Στο σούπερ μάρκετ ξοδεύω περισσότερα απ' όσο νομίζω.

Στο is a contraction of σε + το.

• σε = in / at / to
• το = the (neuter singular)

So:

• σε το σούπερ μάρκετ → στο σούπερ μάρκετ

In this sentence, στο σούπερ μάρκετ means at the supermarket or in the supermarket, depending on the context. Greek very often combines σε with the article this way:

• στο = σε το
• στη = σε τη / στην
• στον = σε τον

So Στο σούπερ μάρκετ is completely normal everyday Greek.

Because σούπερ μάρκετ is a loanword from English, and in everyday Greek it is usually treated as an indeclinable expression. That means the noun itself does not usually change form.

So you get:

• το σούπερ μάρκετ
• στο σούπερ μάρκετ
• από το σούπερ μάρκετ

The article changes, but σούπερ μάρκετ stays the same.

This is common with many modern borrowed words in Greek, especially place names, brand-like words, and international terms.

Ξοδεύω is:

• 1st person singular
• present tense
• active voice

So it means I spend or I am spending, depending on context.

In this sentence, it most naturally means I spend, because the sentence expresses a general tendency or habit:

• Στο σούπερ μάρκετ ξοδεύω...
  At the supermarket, I spend...

Greek present tense often covers both the English simple present and present progressive, but here the habitual meaning is the natural one.

This is a very common question.

Περισσότερα is the neuter plural form of more.

Why neuter plural? Because Greek is often silently implying a noun such as:

• χρήματα = money in the sense of sums of money, funds
• or more loosely things / items / amounts

So:

• ξοδεύω περισσότερα = I spend more
• literally something like I spend more things / more money

Greek often uses the neuter plural form this way when English would simply say more.

Compare:

• Θέλω περισσότερα. = I want more.
• Πληρώνω περισσότερα. = I pay more.
• Ξοδεύω περισσότερα. = I spend more.

So περισσότερα is not random; it agrees with an implied neuter plural idea.

Yes. Very often, that is exactly how it works.

In context, ξοδεύω περισσότερα is usually understood as:

• I spend more money
• or I spend more than expected

Greek does not always need to state χρήματα explicitly when it is obvious from the verb ξοδεύω.

If you wanted to be more explicit, you could say:

• ξοδεύω περισσότερα χρήματα

But in natural speech, leaving χρήματα out is extremely common.

Απ' όσο means than in this kind of comparison, more literally something like than/as much as.

It comes from:

• από όσο

and in fast, natural Greek, από becomes απ' before a vowel.

So:

• περισσότερα απ' όσο νομίζω
  = more than I think

This is a very common Greek structure:

• περισσότερο/περισσότερα απ' όσο... = more than...
• λιγότερο απ' όσο... = less than...

Examples:

• Τρώω περισσότερο απ' όσο πρέπει. = I eat more than I should.
• Μιλάει λιγότερο απ' όσο περίμενα. = He/She speaks less than I expected.

The apostrophe shows that the final vowel of από has been dropped.

• full form: από όσο
• contracted form: απ' όσο

This happens very often in Greek when a word ending in a vowel comes before another word beginning with a vowel.

It is similar to how English can shorten I am to I'm. The idea is not identical, but the apostrophe shows that something has been omitted.

In careful writing, you may see the full form από όσο, but απ' όσο is extremely common and natural.

In Greek, comparisons are often built differently from English.

English uses than as a single comparison word:

• more than I think

Greek often uses a structure with απ' όσο:

• περισσότερα απ' όσο νομίζω

Here όσο literally relates to as much as / how much. So the Greek structure is closer to:

• more than how much I think
• or more than I think

You do not need to translate it word for word. The important thing is to recognize απ' όσο as a common comparison pattern after words like περισσότερο, λιγότερο, and similar expressions.

Νομίζω is also:

• 1st person singular
• present tense
• active voice

It means I think.

So:

• όσο νομίζω = than I think

In natural English, that becomes:

• more than I think
• or more than I realize

depending on context.

Just like ξοδεύω, this present tense is normal here. Greek uses the present because the sentence describes your current judgment or general belief.

Greek word order is more flexible than English word order.

The sentence begins with Στο σούπερ μάρκετ to highlight the setting:

• At the supermarket, I spend more than I think.

That fronted phrase gives the sentence a natural topic: as for the supermarket...

You could also say:

• Ξοδεύω περισσότερα απ' όσο νομίζω στο σούπερ μάρκετ.
• Ξοδεύω στο σούπερ μάρκετ περισσότερα απ' όσο νομίζω.

These are possible, but the original sounds very natural because it introduces the place first.

So the word order is not strange; it is a normal Greek way to organize information.

By default, it sounds like a general habit or repeated experience.

Because both verbs are in the present tense:

• ξοδεύω = I spend
• νομίζω = I think

the sentence naturally suggests:

• Whenever I go supermarket shopping, I spend more than I think
• or I tend to spend more than I realize at the supermarket

If you wanted to talk about one completed event, Greek would normally use a past tense, for example an aorist form.

Yes, it could have been:

• Στο σούπερ μάρκετ ξοδεύω περισσότερα χρήματα απ' όσο νομίζω.

That would be completely correct and a bit more explicit.

But Greek often omits predictable nouns when the meaning is clear from context. Since ξοδεύω already strongly suggests spending money, χρήματα is unnecessary.

So the shorter version sounds natural and efficient:

• ξοδεύω περισσότερα

This is very common in everyday speech.

Either can work, depending on the situation.

Greek σε / στο covers a wider range than any single English preposition. In this sentence:

• at the supermarket is often the most natural translation in English
• in the supermarket is also possible if you want to emphasize being inside the store

So the Greek does not force one exact English choice. The context decides which English phrasing sounds best.

A natural rhythm would usually emphasize the comparison:

Στο σούπερ μάρκετ ξοδεύω περισσότερα απ' όσο νομίζω.

The main informational weight often falls on:

• περισσότερα
• νομίζω

because the important idea is: I spend more than I think.

If the speaker wants to contrast the place, they may stress σούπερ μάρκετ more strongly, as in:

• At the supermarket I spend more than I think.

So the stress depends somewhat on what the speaker wants to highlight, but the sentence is perfectly natural as written.