Markets & Souvenirs

1. Quant custa quai?

   How much is this?

   Usage

   The basic question for asking a price at a market stall, usually while pointing at the item. Prices are quoted in Swiss francs

   Grammar Note

   quai means "this" or "that" and goes well with pointing. It also works when asking about several items together

2. Datti in rabat, sche jau cumpr plirs?

   Is there a discount if I buy several?

   Usage

   Asks for a discount when buying several items. Haggling is not common at Swiss markets, so keep the request modest

   Grammar Note

   datti is the existential used for "is there …?", and sche opens the conditional clause. Composed sentence; native review recommended

3. Èsi fatg a maun?

   Is it handmade?

   Usage

   Checks whether a craft item such as woodwork, textiles or pottery is handmade

   Grammar Note

   Èsi is the inversion of es (is) + si (it), forming a question. Because the subject is a thing, fatg stays masculine singular. Composed sentence; native review recommended

4. Da tge material èsi?

   What material is it made of?

   Usage

   Asks what a craft item or garment is made of. Expect answers such as wood, leather or wool

   Grammar Note

   The preposition da opens the question and the inverted èsi closes it. Composed sentence; native review recommended

5. Pudais Vus pachetar quai sco regal, per plaschair?

   Could you gift-wrap this, please?

   Usage

   A polite request to have a purchase wrapped as a gift, possible even at small shops and market stalls

   Grammar Note

   The polite Vus is always capitalised. sco means "as", and regal (gift) is masculine

6. Poss jau survegnir ina quittanza?

   Can I have a receipt?

   Usage

   Asks for a receipt after a purchase, which can be needed for tax refunds or returns

   Grammar Note

   Poss jau is the inverted "may I". quittanza corresponds to German Quittung and is feminine

7. Tge èn las uras d'avertura dal martgà?

   What are the market's opening hours?

   Usage

   Asks when the market is open. Many markets run only on set days of the week, so check the day as well

   Grammar Note

   uras (hours) is plural, so the verb is the plural èn. dal is the contraction of da + il. Composed sentence; native review recommended

8. Jau guard mo, grazia.

   I'm just looking, thank you.

   Usage

   A friendly way to decline when a stallholder approaches you, without feeling pressured

   Grammar Note

   mo is an adverb meaning "only". The first-person form of guardar is guard

9. Acceptais Vus la carta?

   Do you accept cards?

   Usage

   Asks whether a card is accepted. Small stalls sometimes take cash only, so ask before you buy

   Grammar Note

   The polite Vus is always capitalised, and the verb precedes the subject to form the question. Composed sentence; native review recommended

10. Quai è in souvenir per mia famiglia.

    This is a souvenir for my family.

    Usage

    Useful when asked what you are buying, or as an introduction to asking for gift wrapping

    Grammar Note

    The possessive agrees with the noun: the feminine famiglia takes mia. Composed sentence; native review recommended

11. Pudais Vus trametter quai a l'ester?

    Can you send this abroad?

    Usage

    Asks whether a large or fragile purchase can be shipped overseas. Ask about the postage as well

    Grammar Note

    l'ester is the noun for "abroad", and a l'ester means "to foreign countries". Composed sentence; native review recommended

12. Tge è il pli frestg oz?

    What is the freshest today?

    Usage

    Asks for the day's best pick among vegetables, fruit, cheese and other fresh goods

    Grammar Note

    The superlative is il pli + adjective, and frestg means "fresh". Composed sentence; native review recommended

13. Avais Vus ina grondezza pli pitschna?

    Do you have a smaller size?

    Usage

    Asks for a smaller size of clothing or shoes. For a larger size, replace pli pitschna with pli gronda

    Grammar Note

    The adjective agrees with the feminine noun grondezza, giving pitschna. The polite Vus is always capitalised

14. Quai è memia char.

    That is too expensive.

    Usage

    A mild way to say the price is over your budget. To ask for something cheaper you can follow with "Avais Vus insatge pli bunmartgà?"

    Grammar Note

    memia + adjective means "too …". The subject is quai (that), so char does not change. Composed sentence; native review recommended

15. la tschagula

    Onion

    Usage

    The word for an onion at the vegetable stall. The plural is las tschagulas

    Grammar Note

    tschagula is feminine. The letters tsch sound like "ch"

16. il chili

    Chili

    Usage

    The word for chili or hot spice, useful when you want to avoid it or are looking for it

    Grammar Note

    chili is a masculine loanword. If unsure of the pronunciation, point at the item as you say it

17. il jogurt

    Yogurt

    Usage

    The word for yogurt, used at the dairy and cheese stalls

    Grammar Note

    jogurt is masculine and is spelled with an initial j

18. ils fritgs

    Fruit

    Usage

    The general word for fruit, useful when looking for the fruit stall. The singular is il fritg

    Grammar Note

    fritg is masculine, and the plural fritgs serves as the general word for fruit

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