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Module 4 · Shopping and money

Lesson 33 · Elementary · 4 min

Bargaining in the souk

Negotiating the price of a leather bag, from first offer to final price.

  • Unreviewed: this lesson’s Darija and translations have not yet been checked by a native speaker.

In this lesson

  • Ask for a discount
  • Make a counter-offer
  • Close the deal or walk away politely

In the souk, the first price is an invitation to talk. Offer around half and meet in the middle, always with a smile.

No audio for this lesson yet

This lesson hasn’t been recorded yet, and we won’t fake it with a made-up voice. Read the dialogue out loud with the help of the transliteration key.

Dialogue

  1. CustomerBchhal had ssak d jeld?How much is this leather bag?
  2. StallholderSb3mya dirham, a lalla.Seven hundred dirhams, madam.
  3. CustomerWa ghali bzzaf! N9es chwiya.Oh, that’s very expensive! Bring it down a bit.
  4. StallholderHada jeld 7orr, khdma d lyed. Chhal bghiti tkhelsi?It’s genuine leather, handmade. How much do you want to pay?
  5. CustomerRb3mya.Four hundred.
  6. StallholderLa, ma ymkench. Akhir taman: khmsmya w khamsin.No, impossible. Last price: five hundred and fifty.
  7. CustomerKhmsmya, w safi. Wla ghadi nmchi.Five hundred, and that’s it. Or I’ll go.
  8. StallholderWakha, nti zbouna mzyana. Khmsmya!Okay, you’re a good customer. Five hundred!
How to read the transliteration

Darija is written here in Latin letters, the way many Moroccans text. A few symbols stand for sounds English, French and Swedish don't have:

3
a tight sound from the throat (Arabic ع)
7
a breathy h, stronger than English h (ح)
9
a k made deep in the throat (ق)
gh
like a French r (غ)
kh
like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach (خ)
ch
like English sh (ش)

Vocabulary

ssakالساك
the bag
jeldجلد
leather
a lallaآ لالة
madam (polite)
n9esنقص
bring down, reduce
7orrحر
genuine, pure
khdma d lyedخدمة د اليد
handmade
tkhelles / tkhelsiتخلص / تخلصي
you pay (man / woman)
akhir tamanآخر تمن
last price
rb3myaربعمية
four hundred
khmsmyaخمسمية
five hundred
zboun / zbounaزبون / زبونة
customer (m. / f.)
wlaولا
or, otherwise

Repeat after me

Read each phrase out loud, then cover it and say it from memory.

  • Bchhal had ssak d jeld?

    بشحال هاد الساك د الجلد؟

    How much is this leather bag?

  • Wa ghali bzzaf! N9es chwiya.

    وا غالي بزاف! نقص شوية.

    Oh, that’s very expensive! Bring it down a bit.

  • Rb3mya.

    ربعمية.

    Four hundred.

  • Khmsmya, w safi. Wla ghadi nmchi.

    خمسمية، وصافي. ولا غادي نمشي.

    Five hundred, and that’s it. Or I’ll go.

Quiz

  1. Question 1 of 7What’s the final price?
  2. Question 2 of 7Fill in the blankGhali bzzaf! chwiya.Very expensive! Bring it down a bit.
  3. Question 3 of 7What’s a good bargaining strategy?
  4. Question 4 of 7Match each expression with its meaning.
  5. Question 5 of 7What does “rb3mya” mean?
  6. Question 6 of 7How do you say “bring down, reduce” in Darija?
  7. Question 7 of 7 · Review from lesson 31Review (lesson 31): what does “drahm / dirham” mean?

Your turn

Bargain for a lamp: you’re told 400, offer 200 and settle around 300.

Show an example answer

Ghali bzzaf! B mitayn? … Akhir taman? … Tlatmya, w safi.

غالي بزاف! بميتين؟ … آخر تمن؟ … تلاتمية، وصافي.

Too expensive! Two hundred? … Your last price? … Three hundred, and that’s it.

Summary

“Ghali bzzaf, n9es chwiya”, your offer, “akhir taman?”, then “… w safi” to close.

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