Terms for shopping and commerce in Arabic

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Learning Arabic can be highly rewarding, especially when traveling or doing business in Arabic-speaking countries. Understanding key terms for shopping and commerce will not only help you navigate markets and malls but will also enrich your interactions with locals. Here are some essential Arabic terms you might find useful, complete with their definitions and example sentences.

سوق (Souq)
A traditional market or bazaar commonly found in Arab cities.
ذهبت إلى السوق لشراء الهدايا لأصدقائي.
(I went to the souq to buy gifts for my friends.)

مال (Mal)
Money, generally referring to currency.
أين أضع المال؟
(Where should I put the money?)

أسعار (As’ar)
Prices, what something costs.
ما هي أسعار الفواكه اليوم؟
(What are the fruit prices today?)

تخفيضات (Takhfidat)
Discounts or sales, typically seen in shops to attract customers.
يوجد تخفيضات كبيرة في ذلك المتجر.
(There are big discounts in that store.)

محل (Mahall)
Shop or store, a place where you can buy goods.
هل يمكنك أن توصلني إلى المحل؟
(Can you take me to the shop?)

مشتريات (Mushtariyat)
Purchases, items that one has bought.
أضع مشترياتي في السيارة.
(I put my purchases in the car.)

مقايضة (Muqayada)
Bartering, exchanging goods without using money.
هل تقبل المقايضة بهذه السلعة؟
(Do you accept bartering for this item?)

زبون (Zaboon)
Customer, the person who buys goods or services from a shop or business.
الزبون دائمًا على حق.
(The customer is always right.)

فاتورة (Fatoora)
Invoice or bill, a list of goods sent or services provided, with a statement of the sum due.
هل يمكنك إعطائي الفاتورة، من فضلك؟
(Can you give me the invoice, please?)

دفع (Daf’)
To pay, the action of giving someone money for goods or services.
كم يجب أن أدفع؟
(How much do I have to pay?)

قائمة التسوق (Qa’imatu at-tasawwq)
Shopping list, a list of items to be bought.
قمت بكتابة قائمة التسوق الخاصة بي.
(I have written my shopping list.)

استرجاع (Istirja’)
Refund or return, the process of giving back a purchased item and receiving one’s money back.
هل يمكنني استرجاع هذا المنتج؟
(Can I return this product?)

قسيمة شراء (Qasimat shira’)
Coupon, a voucher entitling the holder to a discount for a particular product.
لدي قسيمة شراء للحصول على خصم.
(I have a coupon to get a discount.)

طريقة الدفع (Tariqat ad-daf’)
Payment method, the way that a payer chooses to compensate the seller.
ما هي طريقة الدفع المفضلة لديك؟
(What is your preferred payment method?)

عملة (Oumla)
Currency, the system of money in general use in a particular country.
ما هي العملة التي تستخدمونها هنا؟
(What currency do you use here?)

Armed with this vocabulary, you can confidently navigate shopping and commerce situations in the Arab world. Remember, practice makes perfect and being able to utilize these terms in context will greatly improve your language skills and experience. Happy shopping, or as you might say in Arabic, “تسوق سعيد” (Tasawuq sa’eed)!

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