How much does it weigh? in Greek
Sending a parcel: weight and size in Greek. 7 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Καλημέρα. Θέλω να στείλω αυτό το δέμα.» — Good morning. I want to send this parcel.; «Ας το ζυγίσουμε. Δύο κιλά και τριακόσια γραμμάρια.» — Let's weigh it. Two kilograms three hundred. 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: sending a parcel: weight and size. 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.
- Καλημέρα. Θέλω να στείλω αυτό το δέμα.kaliméra. thélo na stílo aftó to démaGood morning. I want to send this parcel.
- Ας το ζυγίσουμε. Δύο κιλά και τριακόσια γραμμάρια.as to ziyísume. dío kilá ke triakósia gramáriaLet's weigh it. Two kilograms three hundred.
- Και το μήκος; Χωράει στο κουτί;ke to míkos? khorái sto kutí?And the length? Will it fit into a box?
- Σαράντα εκατοστά. Το πλάτος είναι είκοσι, χωράει ακριβώς.saránda ekatostá. to plátos íne íkosi, khorái akrivósForty centimeters. The width is twenty; it fits exactly.
- Πόσο κοστίζει περίπου;póso kostízi perípu?How much does it cost, roughly?
- Κατά μέσο όρο δώδεκα ευρώ. Με ασφάλεια, δύο φορές περισσότερο.katá méso óro dódeka evró. me asfália, dío forés perisóteroTwelve euros on average. With insurance — twice as much.
- Χωρίς ασφάλεια τότε. Δεν είναι κάτι πολύτιμο.khorís asfália tóte. den íne káti polítimoThen without insurance. There's nothing valuable inside.
Lines one by one
| Greek | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Καλημέρα. Θέλω να στείλω αυτό το δέμα. | kaliméra. thélo na stílo aftó to déma | Good morning. I want to send this parcel. |
| Ας το ζυγίσουμε. Δύο κιλά και τριακόσια γραμμάρια. | as to ziyísume. dío kilá ke triakósia gramária | Let's weigh it. Two kilograms three hundred. |
| Και το μήκος; Χωράει στο κουτί; | ke to míkos? khorái sto kutí? | And the length? Will it fit into a box? |
| Σαράντα εκατοστά. Το πλάτος είναι είκοσι, χωράει ακριβώς. | saránda ekatostá. to plátos íne íkosi, khorái akrivós | Forty centimeters. The width is twenty; it fits exactly. |
| Πόσο κοστίζει περίπου; | póso kostízi perípu? | How much does it cost, roughly? |
| Κατά μέσο όρο δώδεκα ευρώ. Με ασφάλεια, δύο φορές περισσότερο. | katá méso óro dódeka evró. me asfália, dío forés perisótero | Twelve euros on average. With insurance — twice as much. |
| Χωρίς ασφάλεια τότε. Δεν είναι κάτι πολύτιμο. | khorís asfália tóte. den íne káti polítimo | Then without insurance. There's nothing valuable inside. |
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?
“Καλημέρα. Θέλω να στείλω αυτό το δέμα.” (kaliméra. thélo na stílo aftó to déma) — Good morning. I want to send this parcel.. 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.