SkarpChapter 6 of 8
Shopping and Money: Prices, Bargaining, and Everyday Purchases
Develop the language needed to shop in markets and stores, ask about prices, and handle simple bargaining politely.
New Words and Phrases (Shopping Basics)
In this step you will learn key words and phrases for shopping: asking about prices, colors, sizes, and politely starting a bit of bargaining.
| Word | Pronunciation | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| مَحلّ | ma-ḥall | shop / store | أينَ المَحلّ؟(Where is the shop?) |
| سوق | sūq | market | السوق قريب مِن هنا.(The market is close to here.) |
| هذا / هذه | hādhā (masc.) / hādhihi (fem.) | this | بِكَم هذا القَميص؟(How much is this shirt?) |
| لون | lawn | color | ما لون هذا الفُستان؟(What is the color of this dress?) |
| مقاس | maqās | size | ما المقاس الذي تُريد؟(What size do you want?) |
| سِعر | siʿr | price | السِعر غالي قَليلاً.(The price is a little expensive.) |
| بِكَم؟ | bi-kam? | How much? (price) | بِكَم الكيلو؟(How much is the kilo?) |
| هَل يُمكِن أن تُخفِّض السِعر؟ | hal yumkin an tukhaf-fiḍ as-siʿr? | Can you lower the price? | عَفوًا، هَل يُمكِن أن تُخفِّض السِعر قَليلاً؟(Excuse me, can you lower the price a little?) |
Language Patterns for Shopping
1. Using "this" (هذا / هذه) with items
In Arabic, "this" changes depending on the gender of the noun:
- هذا (hādhā) = this (masculine nouns)
- هذه (hādhihi) = this (feminine nouns)
Examples:
- هذا القَميص جَميل.
- hādhā al-qamīṣ jamīl.
- "This shirt is beautiful." (قَميص is masculine)
- هذه الحَقيبة غالية.
- hādhihi al-ḥaqība ghāliya.
- "This bag is expensive." (حَقيبة is feminine)
You can combine هذا / هذه with بِكَم to ask the price:
- بِكَم هذا القَميص؟
- bi-kam hādhā al-qamīṣ?
- "How much is this shirt?"
- بِكَم هذه الحَقيبة؟
- bi-kam hādhihi al-ḥaqība?
- "How much is this bag?"
---
2. Asking about price with "بِكَم" and "سِعر"
Two common ways to ask about prices:
- بِكَم + item?
- بِكَم الكيلو؟
- bi-kam al-kīlo?
- "How much is the kilo?"
- ما سِعر + item؟ (a bit more formal)
- ما سِعر هذا القَميص؟
- mā siʿr hādhā al-qamīṣ?
- "What is the price of this shirt?"
---
3. Polite bargaining phrase
In many markets, light bargaining is normal. Keep it polite and friendly:
- هَل يُمكِن أن تُخفِّض السِعر قَليلاً؟
- hal yumkin an tukhaf-fiḍ as-siʿr qalīlan?
- "Can you lower the price a little?"
You can add لو سَمَحت (law samaḥt – "please" / "if you allow") for extra politeness:
- لو سَمَحت، هَل يُمكِن أن تُخفِّض السِعر؟
- law samaḥt, hal yumkin an tukhaf-fiḍ as-siʿr?
- "Please, can you lower the price?"
Practice Dialogue: At the Market
In this dialogue, a customer is buying a shirt in a market and asks about color, size, price, and politely tries a little bargaining.
At a clothes stall in a busy market
عَفوًا، أينَ المَحلّ لِلقُمصان؟
Excuse me, where is the shop for shirts?
المَحلّ هنا، تَفَضَّل. ماذا تُريد؟
The shop is here, please come in. What would you like?
أُريد قَميصًا. ما لون هذا القَميص؟
I want a shirt. What is the color of this shirt?
هذا القَميص أزرَق، وعِندنا ألوان أُخرى أَيْضًا.
This shirt is blue, and we also have other colors.
جَيِّد. ما المقاس الذي عِندَك؟
Good. What size do you have?
عِندَنا مَقاس صَغير ومُتَوَسِّط وكَبير.
We have small, medium, and large size.
بِكَم هذا القَميص المُتَوَسِّط؟
How much is this medium shirt?
سِعرهُ خَمسون دُولارًا.
Its price is fifty dollars.
السِعر غالي قَليلاً. لو سَمَحت، هَل يُمكِن أن تُخفِّض السِعر؟
The price is a little expensive. Please, can you lower the price?
حَسَنًا، يُمكِن خَمسَة وأَربَعين دُولارًا.
Okay, it can be forty-five dollars.
مُوافِق، شُكرًا جَزيلًا.
Agreed, thank you very much.
Check Your Understanding (Shopping and Prices)
Answer this question to check your understanding of the new shopping vocabulary and phrases.
You want to ask a shopkeeper politely: "How much is this shirt?" Which Arabic sentence is best?
- بِكَم هذا القَميص؟
- ما لون هذا القَميص؟
- أينَ المَحلّ؟
- هَل يُمكِن أن تُخفِّض السِعر؟
Show Answer
Answer: A) بِكَم هذا القَميص؟
The correct answer is "بِكَم هذا القَميص؟" (bi-kam hādhā al-qamīṣ?) which means "How much is this shirt?". The other options mean: "What is the color of this shirt?", "Where is the shop?", and "Can you lower the price?"
Key Terms
- سوق
- market; often an open or traditional market
- لون
- color; used to ask or describe colors of items
- هذا
- this (masculine noun); used before masculine words like قَميص (shirt)
- هذه
- this (feminine noun); used before feminine words like حَقيبة (bag)
- سِعر
- price; cost of an item
- غالي
- expensive; used to describe a high price
- مقاس
- size; used for clothing and shoes
- مَحلّ
- shop / store; a place where you buy things
- بِكَم؟
- How much?; used to ask about price
- لو سَمَحت
- please / excuse me (literally: if you allow); adds politeness
- هَل يُمكِن أن تُخفِّض السِعر؟
- Can you lower the price?; polite bargaining phrase