How much of what: ένα κιλό ντομάτες
The measure and the measured stand in Greek side by side, with no preposition and no genitive: ένα κιλό ντομάτες, δύο ποτήρια νερό, ένα πακέτο μακαρόνια. English does exactly the same — "a kilo of tomatoes" is precisely this — and yet the hand reaches for ντοματών. Not needed: Greek simply lays the two words together. For example: “Βάλε λίγο αλάτι και πολύ λεμόνι” — Add a little salt and a lot of lemon. A rule from…
How it works
The measure and the measured stand in Greek side by side, with no preposition and no genitive: ένα κιλό ντομάτες (éna kiló domátes), δύο ποτήρια νερό (dío potíria neró), ένα πακέτο μακαρόνια. English does exactly the same — "a kilo of tomatoes" is precisely this — and yet the hand reaches for ντοματών. Not needed: Greek simply lays the two words together.
The same with indefinite quantity: λίγο αλάτι (lígo aláti), πολύ λάδι (polí ládi), αρκετό νερό.
And here the important part: πολύς changes by gender — πολύς καφές, πολλή ζάχαρη (polí zákhari), πολύ αλάτι (polí aláti), and in the plural πολλοί, πολλές (polés), πολλά (polá). The double λ appears everywhere except the masculine and neuter singular. This is one of the most common places where a mistake is instantly audible.
The adverb πολύ (polí) — "very" — never changes: πολύ ωραίο (polí oréo), πολύ ωραία (polí oréa). The neighbor decides: next to a noun it is "much", next to an adjective "very".
For "little" there is a pair: λίγο (little, a bit) and λίγα (few). And "enough" is said with φτάνει (ftáni) — a verb, not an adverb.
Table
| masculine | feminine | neuter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| much, singular | πολύς καφές | πολλή ζάχαρη | πολύ αλάτι |
| much, plural | πολλοί άνθρωποι | πολλές φράουλες | πολλά αυγά |
| little | λίγος καφές | λίγη ζάχαρη | λίγο αλάτι |
| "very" | πολύ — it never changes |
By example
- Βάλε λίγο αλάτι και πολύ λεμόνιvále lígo aláti ke polí lemóniAdd a little salt and a lot of lemon
- Αγόρασα δύο κιλά μελιτζάνεςagórasa dío kilá melidzánesI bought two kilos of eggplants
- Έχει πολλή ζάχαρη αυτό το γλυκόékhi polí zákhari aftó to glikóThere is a lot of sugar in this dessert
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
How much of what: how does it work in Greek?
The measure and the measured stand in Greek side by side, with no preposition and no genitive: ένα κιλό ντομάτες, δύο ποτήρια νερό, ένα πακέτο μακαρόνια. English does exactly the same — "a kilo of tomatoes" is precisely this — and yet the hand reaches for ντοματών. Not needed: Greek simply lays the…
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Βάλε λίγο αλάτι και πολύ λεμόνι” (vále lígo aláti ke polí lemóni) — Add a little salt and a lot of lemon. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.