Shopping and bargaining in Punjabi
ਕੀਮਤ, ਛੋਟ, ਰੰਗ — shop in Punjabi from first price to final deal.
🔊 Tap any speaker button to hear Punjabi spoken. Too fast or slow? Use the speed button at the bottom-right of the page.
Prices open every transaction: ਇਹਦੀ ਕੀਮਤ ਕੀ ਹੈ? (what's this one's price?), ਕਿੰਨੇ ਰੁਪਏ? (how many rupees?). Listen for the number, repeat it back — ਪੰਜਾਹ? (fifty?) — and you are already shopping in Punjabi.
Bargaining follows the friendly script: ਬਹੁਤ ਮਹਿੰਗਾ ਹੈ (too costly), ਛੋਟ ਦਿਓ (give a discount), ਥੋੜ੍ਹਾ ਘੱਟ ਕਰੋ (reduce a little). Start walking away slowly — ਚੰਗਾ, ਵੇਖਦਾ ਹਾਂ (okay, I'll look around) — and the real price often chases you down the street.
Sizes and colours refine the hunt: ਵੱਡਾ ਦਿਓ (give the big one), ਛੋਟਾ ਦਿਓ (give the small one), ਨਵਾਂ ਦਿਖਾਓ (show a new one), ਹੋਰ ਰੰਗ (another colour). Point, name the change, nod — Punjabi shopkeepers read gestures fluently and reward attempts instantly.
Colours close the sale: ਲਾਲ (red), ਨੀਲਾ (blue), ਹਰਾ (green), ਪੀਲਾ (yellow), ਚਿੱਟਾ (white), ਕਾਲਾ (black). ਲਾਲ ਵਧੀਆ ਲੱਗਦਾ ਹੈ (the red looks nice) — then ਲਵਾਂਗਾ (I'll take it). Deal done, in Punjabi, with a smile on both sides.
Words and phrases for this topic
| English | Punjabi | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ਕੀਮਤ | keemat |
| Too costly | ਬਹੁਤ ਮਹਿੰਗਾ ਹੈ | bahut mahingaa hai |
| Please reduce a little | ਥੋੜ੍ਹਾ ਘੱਟ ਕਰੋ | thodhaa ghatt karo |
| Discount | ਛੋਟ | chhot |
| New | ਨਵਾਂ | navaan |
| Big | ਵੱਡਾ | vaddaa |
| Small | ਛੋਟਾ | chhotaa |
| Another colour | ਹੋਰ ਰੰਗ | hor rang |
| Red | ਲਾਲ | laal |
| Blue | ਨੀਲਾ | neelaa |
| Green | ਹਰਾ | haraa |
| Yellow | ਪੀਲਾ | peelaa |
| I'll take it (m speaker) | ਲਵਾਂਗਾ | lavaangaa |
Language, culture, and common traps
Practice: recall, then use
Use this quick recall drill for Shopping and bargaining. Hide the script and romanisation columns; say the Punjabi form for each cue before revealing its row, then check spelling and sound. The phrase-table speaker buttons provide a model when a matching browser voice is available.
- Price
- Small
- I'll take it (m speaker)
Context check. For Shopping and bargaining, “I'll take it (m speaker)” belongs to a particular setting. A common mistake is to treat an English gloss as universal; read the language-specific note above and ask a fluent speaker when local usage differs.
Check your recall: answer key
- ਕੀਮਤ keemat — Price
- ਛੋਟਾ chhotaa — Small
- ਲਵਾਂਗਾ lavaangaa — I'll take it (m speaker)
Questions learners ask
ਇਹਦੀ ਕੀਮਤ ਕੀ ਹੈ? (what's the price of this?) — then ਬਸ ਕਿੰਨੇ? (just how much?) for everything else. Two questions, every shop in Punjab.
ਬਹੁਤ ਮਹਿੰਗਾ ਹੈ (too costly) with a smile, then ਥੋੜ੍ਹਾ ਘੱਟ ਕਰੋ (reduce a little). Bargaining is friendly theatre — play your part warmly and the price moves.
Start with five: ਲਾਲ (red), ਨੀਲਾ (blue), ਹਰਾ (green), ਪੀਲਾ (yellow), ਚਿੱਟਾ (white). ਹੋਰ ਰੰਗ ਦਿਖਾਓ (show another colour) reveals the rest.