How much should we get? in Greek
Estimating amounts before a big shop in Greek. 7 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Πόσοι θα είναι; Πρέπει να υπολογίσω τις μερίδες.» — How many people will there be? I need to count the portions.; «Καμιά εικοσαριά. Ίσως κάτι παραπάνω.» — Around twenty. Maybe a little more. Every line can be played right on the page. The conversation is predictable: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: estimating amounts before a big shop. The conversation is short and predictable — which is exactly what makes it good for a first try: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
- Πόσοι θα είναι; Πρέπει να υπολογίσω τις μερίδες.pósi tha íne? prépi na ipoloyíso tis merídesHow many people will there be? I need to count the portions.
- Καμιά εικοσαριά. Ίσως κάτι παραπάνω.kamiá ikosariá. ísos káti parapánoAround twenty. Maybe a little more.
- Τότε παίρνω γύρω στα πέντε κιλά, με περιθώριο.tóte pérno yíro sta pénde kilá, me perithórioThen I'll take around five kilos, with a margin.
- Μην πάρεις πολλά. Την περασμένη φορά περίσσεψαν.min páris polá. tin perazméni forá perísepsanDon't take too much. Last time there was some left over.
- Καλύτερα περίσσεια παρά έλλειψη. Ίσα ίσα δεν θέλω.kalítera perísia pará élipsi. ísa ísa den théloBetter too much than too little. I don't want it at the wire.
- Σωστά. Και τα ποτά μοίρασέ τα εξίσου, μισό λίτρο ο καθένας.sostá. ke ta potá mírasé ta eksísu, misó lítro o kathénasRight. And divide the drinks evenly, half a liter per person.
- Με το μάτι βγαίνει δέκα λίτρα. Θα το ξαναϋπολογίσω.me to máti vyéni déka lítra. tha to ksanaipoloyísoOff the top of my head it comes to ten liters. I'll recalculate.
Lines one by one
| Greek | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Πόσοι θα είναι; Πρέπει να υπολογίσω τις μερίδες. | pósi tha íne? prépi na ipoloyíso tis merídes | How many people will there be? I need to count the portions. |
| Καμιά εικοσαριά. Ίσως κάτι παραπάνω. | kamiá ikosariá. ísos káti parapáno | Around twenty. Maybe a little more. |
| Τότε παίρνω γύρω στα πέντε κιλά, με περιθώριο. | tóte pérno yíro sta pénde kilá, me perithório | Then I'll take around five kilos, with a margin. |
| Μην πάρεις πολλά. Την περασμένη φορά περίσσεψαν. | min páris polá. tin perazméni forá perísepsan | Don't take too much. Last time there was some left over. |
| Καλύτερα περίσσεια παρά έλλειψη. Ίσα ίσα δεν θέλω. | kalítera perísia pará élipsi. ísa ísa den thélo | Better too much than too little. I don't want it at the wire. |
| Σωστά. Και τα ποτά μοίρασέ τα εξίσου, μισό λίτρο ο καθένας. | sostá. ke ta potá mírasé ta eksísu, misó lítro o kathénas | Right. And divide the drinks evenly, half a liter per person. |
| Με το μάτι βγαίνει δέκα λίτρα. Θα το ξαναϋπολογίσω. | me to máti vyéni déka lítra. tha to ksanaipoloyíso | Off the top of my head it comes to ten liters. I'll recalculate. |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and it gets in the way badly. It is one of the most reliably measured findings in the entire field.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Greek in this situation?
“Πόσοι θα είναι; Πρέπει να υπολογίσω τις μερίδες.” (pósi tha íne? prépi na ipoloyíso tis merídes) — How many people will there be? I need to count the portions.. The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.