If you are not a local in Nepal and have come to shop, there is a high chance that you will be charged the “foreigner’s price.” This means that you will be charged at least twice the local rate, if not more! To avoid this, we will cover in this post the basic Nepali shopping vocabs that you can use today!
As embarrassing as this may be, you might need to keep all that aside when it’s time to haggle. If you don’t speak Nepali and don’t have the tell-tale Nepali expressions, you can be a victim of being charged for overpriced goods. This is why it is crucial that even if you don’t speak Nepali, learn some Nepali words or essential words that will keep the friendly shopkeepers in check and make your shopping a great bargain! A good one to start with is the standard greetings and goodbye.
About Nepal
Are you planning to stay in Nepal for a time? Nepal is a beautiful place to visit as it has several sites ideal for history lovers and youth! It is also a paradise for shopaholics since it has many malls catering to foreigners and locals alike.
But before you go and pack your bags, we highly recommend learning about the Nepali language first. You see, the Nepali language may be complex for a beginner who has never been exposed to Hindi or similar South Asian languages. The language is initially called Gorkhali, and some of the vocabulary and words are loaned from Sanskrit. Since this is the local language, it makes sense to master a few bots about it before your trip.
Basic Nepali Shopping Vocabs
Vocabulary for shopping is so essential, especially if you are visiting another country. In Nepal, knowing the basic words can help you communicate better what you want and how much you are willing to pay for an item. This will also help you not to fall into the common scams! Let’s take a closer look at the words to use below.
| English | Nepali Shopping Word | Pronunciation | Sound |
| supermarket | सुपरमार्केट | Suparamārkēṭa | |
| chemist | रसायनज्ञ | Rasāyanajña | |
| bakery | बेकरी | Bēkarī | |
| café | क्याफे | Kyāphē | |
| station | स्टेशन | Sṭēśana | |
| taxi | ट्याक्सी | Ṭyāksī | |
| fare | भाडा | Bhāḍā | |
| mall | मल | Mala | |
| shopping | किनमेल | Kinamēla | |
| money | पैसा | Paisā | |
| petty cash | सानो नगद | Sānō nagada | |
| market | बजार | Bajāra | |
| stall | स्टल | Sṭala | |
| seller | बिक्रेता | Bikrētā | |
| gift | उपहार | Upahāra | |
| souvenir | स्मारिका | Smārikā | |
| dress | पोशाक | Pōśāka | |
| shoes | जुत्ता | Juttā | |
| antiques | पुरातन वस्तुहरू | Purātana vastuharū | |
| sale | बिक्री | Bikrī | |
| change | परिवर्तन | Parivartana | |
| color | रंग | Raṅga | |
| size | आकार | Ākāra | |
| exchange | विनिमय | Vinimaya | |
| cinema | सिनेमा | Sinēmā | |
| boutique | बुटीक | Buṭīka | |
| tailor | दर्जी | Darjī | |
| sales girl | बिक्री केटी | Bikrī kēṭī | |
| sales man | बिक्री मान्छे | Bikrī mānchē | |
| sales woman | बिक्री महिला | Bikrī mahilā | |
| changing room | फेर्ने कोठा | Phērnē kōṭhā | |
| shelf | शेल्फ | Śēlpha | |
| aisle | गलियारे | Galiyārē | |
| driver | चालक | Cālaka | |
| hotel | होटल | Hōṭala | |
| bag | झोला | Jhōlā | |
| basket | टोकरी | Ṭōkarī | |
| grocery | किराना | Kirānā | |
| bookstore | पुस्तक पसल | Pustaka pasala | |
