Markets & Souvenirs

1. Elo ni èyí?

   How much does this cost?

   Usage

   Asking price at a market

   Grammar Note

   "Elo ni" = interrogative phrase asking about price ("mélòó" is for counting)

2. Ṣé a lè ṣe ìdúnàdúrà?

   Can we negotiate the price?

   Usage

   Attempting to bargain

   Grammar Note

   "Ṣé a lè" = "can we" potential form. "Ìdúnàdúrà" means bargaining

3. Màá san ẹgbẹ̀rún márùn-ún.

   I'll offer five thousand.

   Usage

   Proposing a lower price during bargaining

   Grammar Note

   "Màá" = future intention marker "I will"

4. Ṣé ẹ lè gé iye rẹ̀ kù díẹ̀?

   Can you reduce the price a little?

   Usage

   Requesting a discount

   Grammar Note

   "Ṣé ẹ lè" = "can you" polite potential question

5. Ṣé ọwọ́ ènìyàn ló ṣe é, tàbí ìlú yìí ní wọ́n ṣe é?

   Is this handmade or locally made?

   Usage

   Checking origin of a craft item

   Grammar Note

   "tàbí" = "or" disjunctive conjunction

6. Kí ni wọ́n fi ṣe é?

   What material is this made of?

   Usage

   Asking about material composition

   Grammar Note

   "fi … ṣe é" = "make it with …". "Kí ni" = "what"

7. Ṣé ẹ lè dì í bí ẹ̀bùn?

   Can you wrap it as a gift?

   Usage

   Requesting gift wrapping

   Grammar Note

   "bí" = "as". "Dì" means "to wrap/tie up"

8. Níbo ni ọjà òru wà?

   Where is the night market?

   Usage

   Asking for night market location

   Grammar Note

   "Níbo ni ... wà?" = locative question "where is"

9. Ṣé ẹ lè fún mi ní rìsíìtì?

   Can I have a receipt?

   Usage

   Requesting a receipt

   Grammar Note

   "Fún mi ní" is the benefactive "give me" construction. A receipt is "rìsíìtì" (low-high-low-low), a loan from English.

10. Ọjà ń ṣí ní àkókò wo?

    What are the market opening hours?

    Usage

    Checking market hours

    Grammar Note

    "àkókò wo" = "what time/when" question phrase

11. Mo kàn ń wò ni, ẹ ṣé.

    I'm just looking, thank you.

    Usage

    Response to vendor approach

    Grammar Note

    "kàn … ni" = "only/just do …". "Ẹ ṣé" = "thank you"

12. Ṣé ẹ gba owó káàdì?

    Do you accept card payment?

    Usage

    Checking if card payment is accepted

    Grammar Note

    "Ṣé ẹ" = Yes/No question introductory particle

13. Mo ń ra èyí gẹ́gẹ́ bí ẹ̀bùn ìrántí.

    I'm buying this as a souvenir.

    Usage

    Stating souvenir purchase intent

    Grammar Note

    "gẹ́gẹ́ bí" = "as" prepositional phrase

14. Ṣé ẹ lè fi í ránṣẹ́ sí orílẹ̀-èdè mìíràn?

    Can this be shipped internationally?

    Usage

    Asking about international shipping

    Grammar Note

    "fi X ránṣẹ́" = "send X" verb phrase

15. Ohun rírà pàtàkì jùlọ tàbí tuntun jùlọ nínú ọjà yín ni ẹ wo?

    What's your best or freshest item?

    Usage

    Asking for best or freshest product

    Grammar Note

    "jùlọ" = superlative marker "most/best"

16. Ṣé iye rẹ̀ lè yípadà?

    Is this price negotiable?

    Usage

    Asking if price is negotiable

    Grammar Note

    "Ṣé ... lè" = potential question "can it"

17. Ṣé ẹ ní ìwọ̀n mìíràn?

    Do you have a different size?

    Usage

    Looking for different size

    Grammar Note

    "Ṣé ẹ ní" = "do you have" possessive question

18. Ohun yìí wọ́n púpọ̀.

    This is too expensive.

    Usage

    Expressing item is too expensive

    Grammar Note

    "púpọ̀" = intensifier "very/too much". "Wọ́n" is the verb "to be expensive". "Olóògùn" means a medicine seller or charm-maker, not "expensive"

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