A2 Expressions & Patterns 1 min read Leicht

Bargaining Phrases

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Bargaining in Lao is polite and indirect; use 'lot dai bor?' to ask for a discount.

  • Always use polite particles like 'der' or 'jow' to soften your request.
  • Ask 'lot dai bor?' (Can you lower the price?) to initiate negotiation.
  • Use 'paeng lai' (too expensive) followed by a smile to show you are friendly.
Price + 'paeng lai' (Too expensive) + 'lot dai bor?' (Can you lower it?)

Meanings

These phrases are used to negotiate prices in markets or shops where fixed pricing is not strictly enforced.

1

Initiating Negotiation

Expressing that an item is expensive to start the bargaining process.

“ອັນນີ້ແພງຫຼາຍ”

“ມີລາຄາພິເສດບໍ່?”

2

Accepting/Declining

Concluding the negotiation.

“ຕົກລົງ”

“ບໍ່ເປັນຫຍັງ, ຂອບໃຈ”

Bargaining Phrase Structure

Step Lao English Function
1 ອັນນີ້ This item Subject
2 ແພງ Expensive Adjective
3 ຫຼາຍ Very Intensifier
4 ລົດ Lower Verb
5 ໄດ້ Can Ability
6 ບໍ່ Question Interrogative

Common Shortened Phrases

Full Phrase Short Form Meaning
ລົດລາຄາໄດ້ບໍ່ ລົດໄດ້ບໍ່ Can you lower it?
ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ ເທົ່າໃດ How much?

Reference Table

Reference table for Bargaining Phrases
Form Structure Example
Affirmative Subject + paeng An nee paeng (This is expensive)
Negative Subject + bor + paeng An nee bor paeng (This is not expensive)
Question Verb + dai + bor? Lot dai bor? (Can you lower it?)
Polite Phrase + jow/der Lot dai bor jow? (Can you lower it, please?)
Acceptance Tok long Tok long (Agreed)
Decline Bor pen yang Bor pen yang (No problem/No thanks)

Formalitätsspektrum

Formell
Khor thot, lot raka dai bor?

Khor thot, lot raka dai bor? (Market)

Neutral
Lot dai bor?

Lot dai bor? (Market)

Informell
Lot dai bor?

Lot dai bor? (Market)

Umgangssprache
Lot dai bor?

Lot dai bor? (Market)

Bargaining Flow

Bargaining

Opening

  • ສະບາຍດີ Hello

Negotiating

  • ລົດໄດ້ບໍ່ Can you lower it?

Closing

  • ຂອບໃຈ Thank you
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Examples by Level

1

ອັນນີ້ແພງຫຼາຍ

This is very expensive.

2

ລົດໄດ້ບໍ່?

Can you lower it?

3

ຂອບໃຈ

Thank you.

4

ເທົ່າໃດ?

How much?

1

ອັນນີ້ແພງຫຼາຍ, ລົດໄດ້ບໍ່?

This is very expensive, can you lower it?

2

ລາຄານີ້ໄດ້ບໍ່?

Is this price okay?

3

ບໍ່ເປັນຫຍັງ, ຂອບໃຈ.

It's okay, thank you.

4

ມີລາຄາພິເສດບໍ່?

Is there a special price?

1

ຖ້າຊື້ສອງອັນ, ລົດໄດ້ອີກບໍ່?

If I buy two, can you lower it more?

2

ລາຄານີ້ແພງໂພດ, ຫຼຸດໃຫ້ແດ່ໄດ້ບໍ່?

This price is too high, can you give me a discount?

3

ຂ້ອຍຂໍຄິດເບິ່ງກ່ອນເດີ້.

I will think about it first.

4

ລາຄາສຸດທ້າຍເທົ່າໃດ?

What is the final price?

1

ຂ້ອຍມັກອັນນີ້, ແຕ່ລາຄາສູງເກີນໄປ.

I like this, but the price is too high.

2

ເຈົ້າຫຼຸດໃຫ້ໄດ້ເທົ່າໃດ?

