Latest / Learn Amharic with Fexingo / Asking the Price in Amharic
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to Learn Amharic with Fexingo. I'm Lucas. Luna: And I'm Luna. We're so glad you're here with us again. Lucas: Today we're going to do something really practical. We're heading to the market. Luna: Oh, I love the market. Last time we bought spices and vegetables. Lucas: Right, but today we're going to focus on asking the price. That's the key to any market trip. Luna: Yes, I need to know how to ask what things cost. I always get stuck there. Lucas: Don't worry. By the end of this episode, you'll be a pro at haggling in Amharic. Luna: Let's start then. How do I say 'How much is it?' Lucas: The phrase is ስንት ነው? Listen again: ስንት ነው? Luna: ስንት ነው? Lucas: Perfect. That means 'How much is it?' It's super useful. Luna: Okay, so if I point to something, I can say ስንት ነው? Lucas: Exactly. Now, what if the vendor says a price, and you think it's too high? Luna: Then I'd want to say 'That's expensive'. Lucas: Great. In Amharic, you say ውድ ነው. Try it: ውድ ነው. Luna: ውድ ነው. Lucas: That's it. And the opposite, 'it's cheap', is ርካሽ ነው. Luna: ርካሽ ነው. Lucas: Good. Now, let's put these together in a little scene. Luna: Okay, I'm at the fruit stand. I see some mangoes. Lucas: You ask, ስንት ነው? Luna: ስንት ነው? Lucas: The vendor says, 'Fifty birr.' You think that's too much. You say, ውድ ነው. Luna: ውድ ነው. Lucas: Then you want to negotiate. You say, እባክህ በትንሹ ቀንስ. That means 'Please reduce it a little.' Luna: እባክህ በትንሹ ቀንስ. That's a mouthful. Lucas: You can do it. Just break it down: እባክህ, then በትንሹ, then ቀንስ. Luna: እባክህ በትንሹ ቀንስ. Lucas: Perfect. Now the vendor says, 'Okay, forty birr.' You're happy. You say, እሺ፣ እወስዳለሁ. That's 'Okay, I'll take it.' Luna: እሺ፣ እወስዳለሁ. Lucas: That's the perfect way to close the deal. Luna: So let me practice the whole conversation. I ask ስንት ነው? They say a price. I say ውድ ነው. Then እባክህ በትንሹ ቀንስ. Then they lower it. I say እሺ፣ እወስዳለሁ. Lucas: You've got it. That's a complete market transaction. Luna: This is so useful. I feel like I can actually go to a market in Ethiopia now. Lucas: That's the goal. And remember, you can always just ask ስንት ነው? and see what happens. Luna: Before we wrap up, if this podcast has helped you learn Amharic, you can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It keeps us ad-free. Lucas: Yeah, we love making these episodes, and your support means we can keep doing it. Luna: So practice these phrases, and next time you're at a market, you'll be ready. Lucas: See you next time on Learn Amharic with Fexingo.