Shopping

1. Hamas long ol samting ia?

   Ha-mas long ol sam-ting i-a?

   How much are these things?

   Usage

   Asking the price of goods

   Grammar Note

   "Ol" is the plural marker in Bislama (from English "all"), placed before nouns to indicate plurality.

2. Yu save givim mi praes blong hem?

   Yu sa-ve gi-vim mi praes blong hem?

   Can you give me the price?

   Usage

   Asking for the price of an item

   Grammar Note

   "Hem" is the third person singular pronoun in Bislama (from English "him"), used for both people and objects regardless of gender.

3. Hemia i sas tumas

   He-mi-a i sas tu-mas

   It is too expensive

   Usage

   Starting price negotiations

   Grammar Note

   Its antonym is jip (cheap). Price bargaining is common in Vanuatu markets.

4. Yu save daon praes?

   Yu sa-ve daon praes?

   Can you lower the price?

   Usage

   Negotiating a lower price

   Grammar Note

   "Daon" is used verb-like to mean "lower." Bargaining at markets is culturally accepted in Vanuatu.

5. Mi pem hemia

   Mi pem he-mi-a

   I will buy this

   Usage

   Deciding to purchase an item

   Grammar Note

   "Pem" (from "pay him") means "to buy"; "hemia" (this) points at the nearby object.

6. Yu gat disfala long narafala kala?

   Yu gat dis-fa-la long na-ra-fa-la ka-la?

   Do you have this in another colour?

   Usage

   Looking for a different colour of the same item

   Grammar Note

   Vanuatu's craft markets sell handicrafts, baskets, and carvings. Use this phrase to ask for different colours or varieties.

7. Maket i open long wanem taem?

   Ma-ket i o-pen long wa-nem taem?

   What time does the market open?

   Usage

   Asking the market opening time

   Grammar Note

   Markets in Port Vila and Luganville open early in the morning. "Open" is intransitive here ("Maket i open" = the market opens); the transitive form is "openem" (to open something).

8. Yu save raetem hem daon?

   Yu sa-ve rae-tem hem daon?

   Can you write it down?

   Usage

   Asking someone to write down a price or information

   Grammar Note

   A useful phrase when there is a language barrier. "Raetem daon" means "write down/record."

9. Mi no wantem hemia, tangkiu

   Mi no wan-tem he-mi-a, tang-kiu

   I don't want this, thank you

   Usage

   Politely declining unwanted sales approaches

   Grammar Note

   Adding "tangkiu" softens the refusal. Useful at tourist markets where vendors may approach proactively.

10. Yu save putum long wan boks?

    Yu sa-ve pu-tum long wan boks?

    Can you wrap it in a box?

    Usage

    Asking for gift wrapping or boxing of souvenirs

    Grammar Note

    "Putum long wan boks" means "put it in a box." The "-um" in "putum" is a transitivising suffix.

11. Mi no nidim risit

    Mi no ni-dim ri-sit

    I don't need a receipt

    Usage

    Used to decline a receipt when it is offered.

    Grammar Note

    Negation is simply "no" before the verb. The "-im" on "nidim" marks a transitive verb taking an object.

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