How much can you discount for me?

3

ຖ້າລາຄານີ້, ຂ້ອຍຊື້ເລີຍ.

If it's this price, I will buy it now.

4

ຂໍໂທດ, ລາຄານີ້ຂ້ອຍຊື້ບໍ່ໄດ້.

Sorry, I cannot buy at this price.

1

ລາຄານີ້ຍັງສູງຢູ່, ເຈົ້າພໍຈະຫຼຸດໃຫ້ໄດ້ອີກບໍ່?

This price is still high, can you lower it a bit more?

2

ຂ້ອຍເຫັນຮ້ານອື່ນຂາຍຖືກກວ່ານີ້.

I saw another shop selling it cheaper than this.

3

ພວກເຮົາຕົກລົງກັນທີ່ລາຄານີ້ໄດ້ບໍ່?

Can we agree on this price?

4

ຂອບໃຈທີ່ຫຼຸດລາຄາໃຫ້.

Thank you for the discount.

1

ລາຄານີ້ຖືວ່າສົມເຫດສົມຜົນ, ຕົກລົງ.

This price is reasonable, agreed.

2

ຂ້ອຍຢາກໄດ້ລາຄາທີ່ດີກວ່ານີ້ໜ້ອຍໜຶ່ງ.

I would like a slightly better price.

3

ຖ້າເຈົ້າຫຼຸດໃຫ້, ຂ້ອຍຈະກັບມາຊື້ອີກ.

If you give me a discount, I will come back to buy again.

4

ລາຄານີ້ແມ່ນລາຄາສຸດທ້າຍແລ້ວບໍ່?

Is this the absolute final price?

Easily Confused

Bargaining Phrases vs. Asking for price vs. Bargaining

Learners often ask for the price and then stop.

Bargaining Phrases vs. Polite vs. Rude

Direct translations can sound rude.

Bargaining Phrases vs. Fixed price vs. Bargaining

Bargaining everywhere.

Häufige Fehler

✗

Paeng!

✓

An nee paeng lai, jow.

Too direct.
✗

Lot!

✓

Lot dai bor?

Incomplete sentence.
✗

How much cost?

✓

Tao dai?

Grammar error.
✗

No expensive.

✓

Bor paeng.

Incorrect negation.
✗

You lower price.

✓

Lot hai dai bor?

Missing question particle.
✗

Very expensive, no.

✓

Paeng lai, bor pen yang.

Confusing negation.
✗

I want cheap.

✓

Khor raka thuk.

Too blunt.
✗

Why so expensive?

✓

Pen yang paeng lai?

Can sound aggressive.
✗

Give me discount.

✓

Lot hai dai bor?

Imperative is too strong.
✗

I buy for 10.

✓

10 dai bor?

Missing context.
✗

I am not paying this.

✓

Raka nee paeng lai.

Too confrontational.
✗

You must lower.

✓

Lot hai dai bor?

Demanding tone.
✗

This is bad price.

✓

Raka nee bor som.

Too judgmental.

Sentence Patterns

An nee ___, lot dai bor?

___, lot dai bor?

___, lot hai dai bor?

___, lot raka dai bor?

Real World Usage

Market constant

An nee paeng lai, lot dai bor?

Souvenir Shop very common

Lot dai bor?

Tuk-tuk very common

Lot dai bor?

Street Food occasional

Tao dai?

Facebook Marketplace common

Lot dai bor jow?

Small Boutique occasional

Mi raka phiset bor?

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💡

Smile

Always smile when bargaining. It makes the seller more likely to give a discount.
⚠️

Don't be rude

Never be aggressive. It is considered very rude in Lao culture.
🎯

Use particles

Always add 'jow' or 'der' to your requests.
💬

Know the place

Only bargain in traditional markets, not in modern shops.

Smart Tips

Always smile first.

Lot dai bor? → Smile + Lot dai bor jow?

Use 'paeng lai'.

Lot dai bor? → An nee paeng lai, lot dai bor?

