Shopping in Bengali: Market Phrases, Prices and Polite Bargaining

Markets in Bangladesh and West Bengal are lively places where a few phrases in Bengali go a long way — and can help you get a fairer price.

Places

• বাজার (bazar) — market
• দোকান (dokan) — shop
• দোকানদার (dokandar) — shopkeeper
• সুপারমার্কেট (supermarket) — supermarket
• ফুটপাত (futpath) — pavement stall

Asking prices

• এটার দাম কত? — etar dam koto? — How much is this?
• কত টাকা? — koto taka? — How much money?
• এক কেজি কত? — ek kej koto? — How much per kilo?

Bargaining

Bargaining is called দরদাম (dordam) or দামাদামি (damadami). In markets and with rickshaws it is normal. In fixed-price shops it isn't.

• অনেক দাম — onek dam — That's expensive.
• একটু কমান — ektu koman — Reduce it a little.
• শেষ দাম কত? — shesh dam koto? — What's the final price?
• আরেকটু কম হবে? — arektu kom hobe? — Can it be a bit less?
• ঠিক আছে, নেব — thik achhe, nebo — OK, I'll take it.
• লাগবে না — lagbe na — I don't need it.

Money words

• টাকা (taka) — money; also the currency of Bangladesh
• রুপি (rupi) — rupee (used in India)
• পয়সা (poisha) — small change, paisa
• খুচরো (khuchro) — loose change
• ব্যাংক (bank) — bank
• ক্যাশ / নগদ (cash / nogod) — cash

Numbers

Learn the numbers up to a hundred, since prices are stated verbally. Bengali numbers are irregular, and each number from 1 to 100 has its own word rather than a "twenty-one" pattern.