Lesson 16 of 20: Shopping for Clothes & Souvenirs โ Like a Local
After today youโll walk into any shop in Plaka, Ermou or a village and buy (or bargain) without stress.
1. Clothes & sizes (the phrases youโll use 100ร)
| Greek | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ฮฮญฮปฯ ฮฝฮฑ ฮดฮฟฮบฮนฮผฮฌฯฯ ฮฑฯ ฯฯ | THEH-loh na tho-kee-MA-so af-TOH | Iโd like to try this on |
| ฮฯฮตฯฮต ฮฑฯ ฯฯ ฯฮต โฆ; | EH-heh-teh af-TOH se โฆ? | Do you have this in โฆ? |
| ฮฯฮตฯฮต ฮผฮตฮณฮฑฮปฯฯฮตฯฮฟ/ฮผฮนฮบฯฯฯฮตฯฮฟ ฮผฮญฮณฮตฮธฮฟฯ; | โฆmeh-GHA-lee-teh-ro/mee-KRO-teh-ro | bigger/smaller size? |
| ฮฮฟฯ ฯฮญฯฯฮตฮน ฮปฮฏฮณฮฟ ฮผฮตฮณฮฌฮปฮฟ/ฮผฮนฮบฯฯ | moo PEF-tee LEE-gho meh-GHA-lo/mee-KRO | Itโs a bit big/small on me |
| ฮฮฟฯ ฮบฮฌฮฝฮตฮน ฯฮญฮปฮตฮนฮฑ! | moo KAH-nee TEH-lya | It fits perfectly! |
| ฮ ฯฯฮฟ ฮบฮฌฮฝฮตฮน ฮฑฯ ฯฯ ฯฮฟ ฯฯฯฮตฮผฮฑ; | PO-so KAH-nee af-TOH to FO-reh-ma | How much is this dress? |
GreekโEUโUKโUS size cheat sheet (memorise just the column you need):
| GR woman | EU | UK | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 36 | 8 | 4 |
| Medium | 38 | 10 10 | 6 |
| Large | 40โ42 | 12โ14 | 8โ10 |
Men: Small = 48, Medium = 50, Large = 52โ54
2. Colours & materials
| ฮผฮฑฯฯฮฟ MAV-ro | ฮฌฯฯฯฮฟ AS-pro | ฮบฯฮบฮบฮนฮฝฮฟ KO-kee-no | | ฮผฯฮปฮต BLEH | ฮณฮบฯฮน ghree | ฮบฮฑฯฮญ ka-FEH | | ฮบฮฏฯฯฮนฮฝฮฟ KEE-tree-no| ฯฮฟฮถ roz | ฯฯฯ ฯฯ khree-SO | | ฮฒฮฑฮผฮฒฮฑฮบฮตฯฯ vam-ba-KE-ro (cotton) | ฮปฮนฮฝฯ lee-NO (linen) | ฮดฮตฯฮผฮฌฯฮนฮฝฮฟ ther-MA-tee-no (leather) |
3. Bargaining & complaining (politely but firmly)
| ฮฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮปฮฏฮณฮฟ ฮฑฮบฯฮนฮฒฯโฆ | EE-neh LEE-gho a-kree-VOโฆ | Itโs a bit expensiveโฆ |
|---|---|---|
| ฮฯฮฟฯฮตฮฏฯฮต ฮฝฮฑ ฮผฮฟฯ ฮบฮฌฮฝฮตฯฮต ฮบฮฑฮปฯฯฮตฯฮท ฯฮนฮผฮฎ; | bo-REE-teh na moo KAH-neh-teh kal-LEE-teh-ree tee-MEE | Can you give me a better price? |
| ฮฃฯฮฑ 30 ฯฮฟ ฮฑฯฮฎฮฝฮตฯฮต; | Sta TREE-AN-da to a-FEE-neh-teh? | Will you leave it at 30 ? |
| ฮฮตฮฝ ฯฮฟ ฮธฮญฮปฯ ฯฮนฮฑ, ฮตฯ ฯฮฑฯฮนฯฯฯ | Then to THEH-loh pyaโฆ | I donโt want it any more, thanks |
| ฮฯฮฟฯฯ ฮฝฮฑ ฯฮฟ ฮฑฮปฮปฮฌฮพฯ ฮฑฯฯฮนฮฟ; | bo-RO na to a-LAK-so AV-ree-o | Can I exchange it tomorrow? |
