Learn Hardcore Greek: Πόσο κοστίζει ο καφές στο σούπερ μάρκετ; - How much does the coffee cost at the supermarket?

Πόσο: PO-so (stress on the first syllable).
κοστίζει: ko-STEE-zee (stress on -στί-, written with an acute on the iota).
ο: like the “o” in “not.”
καφές: ka-FES (stress on -φές).
στο: sto (one syllable).
σούπερ μάρκετ: SOO-per MAR-ket (two words; stresses on σού- and μάρ-).

Why is there an article (ο) before καφές? In English we’d often say “How much does coffee cost?”

Greek uses the definite article much more than English, even for general categories. Ο καφές here means “coffee (as a product category).” Dropping the article sounds unnatural. If you said ένας καφές, you’d usually be talking about “a (cup of) coffee.”

Can I drop the article and say Πόσο κοστίζει καφές;?

No. That’s unidiomatic in Greek. Use Πόσο κοστίζει ο καφές; for the product in general, or Πόσο κοστίζει αυτός ο καφές; for a specific item.

What case is ο καφές, and why?

It’s nominative singular masculine because it’s the subject of κοστίζει (“costs”). Quick singular forms:

Nominative: ο καφές
Genitive: του καφέ
Accusative: τον καφέ
Vocative: καφέ

What is κοστίζει exactly, and how is it formed?

Κοστίζει is 3rd person singular present of the verb κοστίζω (“to cost”). Present tense:

εγώ κοστίζω
εσύ κοστίζεις
αυτός/αυτή/αυτό κοστίζει
εμείς κοστίζουμε
εσείς κοστίζετε
αυτοί/αυτές/αυτά κοστίζουν(ε)

What does στο mean? Why not write σε το?

Στο is the standard contraction of σε + το. It means “at/in the.” Common contractions:

σε + το → στο (neuter sg)
σε + τον → στον (masc sg)
σε + τη(ν) → στη(ν) (fem sg)
σε + τα → στα (plural)

Is σούπερ μάρκετ a Greek word? Do I decline it?

It’s a loanword and is indeclinable. The noun itself doesn’t change, but the article does:

Singular: το σούπερ μάρκετ
Plural: (still) τα σούπερ μάρκετ Examples: στο σούπερ μάρκετ, στα σούπερ μάρκετ.

Could I ever say στον σούπερ μάρκετ?

No. Σούπερ μάρκετ is neuter, so use στο. You use στον with masculine nouns (e.g., στον φούρνο “at the bakery”).

Are there more natural everyday ways to ask about price than κοστίζει?

Yes, very common colloquial options:

Πόσο κάνει (…)?
Πόσο έχει (…)? (shop talk)
Πόσο πάει (…)? (informal) For totals: Πόσο έρχεται; (“What does it come to?”)

Can I change the word order?

Yes. Greek word order is flexible. You can say:

Πόσο κοστίζει ο καφές στο σούπερ μάρκετ; (neutral)
Ο καφές πόσο κοστίζει στο σούπερ μάρκετ; (topic-fronting “the coffee”)
Στο σούπερ μάρκετ πόσο κοστίζει ο καφές; (focus on location) All are fine; the differences are subtle emphasis.

When do I use πόσο, πόσα, and πόσος/πόση/πόσο?

Πόσο as an adverb asks about degree/price: Πόσο κοστίζει;
Πόσος/Πόση/Πόσο (singular adjectives) ask “how much” of an uncountable noun: Πόσος καφές; (“how much coffee”).
Πόσοι/Πόσες/Πόσα (plural) ask “how many” countables: Πόσοι καφέδες; (“how many coffees”), Πόσα ευρώ; (“how many euros”).

Does στο here mean “at” or “in”?

Σε covers “in/at/on” depending on context. With places like shops, στο usually maps to English “at” or “in” interchangeably: “at the supermarket / in the supermarket.” Context decides the best English preposition.

What’s the punctuation at the end? It looks like a semicolon.

In Greek, the character “;” is the question mark. So ; = “?” in English. (Greek uses a raised dot “·” for the semicolon-like pause.)

How do I talk about plural “coffees” or different kinds?

Specific multiple items: Πόσο κοστίζουν οι καφέδες; (“How much do the coffees cost?”)
General category remains singular with article: Ο καφές.
If you mean varieties on the shelf, you might specify: Πόσο κοστίζουν οι στιγμιαίοι/οι φίλτρου καφέδες;

How would someone answer this question in Greek?

Typical price answers:

Κοστίζει τρία ευρώ.
Τρία πενήντα. (shorthand for €3.50)
Έχει προσφορά: δύο ευρώ. You can also hear: Κάνει τρία ευρώ.

Any common pitfalls for English speakers with this sentence?

Don’t drop the article: say ο καφές, not just καφές.
Use στο (not “σε το”) and match it to the noun’s gender/number.
Remember ; is a question mark in Greek.
Don’t try to decline σούπερ μάρκετ itself; only the article changes.
For prices, πόσο κάνει/κοστίζει/έχει are all normal.

Does ο καφές mean the drink, the café, or the color “brown”?

Here ο καφές is the drink. The place “café” is usually το καφέ (indeclinable, neuter), and the color “brown” is καφέ as an invariable adjective (e.g., καφέ παπούτσια “brown shoes”).

How do I ask “How much is this coffee?” while pointing at a specific product?

Use a demonstrative:

Πόσο κάνει αυτός ο καφές;
Πόσο κοστίζει αυτός ο καφές; If you’re holding it: Πόσο κάνει αυτό;

What’s the nuance difference between ο καφές (with the article) and a bare or indefinite form when talking about price?

Ο καφές (definite) = the product category (“coffee” as a whole), natural for general pricing.
Ένας καφές (indefinite) = a single coffee (often a serving), e.g., at a café: Πόσο κάνει ένας καφές; (price of one cup).
A bare noun without article is generally wrong here.