hundredwords

How do you ask the price and bargain in Taiwanese at a market?

Expect to hear 愛袋仔無？ (Ài tē-á bô?, "Do you want a bag?"). Useful things to say: 這偌濟錢？ (Tse guā-tsē tsînn?, "How much is this?") and 傷貴矣！ (Siunn kuì ah!, "That's too expensive!").

Draft: First draft. A native Taiwanese speaker has not checked these lines yet, and some wording varies between north and south. Tell us if something sounds off.

The whole conversation: At the morning market

Morning markets run on Taiwanese. Prices are quoted fast, by the catty, and a little haggling is welcome.

  1. You say
    這偌濟錢？ Tse guā-tsē tsînn? How much is this?
  2. You hear
    一斤一百箍。 Tsi̍t kin tsi̍t-pah khoo. A hundred dollars a catty.

    Dollars are 箍 (khoo). A 斤 (kin) is 600 grams.

  3. You say
    傷貴矣！ Siunn kuì ah! That's too expensive!
  4. You say
    算較俗咧。 Sǹg khah sio̍k--leh. Make it a bit cheaper.
  5. You hear
    好啦，算你九十。 Hó--lah, sǹg lí káu-tsa̍p. OK, ninety for you.
  6. You say
    我欲兩个。 Guá beh nn̄g ê. I'll take two.

    Two (兩) and egg (卵) are both nn̄g. Context does the rest.

  7. You say
    有較細的無？ Ū khah sè--ê bô? Do you have a smaller one?
  8. You hear
    新鮮的喔！ Sin-tshinn--ê ooh! It's fresh!
  9. You hear
    愛袋仔無？ Ài tē-á bô? Do you want a bag?
  10. You say
    毋免。 M̄-bián. No need.
Is this what people really say here?

Questions about this scene

How do you ask the price and bargain in Taiwanese at a market?

Expect to hear 愛袋仔無？ (Ài tē-á bô?, "Do you want a bag?"). Useful things to say: 這偌濟錢？ (Tse guā-tsē tsînn?, "How much is this?") and 傷貴矣！ (Siunn kuì ah!, "That's too expensive!").

What does "愛袋仔無？" mean in Taiwanese Hokkien?

It means "Do you want a bag?". It is pronounced Ài tē-á bô?. A natural reply is 毋免。 (M̄-bián.), "No need".