Convenience Store

1. थैली चाहिए? दस रुपये की है।

   Thailī cāhiye? Das rupaye kī hai.

   Do you need a bag? It costs ten rupees

   Usage

   Said by staff. Since the July 2022 single-use plastic ban, even a small kirana (neighbourhood grocery) charges for a cloth or thick reusable bag. Decline with "nahīṃ cāhiye"

   Grammar Note

   "Cāhiye" is an invariable predicate meaning "is needed"; the person who needs it takes "ko" ("mujhe thailī cāhiye"), but that is dropped at the counter. Prices are stated in the genitive: "das rupaye kī" (of ten rupees)

2. ये सिर्फ़ सौ ग्राम तौल दीजिए।

   Ye sirf sau grām taul dījiye.

   Please weigh out just a hundred grams of this

   Usage

   At an Indian kirana, pulses, rice, sugar, spices and snacks are scooped from sacks and jars and weighed out loose ("khulā") rather than pre-packed. This is the phrase for buying just a small amount, and it is cheaper than packaged goods

   Grammar Note

   "Taul dījiye" is a compound verb: stem "taul" plus the auxiliary "denā" (to give), which marks an action done for the hearer's benefit and sounds softer than plain "tauliye". Loose goods are "khulā"; packaged ones are "paikeṭ vālā"

3. छोटा पाउच भी है, पाँच रुपये का।

   Choṭā pāuc bhī hai, pāṃc rupaye kā.

   We also have a small sachet, five rupees

   Usage

   Said by staff. Shampoo, detergent, tea and biscuits are all sold in single-use sachets ("pāuc") for one to five rupees. Ask for a full bottle and the shopkeeper will often offer the sachet instead — handy if you are only in the country briefly

   Grammar Note

   The particle "bhī" attaches to the word before it, so word order carries the meaning: "choṭā pāuc bhī hai" = there is also a sachet (besides the big one), whereas "choṭā pāuc hai bhī" would stress that a sachet does indeed exist

4. थैली नहीं चाहिए, मेरे पास अपना बैग है।

   Thailī nahīṃ cāhiye, mere pās apnā baig hai.

   I do not need a bag, I have my own

   Usage

   With bags now charged for, carrying a cloth bag ("kapṛe kā thailā") is normal in India. Declining saves ten to twenty rupees and is well received. Say it before the shopkeeper starts bagging

   Grammar Note

   Hindi has no verb "to have"; possession is expressed as "X ke pās Y hai" (with X there is Y). "Apnā" is the reflexive possessive referring back to the subject — replacing it with "merā" would sound off here

5. स्ट्रॉ चाहिए?

   Sṭro cāhiye?

   Would you like a straw?

   Usage

   Said by staff. You will be asked when buying a carton or bottled juice. In everyday Hindi many people call a straw "pāip" (pipe), so "pāip cāhiye?" means the same thing. Since the 2022 ban, plastic ones have been replaced by paper

   Grammar Note

   Hindi yes/no questions keep the same word order; you either put "kyā" at the front or simply raise your intonation. In quick counter exchanges "kyā" is usually dropped

6. इस पर एमआरपी लिखा है, इससे कम नहीं होगा।

   Is par em-ār-pī likhā hai, isse kam nahīṃ hogā.

   The MRP is printed on it, so it cannot go any lower

   Usage

   Said by staff. Indian law requires the MRP (Maximum Retail Price) to be printed on every packaged item, and a kirana sells at that price. Unlike a market stall there is no haggling, so treat this reply as the end of negotiation. Charging above MRP, on the other hand, is illegal

   Grammar Note

   The "se" in "isse kam" is the comparative postposition: "X se kam" (less than X), "X se zyādā" (more than X). "Nahīṃ hogā" is a future-tense refusal — it will not happen

7. वो ऊपर वाला डिब्बा दिखा दीजिए।

   Vo ūpar vālā ḍibbā dikhā dījiye.

   Please show me that box on the upper shelf

   Usage

   An Indian kirana is not self-service: you stand at the counter and the shopkeeper fetches everything. Reaching for the shelves yourself is considered rude, so point and ask instead. In supermarkets and modern-trade chains you can browse freely

   Grammar Note

   "Vālā" turns the preceding word into a modifier meaning "the one that is …": "ūpar vālā" (the upper one), "lāl vālā" (the red one), "das rupaye vālā" (the ten-rupee one). It is indispensable for picking out goods

8. क्यूआर कोड दिखा दीजिए, मैं स्कैन करके पे कर दूँगा/दूँगी।

   Kyū-ār koḍ dikhā dījiye, maiṃ skain karke pe kar dūṃgā/dūṃgī.

   Please show me the QR code, I will scan it and pay

   Usage

   In India a UPI QR sticker sits by the till and the customer scans it, types in the amount and sends the money. Even tiny shops with no card machine usually have the QR. Foreign visitors can use traveller schemes such as UPI One World, but keep cash as a fallback

   Grammar Note

   "Karke" is the conjunctive participle (stem + ke) meaning "having done". Future verbs agree with the speaker's gender: "dūṃgā" (male), "dūṃgī" (female). "Pe karnā" is a compound verb built on English "pay", shorter than "pemenṭ karnā" in speech

9. क्या मैं फ्रिज से खुद निकाल लूँ?

   Kyā maiṃ phrij se khud nikāl lūṃ?

   May I take it out of the fridge myself?

   Usage

   A kirana's drinks fridge usually stands at the entrance and customers are generally allowed to help themselves to bottles. The rest of the shop is the owner's territory, though, so asking first avoids friction. Chilled is "ṭhaṇḍā", room temperature is "normal"

   Grammar Note

   "Lūṃ" is the first-person singular subjunctive, used for "shall I / may I". The auxiliary "lenā" (to take for oneself) marks the action as done for the speaker's own benefit

10. सील बंद पानी की बोतल है?

