Shopping in Kannada at a Bengaluru vegetable market is one of the best places to start speaking, because the conversation is short, practical and repeated every week. With a few pointing words, one question about the rate and a couple of polite bargaining lines, you can buy tomatoes at KR Market or your local cart without paying the newcomer price. Everything below is spoken Bengaluru Kannada, written in English letters, with the script alongside.
Point, don't name
You don't need to know the name of a vegetable to buy it. Point and say idu for this one and adu for that one. Pointing plus two words gets you a long way.
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Idu eshtu? | ಇದು ಎಷ್ಟು? | How much is this? (literally: this how-much) |
| Idu kodi | ಇದು ಕೊಡಿ | Give me this one (literally: this give-please) |
| Adu beda | ಅದು ಬೇಡ | Not that one (literally: that not-needed) |
| Bere ideya? | ಬೇರೆ ಇದೆಯಾ? | Do you have another one? (literally: other is-there?) |
| Fresh ideya? | ಫ್ರೆಶ್ ಇದೆಯಾ? | Is it fresh? (literally: fresh is-it?) |
If the vendor answers Illa, it simply means "No / There isn't any". In shops it doubles as "we don't have it", so you will hear it a lot.
A few things you might buy
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Tarakaari | ತರಕಾರಿ | Vegetables |
| Eerulli | ಈರುಳ್ಳಿ | Onions |
| Baale hannu | ಬಾಳೆ ಹಣ್ಣು | Bananas (literally: plantain fruit) |
Asking the price per kilo
Vegetables are sold by weight, so the most useful question is the rate. The -ge ending you may know from Majestic-ge barthira? (Will you come to Majestic?) has one more job here: it means "per". By now -ge has marked a place, a time and a price, which makes it the most useful ending in spoken Kannada.
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Kejige eshtu? | ಕೆಜಿಗೆ ಎಷ್ಟು? | How much per kilo? (literally: kilo-per how-much) |
| Ardha kilo | ಅರ್ಧ ಕಿಲೋ | Half a kilo |
| Ondu kilo tomato kodi | ಒಂದು ಕಿಲೋ ಟೊಮ್ಯಾಟೊ ಕೊಡಿ | A kilo of tomatoes, please (literally: one kilo tomato give-please) |
Understanding the answer
These are the kinds of replies you will hear back. Recognising the numbers is half the battle.
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Aivattu rupaayi | ಐವತ್ತು ರೂಪಾಯಿ | Fifty rupees |
| Aravattu rupaayi | ಅರವತ್ತು ರೂಪಾಯಿ | Sixty rupees |
| Nooru rupaayi aagatte | ನೂರು ರೂಪಾಯಿ ಆಗುತ್ತೆ | That comes to a hundred (literally: hundred rupees will-become) |
Bigger totals are often said in English, so don't panic if the number comes back as "one-twenty".
Bargaining politely
Bargaining runs on two words: jaasti, too much, and kammi, less. Soften the ask with swalpa, a little, and keep it friendly. A vendor will happily come down for a smile, and not at all for a frown.
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Tumba jaasti | ತುಂಬಾ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ | That's far too much (literally: very much) |
| Jaasti aaytu | ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಆಯ್ತು | That's too much (literally: too-much became) |
| Swalpa kammi maadi | ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಕಮ್ಮಿ ಮಾಡಿ | Bring it down a little (literally: little less do-please) |
| Last price eshtu? | ಲಾಸ್ಟ್ ಪ್ರೈಸ್ ಎಷ್ಟು? | What's your final price? |
| Nalavattu kodthini | ನಲವತ್ತು ಕೊಡ್ತೀನಿ | I'll give you forty (literally: forty give-will-I) |
Last price eshtu? is English words with a Kannada question on the end, and every vendor understands it. Nalavattu kodthini is a counter-offer: swap in whatever amount you think is fair.
A common mistake is to agree too quickly. If the first price sounds high, say Tumba jaasti before anything else. Another is to push too far: once the price is fair, take it. Pushing further costs you more in goodwill than it saves in rupees.
Walking away and saying yes
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Beda, bidi | ಬೇಡ, ಬಿಡಿ | No, leave it (literally: not-needed, leave-please) |
| Sari, thogolthini | ಸರಿ, ತೊಗೊಳ್ತೀನಿ | OK, I'll take it (literally: OK, take-will-I) |
Beda, bidi is the walk-away line. Surprisingly often, the price drops as you turn. If it does, Sari, thogolthini closes the deal.
Bags and paying
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cover beku | ಕವರ್ ಬೇಕು | I need a bag (literally: cover needed) |
| Chillare ideya? | ಚಿಲ್ಲರೆ ಇದೆಯಾ? | Do you have change? (literally: change is-?) |
| Chillare illa | ಚಿಲ್ಲರೆ ಇಲ್ಲ | I don't have change (literally: change is-not) |
| UPI maadthini | ಯುಪಿಐ ಮಾಡ್ತೀನಿ | I'll pay by UPI (literally: UPI will-do-I) |
In Bengaluru a carry bag is a "cover". Bring your own, because plastic ones cost extra. If the vendor asks Chillare ideya?, the easiest answer is often to skip the problem entirely with UPI maadthini. Finish with Dhanyavada (Thank you).
A quick conversation
It's 7am at KR Market. Shruthi has the best tomatoes in the row, and she has already guessed you don't know what tomatoes cost.
- Shruthi: Yenu samachara? — What's the news? / What's up?
- You: Fresh ideya? — Is it fresh?
- Shruthi: Houdu — Yes
- You: Kejige eshtu? — How much per kilo?
- Shruthi: Nooru rupaayi aagatte — That comes to a hundred
- You: Tumba jaasti — That's far too much
- Shruthi: Aravattu rupaayi — Sixty rupees
- You: Nalavattu kodthini — I'll give you forty
- Shruthi: Aravattu rupaayi — Sixty rupees
- You: Beda, bidi — No, leave it
- Shruthi: Aivattu rupaayi — Fifty rupees
- You: Sari, thogolthini — OK, I'll take it
- Shruthi: Chillare ideya? — Do you have change?
- You: UPI maadthini — I'll pay by UPI
Fifty rupees a kilo is a fair price here, so taking it is the right call.
Practise before your next market run
Pick one stall you pass every week and try just two lines on your next visit: Kejige eshtu? and Sari, thogolthini. Once those feel natural, add Swalpa kammi maadi and the walk-away. Most vendors respond warmly to someone making the effort in Kannada.