Shopping

1. দাম কিমান?

   Dam kiman?

   How much does it cost?

   Usage

   The basic first question when shopping; say it while pointing at the item

   Grammar Note

   দাম is price and কিমান asks for an amount. It corresponds to Bengali 'how much', but do not use কত, which is a different Assamese word

2. দাম অলপ কম হ'বনে?

   Dam olop kom hobone?

   Can you lower the price a bit?

   Usage

   A gentle way to bargain at markets and small shops

   Grammar Note

   হ'ব is the future of হোৱা 'become', the apostrophe marking a dropped vowel, and নে makes it a question. কম means a smaller amount

3. এইটো দেখুৱাব পাৰিবনে?

   Eito dekhuwab paribone?

   Could you show me this?

   Usage

   A polite request to see an item on the shelf

   Grammar Note

   দেখুৱাব পাৰিবনে is 'will you be able to show'. A future-form verb plus পাৰিবনে makes a polite request that fits many situations

4. মই এইটো ল'ম

   Moi eito lom

   I will take this

   Usage

   Tells the shopkeeper you have decided to buy

   Grammar Note

   ল'ম is the first-person future of লোৱা 'take'. The apostrophe after ল marks a dropped vowel, read as an /o/

5. আন ৰং আছেনে?

   An rong asene?

   Do you have other colors?

   Usage

   To ask for other colours of clothes or goods

   Grammar Note

   আন is the adjective 'other', placed before the noun. ৰং means colour and is the root of Rongali Bihu. আছেনে asks whether something exists

6. সৰু / ডাঙৰ আকাৰ আছেনে?

   Xoru / dangor akar asene?

   Do you have a small / large size?

   Usage

   For asking about sizes of clothes or shoes; choose one of the two words around the slash

   Grammar Note

   সৰু and ডাঙৰ are size adjectives placed before the noun. আকাৰ means size or shape, so the English word size is not needed

7. ইয়াৰ গুণমান কেনে?

   Iyar gunoman kene?

   What is the quality of this?

   Usage

   To check the quality with the seller before a costly purchase

   Grammar Note

   গুণমান means quality and Xobdo lists it so, though it is more at home in writing than in speech. কেনে asks how something is

8. ঘূৰাই দিব পাৰিবনে?

   Ghurai dib paribone?

   Can I return this?

   Usage

   Asks whether a purchase can be returned if it does not suit

   Grammar Note

   ঘূৰাই দিয়া is the compound 'give back': the causative of ঘূৰা 'turn, return' plus দিয়া 'give'. Ending with পাৰিবনে asks if it is possible

9. মোক এটা মোনা দিয়ক

   Mok eta mona diyok

   Please give me a bag

   Usage

   To ask for a bag after shopping

   Grammar Note

   এটা is the numeral 'one', unlike Bengali এটা 'this'. মোনা means bag, and মোক is 'to me'

10. বজাৰ ক'ত আছে?

    Bojar kot ase?

    Where is the market?

    Usage

    To ask hotel staff or passers-by where the market is

    Grammar Note

    বজাৰ is the market, a word of Persian origin. ক'ত আছে? is the standard frame for asking where something is, reusable with any noun

11. মোবাইলেৰে পেমেণ্ট কৰিব পাৰিবনে?

    Mobailere pemento korib paribone?

    Can I pay by mobile payment?

    Usage

    To check payment options; mobile payments are widely used in India

    Grammar Note

    -ৰে is the instrument case, 'by means of'. পেমেণ্ট is English payment, and পেমেণ্ট কৰা forms the compound verb 'to pay'

12. মোক ৰচিদ নালাগে

    Mok rosid nalage

    I don't need a receipt

    Usage

    To decline a receipt after paying

    Grammar Note

    লাগে means 'is needed' and নালাগে 'is not needed', with the negative prefix না-. The person who needs it is মোক 'to me', not মই

13. এইটো বৰ দামী

    Eito bor dami

    This is very expensive

    Usage

    Said when a price seems high, often before bargaining

    Grammar Note

    দামী is দাম 'price' with -ী, 'costly'. বৰ 'very' goes before the adjective. It is the opposite of সস্তা 'cheap'

14. মই মাত্ৰ চাই আছোঁ

    Moi matro sai asõ

    I'm just looking

    Usage

    Tells a shop assistant that you have not decided to buy yet

    Grammar Note

    চাই আছোঁ is the progressive: the linking form of চোৱা 'look' plus আছোঁ 'am', 'I am looking'. মাত্ৰ limits it to 'only'

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