Markets & Souvenirs

1. Ndelolesha fye.

   I am just looking.

   Usage

   A way to say you are only browsing

   Grammar Note

   "nde-" marks the first person in progress, "-lolesha" is "look at" and "fye" is "just". Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

2. Maliketi

   Market

   Usage

   A market; used to say where you want to shop

   Grammar Note

   A loanword; "ncende ya makwebo" (a place of trade) is also used. Native review recommended

3. Bushe maliketi ili kwi?

   Where is the market?

   Usage

   Asks where the market is

   Grammar Note

   "Where is X" is the subject plus "li kwi", with an agreement prefix matching the noun class (here i-). Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

4. Ndefwaya ukushita imisalu.

   I want to buy vegetables.

   Usage

   Says you want to buy vegetables at the market

   Grammar Note

   The singular is "umusalu"; "ukushita" is "buy" and "ukushitisha" is "sell". Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

5. Matimati

   Tomatoes

   Usage

   Tomatoes; used when pointing out vegetables to buy

   Grammar Note

   A loanword, sometimes written in the English form "tomato"; native review recommended

6. Impilipili

   Chili

   Usage

   Chili; used when buying at the market or talking about spice

   Grammar Note

   Sometimes written with a hyphen as "impili-pili"; a loanword, native review recommended

7. Ndefwaya ukushita isabi.

   I want to buy fish.

   Usage

   Says you want to buy fish at the market

   Grammar Note

   Swap the name of another item into the place of "isabi". Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

8. Bushe mukwete amani?

   Do you have eggs?

   Usage

   Asks a shop or stall whether they have an item

   Grammar Note

   "mukwete" is second-person plural ("you have"); swap in other items. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

9. Matimati ni indalama shinga?

   How much are the tomatoes?

   Usage

   Asks the price of an item at the market

   Grammar Note

   Literally "the tomatoes are how much money". "Indalama shinga" asks an amount of money; swap in other item names to ask a price. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

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