Latest / Learn Swedish with Fexingo / Swedish Shopping - Asking for Prices
Transcript
- Lucas: Hey there. Welcome back to another episode of Learn Swedish with Fexingo. I am Lucas, and I am so glad you are here today. Luna: And I am Luna! Hi everyone. We are back at it again. Last time we were buying houseplants, remember? I nearly adopted a fern. Lucas: I remember. You were very attached to that potted plant. But today, we are leaving the plant shop behind. We are going into a general store. Luna: Oh, okay. A general store sounds practical. I feel like I need more practical skills right now. Especially when it comes to money. Lucas: Right. Money is always important. So today, we are focusing on one specific thing: Asking for prices. Just that. Nothing else. Luna: Just asking how much things cost. That seems simple enough. But my Swedish gets all tangled up when I look at the price tags. Lucas: It happens to everyone. The numbers can be confusing. But the phrase itself is very short and easy to remember. Let's start with our first phrase. Luna: Okay, what is it? Please tell me it is not a long sentence. Lucas: It is quite short. The phrase is: Hur mycket kostar det? It means: How much does it cost? Luna: Hur mycket kostar det? Okay. Let me try that. Hur mycket kostar det? Lucas: Perfect. You got the rhythm right. Hur mycket kostar det? Listen to it again slowly. Hur... mycket... kostar... det? Luna: Hur mycket kostar det? Yeah, that feels natural. It flows well. How much does it cost? Got it. Lucas: Exactly. And notice the word order. It is a direct question structure. Hur mycket kostar det? Very standard. Very useful. Luna: I love that it is straightforward. No hidden tricks. So if I pick up a mug in a shop, I just ask: Hur mycket kostar det? Lucas: Yes. Exactly. And the shopkeeper will answer with a number. Usually in kronor. But sometimes, the price might surprise you. Luna: Oh no. Do not say that. What do I do if the price is too high? I don't want to just pay it if it feels wrong. Lucas: That is a great point. Sometimes things are expensive. And you might want to negotiate. Or at least express your opinion politely. Luna: Negotiate? In Sweden? I thought they didn't really do that. But maybe for small items? Lucas: It depends on the place. But knowing how to say something is too expensive is useful. Our second phrase is: Kan jag få rabatt? Luna: Kan jag få rabatt? Wait, let me repeat that. Kan jag få rabatt? Lucas: Good. Kan jag få rabatt? It means: Can I get a discount? It is polite. It asks for a favor. Luna: Can I get a discount? Kan jag få rabatt? I feel like I am already getting better at saying these longer phrases. Lucas: You are doing great. Kan jag få rabatt? It is a soft request. You are not demanding. You are asking. That is key. Luna: Okay. So if I ask Kan jag få rabatt? and the shopkeeper says no, what then? Do I just walk away? Lucas: Often, yes. If the price is fixed, you cannot change it. But you can also just state your feeling about the price. Luna: State my feeling? Like saying it is too much? Lucas: Exactly. The third phrase is: Det är för dyrt. It means: It is too expensive. Luna: Det är för dyrt? Let me try. Det är för dyrt. Oh, that is heavy. It sounds serious. Lucas: It can sound firm. Det är för dyrt. Use it when you really think the price is unfair. Or when you are just browsing. Luna: Det är för dyrt. Right. It is too expensive. I can use that to save my wallet. I appreciate that phrase. Lucas: You should. It protects your budget. But wait. There is another problem. Even if you agree to the price, you might not have the right payment method. Luna: Oh no. Cash or card? I always forget which one I have. Is cash still used in Sweden? Lucas: It is rare. Almost everything is digital. But if you are traveling from abroad, you might not have a Swedish card ready. Luna: So I might be stuck without money. That is stressful. What do I say if I have no cash? Lucas: The fourth phrase covers that. It is: Jag har inga kontanter. It means: I have no cash. Luna: Jag har inga kontanter? Let me say that carefully. Jag har inga kontanter. Wow, that tongue twister is tricky. Lucas: It is a bit tricky. Jag har inga kontanter. Focus on the 'k'. Kontanter. Cash. Repeat it with me. Jag har inga kontanter. Luna: Jag har inga kontanter. Okay. I have no cash. Got it. That is good to know. I hope I never need it. Lucas: Hopefully not. But if you do, you need a solution. Because most places do not take cash anymore. They prefer cards. Luna: So I need to ask if I can pay by card. That must be the final phrase, right? Lucas: Yes. The last phrase is very common. It is: Kan jag betala med kort? It means: Can I pay with card? Luna: Kan jag betala med kort? Let me try. Kan jag betala med kort? That sounds easy. Much easier than the cash one. Lucas: It is simpler. Kan jag betala med kort? Yes. It is clear. It tells them exactly what you want to do. Luna: Kan jag betala med kort? Yes. I can pay with card. Okay. I feel ready. I have five new phrases. Lucas: Let's review them quickly. First: Hur mycket kostar det? How much does it cost? Luna: Hur mycket kostar det? Correct. Lucas: Second: Kan jag få rabatt? Can I get a discount? Luna: Kan jag få rabatt? Correct. Lucas: Third: Det är för dyrt. It is too expensive. Luna: Det är för dyrt. Correct. Lucas: Fourth: Jag har inga kontanter. I have no cash. Luna: Jag har inga kontanter. Correct. Lucas: And fifth: Kan jag betala med kort? Can I pay with card? Luna: Kan jag betala med kort? Correct. Those are solid phrases. I feel confident. Lucas: I am glad. Confidence is half the battle. If Fexingo has been helping you make actual progress with this language, consider supporting us. We deliberately do not run ads on these episodes. If you want to support that choice, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it really helps keep the show clean and focused. Thanks for listening, guys. Now back to shopping. Lucas: Back to shopping. Imagine you are in a shop. You see a nice sweater. You ask: Hur mycket kostar det? Luna: And the shopkeeper says it is very expensive. So you say: Det är för dyrt. Lucas: Then you check your pockets. You realize you forgot your wallet. So you say: Jag har inga kontanter. Luna: And finally, you smile and say: Kan jag betala med kort? And everyone is happy. Lucas: Everyone is happy. Practice these phrases. Say them out loud. See you next time. Luna: See you next time. Bye!