Buy Fruit in Greek: Ask the Price and Order by the Kilo

At a fruit stall, a price often needs a unit to make sense. This fictional exchange practises a price per kilo, a half-kilo order and a total. The numbers are invented for the exercise, not a guide to current prices. Work out the quantities before calculating the bill.

Read the fruit-stall dialogue

Ask what the price refers to

Πόσο κάνουν τα μήλα; asks how much the apples cost. The answer Δύο ευρώ το κιλό gives the unit: two euros per kilo. Το κιλό matters. A displayed number on its own is not enough to know whether a price refers to a kilo or an individual item. For a practice check, ask Το κιλό; — “Per kilo?”.

Say the quantity clearly

Ένα κιλό means one kilo; μισό κιλό means half a kilo. The order uses μισό κιλό μήλα and ένα κιλό πορτοκάλια. Μήλα is the plural of μήλο, apple; πορτοκάλια is the plural of πορτοκάλι, orange. Learn the singular with its article: το μήλο and το πορτοκάλι. The fruit name remains plural in these quantity phrases.

Separate unit price and total

The apples cost two euros per kilo, so half a kilo costs one euro in this exercise. The oranges cost three euros for the requested kilo. One plus three gives four euros. Πόσο κάνουν όλα μαζί; asks for the total. Do not answer with the apple price alone when you hear όλα μαζί, everything together.

Change an order before confirming it

To change the quantity, say Όχι ένα κιλό, μισό κιλό, παρακαλώ — “Not one kilo, half a kilo, please”. To ask for another fruit, use Έχετε μπανάνες; — “Do you have bananas?”. The original exchange does not give a banana price. Ask before adding it to your calculation rather than reusing an unrelated price.

Check the order

1. Is the apple price two euros per apple or per kilo?
2. How much apple weight does the customer order?
3. What do those apples cost in the exercise?
4. What is the total including the oranges?

Change the quantities

Keep the fictional unit prices but change the order to one kilo of apples and one kilo of oranges. Say Θα ήθελα ένα κιλό μήλα και ένα κιλό πορτοκάλια. The new total is five euros. Next practise asking for half a kilo of apples only: Μόνο μισό κιλό μήλα, παρακαλώ. Explain aloud which number is the weight and which is the price.

Practise ordering bread and quantities.