Bengali Shopping Phrases and Bargaining
Most shopping in Bangladesh happens at a stall or a small shop where the price is a starting point, not a fact. These are the phrases for that, and the rule about which shops do not work that way.
| English | Bengali | In English letters |
|---|---|---|
| How much is this? | এটার দাম কত? | etar dam koto? |
| That is too expensive | অনেক দাম | onek dam |
| Can you reduce it? | একটু কমান | ektu koman |
| My last price is … | আমার শেষ দাম … | amar shesh dam … |
| I will take it | আমি নেব | ami nebo |
| I don't want it | লাগবে না | lagbe na |
| Do you have a bigger one? | বড় সাইজ আছে? | boro size achhe? |
| Another colour? | অন্য রং আছে? | onno rong achhe? |
| Can I try it on? | পরে দেখতে পারি? | pore dekhte pari? |
| Is it fixed price? | ফিক্সড প্রাইস? | fixed price? |
| Give me a bill | বিল দিন | bill din |
| Do you take card? | কার্ড চলে? | card chole? |
| I don't have change | ভাংতি নেই | bhangti nei |
| Money / taka | টাকা | taka |
| Cheap / expensive | সস্তা / দামি | shosta / dami |
| Just looking | শুধু দেখছি | shudhu dekhchhi |
What a phrasebook will not tell you
Where bargaining works and where it does not
Bargain at markets, street stalls, small clothing shops, rickshaws and anything without a price tag. Do not bargain in supermarkets, chain stores, pharmacies or restaurants — the price is printed and the attempt is awkward for both of you. If a shop says 'fixed price', that is usually true and pushing further gets nowhere.
Walking away is the whole technique
The most effective move is to say lagbe na ('I don't need it') and start leaving. If the price was flexible, you will be called back before you reach the door. If you are not called back, the price was real. This is not a trick; it is how the price gets discovered, and nobody takes offence.
A foreigner will be quoted more, and that is normal
The first number is higher for a visitor, sometimes much higher. It is not personal and it is not fraud — it is an opening offer in a system where every price is an opening offer. Knowing roughly what things cost matters more than any phrase: ask a local what they would pay before you go.
Small change is a genuine problem
Nobody has change for a thousand-taka note, and shops will often refuse a sale rather than break one. Break large notes wherever you can — at a supermarket, a pharmacy, a restaurant — and keep small notes for rickshaws and tea stalls. Bhangti nei ('no change') is a sentence you will hear constantly.
Questions
How do you ask how much something costs in Bengali?
Etar dam koto? — literally 'of-this the price how-much?'. Just koto? works too and is what people usually say.
How much should I bargain down?
At a tourist-facing market, a first offer of roughly half is normal and you will usually settle nearer two-thirds. At an ordinary neighbourhood shop the margin is much smaller — a small reduction is the most that is on offer.
What is the currency of Bangladesh?
The taka (টাকা), written Tk or ৳. Prices in large amounts are given in lakh (100,000) and crore (10,000,000).
Is it rude to bargain?
No, where it is expected. It is a normal part of the transaction and often quite friendly. It is only awkward in shops with printed prices.