Conversations in Hindi – General Store Posted by Nitin Kumar on Nov 21, 2011 in Hindi Language
In most of India cities, nowadays there are shopping malls with big supermarket or departmental stores where it is not a hassle to do shopping. However, in smaller cities and villages, there are still the traditional markets for everything. You can purchase what you need and there are shops for everything but you have to ask the shop owner for things that you need. So, you need to speak up and most of time, these shop owners don’t know English (particularly in North India)
It is a big problem for those, who are visiting India and have to go to the store for groceries and other stuff.
Let me make a sample conversation between a customer and shop owner for you. You can use the same format to carry a conversation besides you’ll find some new vocabulary.
Shop Owner to John :
नमस्ते / नमस्कार भाईसाहब!
Namaste / Namaskar Bhaisahab!
Hello / Hello (more formal) Sir!
John to Shop Owner:
नमस्ते / नमस्कार!
Namaste / Namskar!
Hello / Hello!
Shop Owner to John:
बताये , आपको क्या चाहिए ?
Bataye, aapko kya chahiye?
So, what do you need?
John to Shop Owner:
मुझे एक किलो चीनी, एक शम्पू की बोतल, एक चाय की पत्ती का पैकेट और एक नाहने का साबुन चाहिए .
Mujhe ek kilo chini, ek shampoo ki botel, ek chai ki patti ka paket aur ek naahne ka sabun chahiye.
I need a kg of Sugar, one Shampoo bottle, Tea packet and a bathing Soap.
Shop Owner to John :
भाईसाहब, कौन-कौन से कंपनी का चाहिए, यह बताओ.
Bhaisahab, kaun kaun se company ka chahiye, yeh batao.
Sir, tell me from which company you want your stuff.
John to Shop Owner:
हेड एंड शौल्डर का शम्पू…छोटा वाला , लिप्टन का २५० का ग्राम चाय का पाकेट और लक्स का एक साबुन दे दो
hed end sholder ka shampoo…chota wala, Lipton ka 250 gram ka chai ka paket aur ek Lux ka ek sabun de do.
Give me Head and Shoulder’s Shampoo…Small bottle, 250 gram Lipton’s Tea packet and a Lux bathing soap.
Shop Owner to John :
हेड एंड शौल्डर का शम्पू तो नहीं है, गर्निएर का चलेगा?
Hed end sholder ka shampoo to nahi hai, Garnier ka chalega?
We don’t have Head and Shoulder’S Shampoo, will Garnier do?
John to Shop Owner:
ठीक है .
Thik hai.
Okay.
John to Shop Owner:
कितने का हुआ सारा सामान?
Kitne ka hua sara saaman?
How much all that cost?
Shop Owner to Daniel:
सारा सामान हुआ…(पने पर जोड़ते हुए)…105 रुपए!
Sara saman hua…(pane par jodte hue)…ek so panch rupee! (ek so = 100, panch = 5)
All that cost…(summing on a piece of paper)…105 rupee!
और कुछ चाहिए भाईसाहब?
Aur kuch chahiye bhaisahab?
Sir, do you need anything else?
Daniel to Shop Owner:
नहीं और कुछ नहीं, बस यही. धन्यवाद!
Nahi aur kuch nahi, bas yahi. Dhaniyavad!
No, nothing else. Thanks!
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About the Author: Nitin Kumar
Nitin Kumar is a native Hindi speaker from New Delhi, India. His education qualification include Masters in Robotics and Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering. Currently, he is working in the Research and Development in Robotics in Germany. He is avid language learner with varied level of proficiency in English, German, Spanish, and Japanese. He wish to learn French one day. His passion for languages motivated him to share his mother tongue, Hindi, and culture and traditions associated with its speakers. He has been working with Transparent Language since 2010 and has written over 430 blogs on various topics on Hindi language and India, its culture and traditions. He is also the Administrator for Hindi Facebook page which has a community of over 330,000 members.