4. Mini shop dialogue (practise this one!)
You: ฮฮฑฮปฮทฮผฮญฯฮฑ! ฮฮญฮปฯ ฮฝฮฑ ฮดฮฟฮบฮนฮผฮฌฯฯ ฮฑฯ ฯฯ ฯฮฟ ฮปฮตฯ ฮบฯ ฯฮฟฯ ฮบฮฌฮผฮนฯฮฟ ฯฮต medium. Seller: ฮฮตฮฒฮฑฮฏฯฯ, ฯฮฟ ฮดฮฟฮบฮนฮผฮฑฯฯฮฎฯฮนฮฟ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮตฮบฮตฮฏ. You: (comes out) ฮฮฟฯ ฯฮญฯฯฮตฮน ฮปฮฏฮณฮฟ ฮผฮตฮณฮฌฮปฮฟ. ฮฯฮตฯฮต small; Seller: ฮฯฮฝฮฟ ฮฑฯ ฯฯ ฯฮฟ ฮผฮญฮณฮตฮธฮฟฯ, ฮฑฮปฮปฮฌ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮฒฮฑฮผฮฒฮฑฮบฮตฯฯ 100 %. You: ฮฮผฮผโฆ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฯฯฮฑฮฏฮฟ, ฮฑฮปฮปฮฌ 55 ฮตฯ ฯฯ ฮตฮฏฮฝฮฑฮน ฮฑฮบฯฮนฮฒฯ. ฮฃฯฮฑ 45 ฯฮฟ ฮฑฯฮฎฮฝฮตฯฮต; Seller: ฮ, ฮณฮนฮฑ ฮตฯฮฌฯ 48! You: ฮฮฝฯฮฌฮพฮตฮน, ฯฮฟ ฯฮฑฮฏฯฮฝฯ!
5. Vocabulary (15 shopping words)
- ฯฮฟ ฮผฮญฮณฮตฮธฮฟฯ MEH-geh-thos size
- ฯฮฟ ฮฝฮฟฯฮผฮตฯฮฟ NOO-meh-ro number/size
- ฯฮฟ ฮดฮฟฮบฮนฮผฮฑฯฯฮฎฯฮนฮฟ tho-kee-mas-TEE-ree-o fitting room
- ฯฯฮตฮฝฯ steh-NO tight
- ฯฮฑฯฮดฯ far-THEE loose
- ฮผฮฑฮบฯฯ/ฮบฮฟฮฝฯฯ ma-KREE/kon-DO long/short
- ฮท ฮฑฯฯฯฯฯฯฮท a-PO-khro-see shade
- ฮท ฮญฮบฯฯฯฯฮท EHK-to-see discount
- ฮท ฮฑฯฯฮดฮตฮนฮพฮท a-PO-thek-see receipt
- ฯฮปฮทฯฯฮผฮฎ plee-ro-MEE payment
- ฮผฮตฯฯฮทฯฮฌ meh-tree-TAH cash
- ฮบฮฌฯฯฮฑ KAR-ta card
- ฮตฯฮนฯฯฯฮฟฯฮฎ eh-pee-stro-FEE return
- ฮฑฮปฮปฮฑฮณฮฎ a-la-YEE exchange
- ฯฯฮฟฯฯฮฟฯฮฌ pros-fo-RA special offer
6. Homework (10 min)
- Write or record yourself buying two items (one clothes, one souvenir) and bargaining the price down.
- Memorise the magic bargaining line: ยซฮฯฮฟฯฮตฮฏฯฮต ฮฝฮฑ ฮผฮฟฯ ฮบฮฌฮฝฮตฯฮต ฮบฮฑฮปฯฯฮตฯฮท ฯฮนฮผฮฎ;ยป
- Go to a shop (real or imaginary) and ask for three things in different sizes/colours.
When youโre ready, say โLesson 17โ and weโll learn:
- House & furniture
- Renting/buying a place
- Saying โIโm looking for a two-bedroom flat near the seaโฆโ
ฮฮฏฯฮฑฮน ฯฯฮฟ 80 % โ ฯฮฑฯ ฯฮนฮฑ ฮณฮนฮฑ ฯฯฮฝฮนฮฑ ฮบฮฑฮน ฯฮฑฮถฮฌฯฮนฮฑ ฯฮฑฮฝ ฮณฮฝฮฎฯฮนฮฟฯ ฮฮปฮปฮทฮฝฮฑฯ!
Ready for Lesson 17?
