Learn Hardcore Greek: Ανέβηκα στη ζυγαριά και είδα ότι έχασα δύο κιλά. - I got on the scale and saw that I lost two kilos.

The basic verb is ανεβαίνω = to go up, to climb, to get on (a vehicle / scale / etc.).
ανέβηκα is the simple past (aorist), 1st person singular of ανεβαίνω.
So ανεβαίνω = I go up / I’m going up,
ανέβηκα = I went up / I got on (completed action).

In this sentence, ανέβηκα στη ζυγαριά means “I stepped onto the scale” or “I got on the scale”.

Why is it στη ζυγαριά and not σε τη ζυγαριά?

Στη is a standard contraction:

σε + τη(ν) → στη(ν)
(the final -ν is often dropped before consonants like ζ).

So grammatically it’s:

σε = on / in / at
τη ζυγαριά = the scale (feminine, accusative singular)

→ στη ζυγαριά = on the scale.

Greek very often contracts σε + article:

σε τον → στον
σε την → στην / στη
σε το → στο
σε τους → στους
etc.

Why is ζυγαριά feminine? Is there a reason, or do I just have to memorize it?

You mostly have to memorize it.

Η ζυγαριά = the scale (for weighing people or objects).
It’s a feminine noun, so the article is η (nominative) / τη (accusative).

There’s no logical gender reason you can rely on; like many Greek nouns, its gender is conventional. You learn it as a package:

η ζυγαριά – της ζυγαριάς – τη ζυγαριά

Could I say πήγα στη ζυγαριά instead of ανέβηκα στη ζυγαριά?

You could say πήγα στη ζυγαριά, but it doesn’t mean exactly the same thing.

πήγα στη ζυγαριά = I went to the scale (I approached it, went near it).
ανέβηκα στη ζυγαριά = I got on the scale (I stepped onto it).

In the context of checking your weight, ανέβηκα στη ζυγαριά is the natural, idiomatic choice.

Why is there no εγώ (“I”) in the sentence?

In Greek, the verb ending already shows the subject, so the pronoun is usually omitted unless you want to emphasize it.

ανέβηκα already means I went up (1st person singular).
είδα already means I saw.
έχασα already means I lost.

You could say Εγώ ανέβηκα στη ζυγαριά… for emphasis (e.g. I (and not someone else) got on the scale), but it’s not needed in normal speech.

Why does the sentence use είδα ότι έχασα and not είδα ότι έχω χάσει?

Both are possible, but they have slightly different nuances:

είδα ότι έχασα δύο κιλά
literally: I saw that I lost two kilos
→ Two past, completed actions:
1) I got on the scale and saw something (είδα, aorist),
2) at some point before, I had the experience of losing 2 kilos (έχασα, aorist).
This is the most natural, neutral way to say it.
είδα ότι έχω χάσει δύο κιλά
literally: I saw that I have lost two kilos
→ Uses the present perfect form έχω χάσει, which emphasizes the result that still holds now (I am now 2 kg lighter).

In everyday Greek, for this type of statement, the double aorist είδα ότι έχασα is very common and sounds perfectly natural.

What is the difference between ότι and πως here? Could I use πως instead?

Yes, you could say:

…και είδα πως έχασα δύο κιλά.

In this usage, ότι and πως both mean “that” (a conjunction introducing a clause after verbs like say, think, see, know).

είδα ότι έχασα δύο κιλά
είδα πως έχασα δύο κιλά

Both are correct. Ότι is slightly more neutral/standard; πως can sound a bit more informal or conversational in some contexts, but in many sentences they are interchangeable.

What is the difference between ότι and ό,τι? Why is it ότι here?

They are two different words:

ότι (no comma) = “that” (conjunction introducing a clause)
e.g. είδα ότι έχασα δύο κιλά = I saw that I lost two kilos.
ό,τι (with comma) = “whatever / anything that”
e.g. ό,τι θέλεις = whatever you want.

In the sentence είδα ότι έχασα δύο κιλά, you want “that”, so you must use ότι without a comma.

What tense is είδα, and what tense is έχασα?

Both είδα and έχασα are aorist (simple past) forms:

βλέπω → είδα = I see → I saw
χάνω → έχασα = I lose → I lost

Using two aorists like this is very typical in Greek to describe a sequence of past events that are seen as completed.

How is έχασα formed from χάνω?

The basic verb is χάνω = to lose.

Its simple past (aorist) 1st person is έχασα:

stem: χασ-
aorist prefix ε-
- ending -α → έχασα = I lost.

Some basic forms:

χάνω = I lose / I’m losing
έχασα = I lost
θα χάσω = I will lose
έχω χάσει = I have lost

Why is it δύο and not δυο? Is there a difference?

δύο and δυο are the same word: two.

δύο is the standard spelling (more formal, written).
δυο is a very common informal / simplified spelling; in everyday writing and speech, you often see δυο.

Pronunciation is essentially the same. Both are understood everywhere.

Why is κιλά in the plural? Could we say δύο κιλό?

το κιλό = the kilo (unit of weight, neuter).
Its plural is τα κιλά = the kilos.

With numbers, Greek normally uses the plural:

δύο κιλά = two kilos
τρία κιλά = three kilos
etc.

δύο κιλό is not correct in standard Greek. You must use the plural κιλά with numbers greater than 1.

Why is there no article before δύο κιλά? Why not τα δύο κιλά?

After numbers used in a straightforward quantitative sense, Greek usually drops the article:

δύο κιλά = two kilos
τρία βιβλία = three books

You can use an article (τα δύο κιλά) when you are talking about specific, already known kilos (for example, in a shop about a specific quantity previously mentioned), but in a sentence about weight loss, you just mean two kilos in general, so no article is natural: έχασα δύο κιλά.

Could I add πάνω and say ανέβηκα πάνω στη ζυγαριά? Is that more natural?

Yes, you can say:

Ανέβηκα πάνω στη ζυγαριά…

πάνω = on / on top (of), so this literally emphasizes “up onto the top of the scale.”

Both are correct:

ανέβηκα στη ζυγαριά
ανέβηκα πάνω στη ζυγαριά

In everyday speech, ανέβηκα στη ζυγαριά is already clear and common; πάνω just makes the “on top of” idea a bit more explicit.

Is there any difference between ζυγαριά and ζυγός or other words for scale?

Yes:

η ζυγαριά = the (modern) scale you stand on or put things on to weigh them.
ο ζυγός can mean a yoke, and in older or more technical usage, a balance scale (with two pans). It’s not the everyday word for a bathroom scale.

For the context of weighing yourself, the normal word is η ζυγαριά.