Phrases · Dialogue 4 · 12 lines
At the Market
Buying vegetables and bargaining politely at the town souq.
Nadia — a shopper · Abu Ahmad — the produce seller
j / k or arrow keys step through the lines
- Nadiaصَبَاح الْخَيْر يَا حَاجّ. بِكَم كِيلُو الطَّمَاطِم؟
צבאח אל-ח'יר יא חאג'. בכם כילו א-טמאטם?ṣabāḥ al-khayr yā ḥājj. bikam kīlū ṭ-ṭamāṭim?
Good morning, hajj. How much is a kilo of tomatoes?
- Abu Ahmadأَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا! الْكِيلُو بِدِينَار وَاحِد.
אהלן וסהלן! אל-כילו בדינאר ואחד.ahlan wa-sahlan! al-kīlū bi-dīnār wāḥid.
Welcome! The kilo is one dinar.
- Nadiaدِينَار؟ هٰذَا كَثِير يَا حَاجّ!
דינאר? האד'א כת'יר יא חאג'!dīnār? hādhā kathīr yā ḥājj!
A dinar? That's a lot, hajj!
- Abu Ahmadيَا سِتِّي، الطَّمَاطِم بَلَدِيَّة وَطَازَجَة!
יא סתי, א-טמאטם בלדיה וטאזג'ה!yā sittī, aṭ-ṭamāṭim baladiyya wa-ṭāzaja!
Ma'am, the tomatoes are local and fresh!
- Nadiaطَيِّب، أَعْطِنِي ثَلَاثَة كِيلُو مِن فَضْلِكَ.
טייב, אעטני ת'לאת'ת כילו מן פצ'לך.ṭayyib, aʿṭinī thalāthat kīlū min faḍlika.
Fine, give me three kilos, please.
Gender polarity strikes: masculine kīlū takes thalātha with the feminine-looking -a ending — exactly Hebrew שלושה קילו.
- Abu Ahmadتَفَضَّلِي. شَيْء آخَر؟
תפצ'לי. שיא אח'ר?tafaḍḍalī. shayʾ ākhar?
Here you are. Anything else?
- Nadiaنَعَم، أُرِيد أَرْبَع حَبَّات خِيَار وَبَصَلَة وَاحِدَة.
נעם, אריד ארבע חבאת ח'יאר ובצלה ואחדה.naʿam, urīd arbaʿ ḥabbāt khiyār wa-baṣala wāḥida.
Yes, I'd like four cucumbers and one onion.
Now the polarity flips: feminine ḥabbāt takes bare arbaʿ — like Hebrew ארבע בננות. And baṣala is בצל, the very same onion.
- Abu Ahmadكُلّ هٰذَا بِثَلَاثَة دَنَانِير وَنِصْف.
כל האד'א בת'לאת'ת דנאניר ונצף.kull hādhā bi-thalāthat danānīr wa-niṣf.
All of this for three and a half dinars.
- Nadiaخَلِّيهَا ثَلَاثَة دَنَانِير وَنَتَّفِق؟
ח'ליהא ת'לאת'ת דנאניר ונתפק?khallīhā thalāthat danānīr wa-nattafiq?
Make it three dinars and we have a deal?
Gentle bargaining is part of souq etiquette — khallīhā, 'let it be…,' is the polite opener; Levantine māshī ('it walks') = deal.
- Abu Ahmadطَيِّب، خَلَاص، ثَلَاثَة دَنَانِير. عَلَى بَرَكَةِ اللَّه.
טייב, ח'לאץ, ת'לאת'ת דנאניר. עלא ברכת אללה.ṭayyib, khalāṣ, thalāthat danānīr. ʿalā barakati llāh.
Fine, done — three dinars. With God's blessing.
khalāṣ — 'done, that's it' — is Israeli slang חלאס; and baraka is Hebrew ברכה, root ב-ר-כ.
- Nadiaشُكْرًا جَزِيلًا يَا حَاجّ، مَعَ السَّلَامَة!
שכרן ג'זילן יא חאג', מע א-סלאמה!shukran jazīlan yā ḥājj, maʿa s-salāma!
Thank you very much, hajj — goodbye!
- Abu Ahmadمَعَ السَّلَامَة يَا سِتِّي، وَأَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا دَائِمًا.
מע א-סלאמה יא סתי, ואהלן וסהלן דאאמן.maʿa s-salāma yā sittī, wa-ahlan wa-sahlan dāʾiman.
Goodbye, ma'am — you're always welcome.