Add 'jow' or 'der'.

Lot dai bor? → Lot dai bor jow?

Use 'bor pen yang'.

No. → Bor pen yang, khop jai.

Aussprache

paeng (high tone)

Tone

Lao is a tonal language. Ensure your tones are correct to avoid confusion.

Question

Lot dai bor? ↑

Rising intonation at the end indicates a question.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Remember 'Lot' like 'Lottery'—you want to win a lower price!

Visual Association

Imagine a friendly market seller smiling as you both agree on a price.

Rhyme

Price is high, say 'paeng lai', ask to 'lot', and give a smile.

Story

You walk into a market. You see a beautiful scarf. You ask the price. It is high. You smile and say 'paeng lai'. The seller laughs and says 'lot dai'. You are happy.

Word Web

ແພງລົດລາຄາເທົ່າໃດຂອບໃຈຕົກລົງ

Herausforderung

Go to a local shop and ask for the price of three items using 'tao dai'.

Kulturelle Hinweise

Bargaining is a social interaction. Always smile.

Lao bargaining phrases evolved from traditional market trade practices.

Conversation Starters

“

An nee tao dai?

“

Paeng lai, lot dai bor?

“

Raka nee dai bor?

“

Mi raka phiset bor?

Journal Prompts

Write about a time you bought something in a market.
Describe how to bargain politely in Lao.
Compare bargaining in your country and Laos.
Write a dialogue between a buyer and a seller.
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Test Yourself

Complete the phrase.

An nee paeng ___, lot dai bor?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: lai
Paeng lai means very expensive.
Choose the most polite phrase. Multiple Choice

Which is most polite?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Lot dai bor jow?
Adding 'jow' makes it polite.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Fix: 'I want cheap.'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Khor raka thuk.
Khor raka thuk is a polite way to ask for a lower price.
Order the words. Sentence Building

Order: 'bor / lot / dai / ?'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Lot dai bor?
Correct word order for a question.
Match the phrase to its meaning. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Too expensive
Paeng lai means very expensive.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

Seller: '100 kip'. You: '___'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Lot dai bor?
This is the standard way to bargain.
Is this true? True False Rule

Bargaining is okay in supermarkets.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Bargaining is for markets.
Change to question. Conjugation Drill

Change 'Lot dai' to question.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Lot dai bor?
Adding 'bor' makes it a question.

Score: /8

Ubungsaufgaben

8 exercises
Complete the phrase.

An nee paeng ___, lot dai bor?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: lai
Paeng lai means very expensive.
Choose the most polite phrase. Multiple Choice

Which is most polite?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Lot dai bor jow?
Adding 'jow' makes it polite.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Fix: 'I want cheap.'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Khor raka thuk.
Khor raka thuk is a polite way to ask for a lower price.
Order the words. Sentence Building

Order: 'bor / lot / dai / ?'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Lot dai bor?
Correct word order for a question.
Match the phrase to its meaning. Match Pairs

Match 'Paeng lai' to meaning.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Too expensive
Paeng lai means very expensive.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

Seller: '100 kip'. You: '___'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Lot dai bor?
This is the standard way to bargain.
Is this true? True False Rule

Bargaining is okay in supermarkets.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Bargaining is for markets.
Change to question. Conjugation Drill

Change 'Lot dai' to question.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Lot dai bor?
Adding 'bor' makes it a question.

Score: /8

FAQ (8)

No, only in traditional markets.

Say 'bor pen yang' and walk away.

Not if you are polite and smile.

It is a polite particle.

Use 'lot dai bor'.

Never.

Smile and say hello.

No, prices are fixed.

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In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

Regatear

Lao is more indirect.

French moderate

Marchander

Lao relies on politeness markers.

German low

Handeln

Lao is more social.

Japanese partial

Negoshie-shon

Lao uses particles.

Arabic moderate

Mufawada

Lao is less intense.

Chinese high

Kan jia

Lao is softer.

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Quantity Markers

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