάλι. The adjective becomes substantivized, but its neuter gender still matches the missing noun. A demonstrative standing completely alone can also be αυτό/εκείνο without an additional article.

The full position choices and agreement are covered under demonstratives.

Three useful request levels

The customer begins with Θέλω ντομάτες, παρακαλώ. Bare θέλω is direct, but at a counter it can be entirely acceptable, especially with a greeting and παρακαλώ. Θα ήθελα is more deferential and presents the request as a wish. Μπορώ να έχω...; frames it as permission or availability and is also polite.

These are tendencies, not a mechanical ladder that determines courtesy by itself. Voice, pace, the greeting, and the ongoing relationship matter. Repeating elaborate softeners for every added item can even sound unnecessarily distant.

The shopkeeper's θέλετε, σας consistently addresses the customer with V forms. The customer's first-person θέλω, θα ήθελα, μπορώ describe the customer and therefore do not themselves mark T versus V.

Compact shop formulas

Ορίστε accompanies handing something over. Τίποτε άλλο; is an elliptical “Anything else?” and needs no verb. Να σας τα βάλω σε σακούλα; uses να + verb as an offer; plural accusative τα refers collectively to the purchased items, while genitive recipient σας means “for you.” Neutral Standard Greek uses the genitive clitic for the recipient.

In a gift shop, the comparable singular offer could be:

Common Mistakes

Making the numeral disagree with κιλά

Omitting the article after a demonstrative

Keeping να after μπορώ

In this request frame, use μπορώ να έχω, not ×μπορώ έχω: μπορώ selects a να-clause.

Making a plural price question singular

Key Takeaways

• Put the quantity directly before the goods: δύο κιλά ντομάτες, without a general “of” preposition.
• Ask Πόσο θέλετε; for an amount and Τι νούμερο; for a clothing or shoe size.
• State a unit price as δύο ευρώ το κιλό and match κάνει/κάνουν to the priced item or items.
• With an expressed noun, use demonstrative plus article: αυτό το μπουκάλι.
• Θέλω, θα ήθελα, and μπορώ να έχω are all current requests with different degrees of directness.
• Keep service εσείς forms such as θέλετε and σας consistent.
• Ορίστε, Τίποτε άλλο;, and Να σας τα βάλω σε σακούλα; efficiently manage the transaction.