Arabic Vocabulary for Shopping :)
One of the best ways to explore another country is to go shopping. Whether you're shopping for clothes, food, or souvenirs, you can use the following phrases in any Arabic-speaking country to help you find just the right thing.
There are some fabulous deals to be found in the Middle East. In most Arabic-speaking countries, there are street markets (called souqs سوق ) where you can buy anything from fruits and vegetables to antiques and collectibles. If you need more specific grocery items, you want to visit a Baqqaal بقال (grocery store).
Bargaining in these marketplaces is one of the great cultural activities in the Arab world and one of the best opportunities for a visitor to practice speaking. Good-natured haggling is expected in the street markets (but not in fixed-price stores). Expect the salesperson to start at twice the expected price or higher.
The following words can be used in a variety of shopping situations.
baa'i' (salesperson) بائع
thaman, si'r (price) ثمن, سعر
ghaal (expensive) ٍغال
rakhiiS (cheap) رخيص
maqbuul (acceptable) مقبول
ghayr maqbuul (unacceptable) غير مقبول
tanziilaat (sale [discount]) تنزيلات
sajjaada (rug) سجادة
nuHaas (brass) نحاس
Sunduuq (box) صندوق
ibriiq (coffee urn) إبريق
finjaan (cup) فنجان
'iTr (perfume) عطر
Hariir (silk) حرير
jild (leather) جلد
The following phrases will be useful no matter what kind of shopping you plan on doing.
bikam? (How much?) بكَم ؟
haadhaa ghaalii. (That is expensive.) هذا غالي
haadhaa thaman jayyid. (That is a good price.) هذا ثمن جيد
uriid haadhaa. (I want this (one).) أريد هذا
uriid an ashtarii . . . (I want to buy . . .) أريد أن أشتري
uriid an adfa' bishiik. (I want to pay by check. أريد أن أدفع بشيك
hal yumkinnii an ashtarii . . . hunaa? (May I buy . . . here?)
هل يمكنني أن أشتري.... هنا ؟
hal anta tabii' . . . ? (Do you sell . . . ?) هل أنت تبيع ؟
uriid shay'an arkhaS, min faDlik. (I want something less expensive, please.) أريد شيئاً أرخص من فضلك
ufaDDil haadhaa. (I prefer this [one].) أفضل هذا
haadhaa si'r maqbuul. (That price is acceptable.) هذا سعر مقبول
sa'dfa' . . . (I will pay . . .) سأدفع
laa uriid an adfa' akthar min . . . (I don't want to pay more than . . .)
لا أريد أن أدفع أكثر من ....