    Sīl band pānī kī botal hai?

    Do you have a sealed bottle of water?

    Usage

    Refilled bottles are a known problem in India, so always check that the seal ring under the cap is intact. Ask for a major brand such as Bisleri, Kinley or Aquafina and inspect the seal before leaving the counter. "Sīl ṭūṭī hai" means the seal is broken

    Grammar Note

    "Band", from Persian, means "closed" and appears widely: "dukān band hai" (the shop is closed), "band pānī" (sealed = bottled water). In "pānī kī botal" the genitive "kī" agrees with the feminine noun "botal"

11. यहाँ मोबाइल रिचार्ज हो जाएगा?

    Yahāṃ mobāil ricārj ho jāegā?

    Can I get a mobile top-up here?

    Usage

    Prepaid balance for Jio, Airtel or Vi can be topped up at a neighbourhood kirana — just give the shopkeeper your number and the amount. It is the easiest route when a tourist SIM runs dry or you cannot use Indian payment apps. Look for a "Recharge Point" sign

    Grammar Note

    "Ho jāegā?" literally asks "will it get done?" and is the standard way to check whether a service is available. It combines "honā" (to become) with the auxiliary "jānā" (to go), marking a completed change of state

12. यहाँ बिजली का बिल जमा हो जाएगा?

    Yahāṃ bijlī kā bil jamā ho jāegā?

    Can I pay an electricity bill here?

    Usage

    Many kiranas double as BBPS (Bharat Bill Payment System) or CSC agents and accept electricity, gas, water and DTH payments. Show the bill or the account number; a small fee of a few tens of rupees applies. Useful if you are renting a flat for a longer stay

    Grammar Note

    "Jamā karnā" means to deposit or pay in; the intransitive "jamā honā" means to be paid in. The genitive "kā" agrees with the following noun, so the masculine "bil" takes "kā" in "bijlī kā bil" (a feminine noun would take "kī")

13. इसकी एक्सपायरी कब की है?

    Iskī eksapāyarī kab kī hai?

    When does this expire?

    Usage

    Stock can sit on the shelf for a long time in a slow-moving small shop, so always check dates on dairy, bread and snacks. Packaging usually carries "Best Before" or "Use By" in English as well. If you spot an expired item, say "ye eksapāyar ho gayā hai" and ask for a replacement

    Grammar Note

    The genitive "kā / ke / kī" agrees with the noun that follows, so the feminine "eksapāyarī" forces both "iskī" and "kab kī". To ask about a date, the question word "kab" (when) takes the genitive: literally "of when".

14. छुट्टे नहीं हैं, टॉफ़ी ले लीजिए।

    Chuṭṭe nahīṃ haiṃ, ṭofī le lījiye.

    I have no small change — please take a toffee instead

    Usage

    Said by staff. Small Indian shops are chronically short of one- and five-rupee coins, so handing over a toffee or a stick of chewing gum in place of the odd change is a long-standing habit. You can insist with "nahīṃ, paise hī dījiye" (no, cash please), though often there genuinely are no coins

    Grammar Note

    "Chuṭṭe" is the plural of the adjective "chuṭṭā" (loose) and is always treated as plural, hence "haiṃ". "Le lījiye" stacks the auxiliary "lenā" onto the stem of "lenā" itself, adding a completive nuance: go ahead and take it for yourself

15. थोड़ा उधार कर लीजिए, कल दे दूँगा/दूँगी।

    Thoṛā udhār kar lījiye, kal de dūṃgā/dūṃgī.

    Please put it on my tab, I will pay tomorrow

    Usage

    A kirana runs on neighbourhood trust, and regulars are allowed to buy on credit ("udhār"), recorded in the shopkeeper's ledger ("khātā"). If you are on a long stay and shop there often, you can ask when you are short of cash. A first-time visitor will usually be refused, so do not press

    Grammar Note

    "Kal" means both tomorrow and yesterday; the verb tense disambiguates — the future "dūṃgā" here fixes it as tomorrow. Note how the light verb shifts the roles: "udhār karnā" (to put on a tab), "udhār lenā" (to borrow), "udhār denā" (to lend)

16. खुले पैसे हैं आपके पास?

    Khule paise haiṃ āpke pās?

    Do you have small change on you?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Hand over a 500-rupee note and this is the first thing you will hear. Answer "hāṃ" (yes) or "nahīṃ" (no). The coin shortage is chronic in Indian retail, so break the big notes an ATM gives you at a large store or petrol pump before shopping small

    Grammar Note

    "Āp" is the most respectful second person and the standard choice for staff addressing a customer. "Khulā" (open, loose) means "broken into small denominations" when applied to money and inflects to "khule" to agree with the plural "paise". A customer asking the shop for change says "chuṭṭe haiṃ?" instead

17. एक ही पैकेट अलग से मिल जाएगा?

    Ek hī paikeṭ alag se mil jāegā?

    Could I buy just one packet on its own?

    Usage

    An Indian kirana will tear a strip of biscuits, detergent or batteries apart and sell you a single unit — pricing is per piece by default, so travellers need not buy more than they can use. Eggs and cigarettes are likewise sold one at a time

    Grammar Note

    The particle "hī" restricts the preceding word — "ek hī" = one and only one. "Milnā" is an intransitive "to be available/obtained" whose subject is the thing obtained; the buyer takes "ko" ("mujhe mil jāegā"), usually dropped at the counter

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