Course
Unit 10 · Elementary
Shopping and bargaining
Shop the bazaar with confidence: ask the price, say it's too expensive, bargain politely, and close the deal.
In this unit you'll learn to
- Ask the price with kati parchha
- Use mahango (expensive) and sasto (cheap)
- Bargain with kam garnuhos and chhut
- Agree to buy with hunchha, linchhu
Listen along
Shopping and prices (lesson 10)
Public-domain audio — FSI Nepali Basic Course (via Live Lingua).
In the bazaar
Tourist
यो कति पर्छ?
Yo kati parchha?
How much does this cost?
Seller
पाँच सय रुपैयाँ।
Paanch saya rupaiyaa.
Five hundred rupees.
Tourist
धेरै महँगो भयो। कम गर्नुहोस्।
Dherai mahango bhayo. Kam garnuhos.
That's very expensive. Lower it, please.
Seller
चार सय दिनुहोस्।
Chaar saya dinuhos.
Give four hundred.
Tourist
हुन्छ, लिन्छु।
Hunchha, linchhu.
Okay, I'll take it.
Vocabulary
- कति पर्छ kati parchha
- how much does it cost
- महँगो mahango
- expensive
- सस्तो sasto
- cheap
- कम kam
- less
- धेरै dherai
- very / a lot
- थोरै thorai
- a little / few
- पैसा paisaa
- money
- लिनु linu
- to take
- हुन्छ hunchha
- okay / it works
- छुट chhut
- discount
Grammar
"How much does it cost?"
For prices, Yo kati parchha? (literally "this how-much costs") is a touch more idiomatic than Yo kati ho? — but both are understood everywhere.
Bargaining politely
Say Dherai mahango bhayo ("it's become very expensive"), then ask for less: Kam garnuhos ("please make it less") or Chhut dinuhos ("give a discount"). Bargaining is expected in markets and with taxis — but not in fixed-price shops and supermarkets.
Closing the deal
hunchha is the all-purpose "okay / that works". linchhu means "I'll take it" (from linu, to take). If you've had enough, pugyo means "that's enough".
Practice
1. Ask "How much does this cost?"
Show answer
यो कति पर्छ? (Yo kati parchha?)
2. Say "It's too expensive."
Show answer
धेरै महँगो भयो। (Dherai mahango bhayo.)
3. Ask for a discount.
Show answer
छुट दिनुहोस्। (Chhut dinuhos.)
4. Say "Okay, I'll take it."
Show answer
हुन्छ, लिन्छु। (Hunchha, linchhu.)