| discount | छुट | Chuṭa | |
| children | बच्चाहरु | Baccāharu | |
| adult | वयस्क | Vayaska | |
| list | सूची | Sūcī | |
| budget | बजेट | Bajēṭa | |
| travel | यात्रा | Yātrā | |
| packing | प्याकिङ | Pyākiṅa | |
| gift wrap | उपहार लपेटो | Upahāra lapēṭō | |
| buy | किन्नुहोस् | Kinnuhōs | |
| return | फर्किनु | Pharkinu |
Nepali Shopping Phrases
| English | Nepali Shopping Phrases | Pronunciation | Sound |
| Do you accept credit cards? | के तपाइँ क्रेडिट कार्ड स्वीकार गर्नुहुन्छ? | Kē tapā’im̐ krēḍiṭa kārḍa svīkāra garnuhuncha? | |
| Excuse me! | मलाईं माफ गर्नुहोस्! | Malā’īṁ māpha garnuhōs! | |
| How much is this? | यो कति हो? | Yō kati hō? | |
| The food is delicious! | खाना स्वादिष्ट छ! | Khānā svādiṣṭa cha! | |
| What is the cost? | लागत के हो? | Lāgata kē hō? | |
| Can you speak English? | के तिमी अंग्रेजी बोल्न सक्छौ? | Kē timī aṅgrējī bōlna sakchau? | |
| I understand. | म बुझ्दछु। | Ma bujhdachu. | |
| What sizes do you have? | तपाईंसँग कस्ता आकारहरू छन्? | Tapā’īnsam̐ga kastā ākāraharū chan? | |
| What colors do you have? | तपाईंसँग कस्ता रंगहरू छन्? | Tapā’īnsam̐ga kastā raṅgaharū chan? | |
| I would like to return this. | म यो फिर्ता गर्न चाहन्छु। | Ma yō phirtā garna cāhanchu. | |
| It has a defect. | यसमा दोष छ। | Yasamā dōṣa cha. | |
| May I have a receipt? | के मसँग रसिद छ? | Kē masam̐ga rasida cha? | |
| Do you have a card? | के तपाईसँग कार्ड छ? | Kē tapā’īsam̐ga kārḍa cha? | |
| I can buy it for only this price. | म यो मूल्यमा मात्र किन्न सक्छु। | Ma yō mūlyamā mātra kinna sakchu. | |
| Can you give me a discount? | के तपाईं मलाई छुट दिन सक्नुहुन्छ? | Kē tapā’īṁ malā’ī chuṭa dina saknuhuncha? | |
| The order is wrong. | अर्डर गलत छ। | Arḍara galata cha. | |
| I think there is a mistake. | मलाई लाग्छ त्यहाँ गल्ती छ। | Malā’ī lāgcha tyahām̐ galtī cha. | |
| Can I call a cab? | के म क्याब कल गर्न सक्छु? | Kē ma kyāba kala garna sakchu? | |
| I like Nepali culture. | मलाई नेपाली संस्कृति मन पर्छ । | Malā’ī nēpālī sanskr̥ti mana parcha. | |
| Hello! What is your name? | नमस्ते! तिम्रो नाम के हो? | Namastē! Timrō nāma kē hō? | |
| I need to buy it tomorrow. | मैले भोलि किन्नु पर्छ। | Mailē bhōli kinnu parcha. | |
| That’s cheating! | त्यो धोखा हो! | Tyō dhōkhā hō! | |
| Can we report to the police? | के हामी पुलिसलाई रिपोर्ट गर्न सक्छौं? | Kē hāmī pulisalā’ī ripōrṭa garna sakchauṁ? | |
| I lost my purse. | मेरो पर्स हरायो। | Mērō parsa harāyō. | |
| That shopkeeper is so polite. | त्यो पसले धेरै विनम्र छ। | Tyō pasalē dhērai vinamra cha. | |
| I met friend while shopping. | किनमेल गर्दा साथी भेटेँ । | Kinamēla gardā sāthī bhēṭēm̐. |
Learn The Nepali Language With Ling
Are you interested in mastering the Nepali language? Do you want to learn more than just greetings and shopping terms? Do you feel that Nepal and its gorgeous and diverse geography are calling your adventurous heart? Then take a leap of faith! Visit Nepal.
To help you make your journey and stay a remarkable one here, we want to offer you the gift of Ling. This language-learning app is designed to learn up to 60 languages through games. It is simple, and the lessons are free. You can also take the courses at your own pace, making it a great travel companion! Want to learn more? Download it today!
