A1 Expressions & Patterns 1 min read Fácil

Bargaining Language

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Master the art of the deal by using 'Boleh kurang?' to politely ask for a lower price in Indonesian markets.

  • Use 'Boleh kurang?' to ask for a discount: 'Boleh kurang?' (Can it be less?)
  • State your offer clearly: 'Dua puluh ribu, ya?' (Twenty thousand, okay?)
  • Always smile and use 'ya' to soften your request: 'Mahal sekali, bisa kurang ya?'
Polite Phrase + (Boleh kurang?) + Price Offer + (ya?)

Meanings

These expressions are used to initiate price negotiations in traditional markets or informal settings.

1

Initiating Bargain

Asking if a price is negotiable.

“Boleh kurang?”

“Bisa kurang?”

2

Making an Offer

Proposing a specific price.

“Lima puluh ribu, ya?”

“Bagaimana kalau seratus ribu?”

3

Declining/Accepting

Concluding the negotiation.

“Terima kasih, lain kali saja.”

“Oke, saya ambil.”

Bargaining Phrases

Function Indonesian Phrase English Meaning
Ask for discount Boleh kurang? Can it be less?
Propose price Lima puluh ribu, ya? Fifty thousand, okay?
Express high price Mahal sekali! Very expensive!
Accept Oke, saya ambil. Okay, I'll take it.
Decline Lain kali saja. Maybe next time.
Check fixed price Harga pas? Fixed price?

Reference Table

Reference table for Bargaining Language
Form Structure Example
Question Boleh + Verb? Boleh kurang?
Offer Price + ya? Sepuluh ribu, ya?
Complaint Mahal + intensifier Mahal sekali!
Acceptance Subject + Verb Saya ambil.
Refusal Time + saja Lain kali saja.
Confirmation Harga + Adjective Harga pas.

Espectro de formalidade

Formal
Apakah harga ini bisa dikurangi?

Apakah harga ini bisa dikurangi? (Market)

Neutro
Bisa kurang?

Bisa kurang? (Market)

Informal
Boleh kurang?

Boleh kurang? (Market)

Gíria
Kurangin dong!

Kurangin dong! (Market)

Bargaining Flow

Bargaining

Initiation

  • Boleh kurang? Can it be less?

Negotiation

  • Bisa kurang? Can it be less?

Conclusion

  • Oke, deal Okay, deal
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Examples by Level

1

Boleh kurang?

Can it be less?

2

Berapa harganya?

How much is it?

3

Lima puluh ribu, ya?

Fifty thousand, okay?

4

Mahal sekali.

Very expensive.

1

Bisa kurang sedikit?

Can it be a little less?

2

Kalau dua puluh ribu, saya ambil.

If it's twenty thousand, I'll take it.

3

Ini harga pas, ya.

This is a fixed price.

4

Terima kasih, nanti saja.

Thank you, maybe later.

1

Apakah harga ini masih bisa ditawar?

Is this price still negotiable?

2

Saya cari yang lebih murah, ada?

I'm looking for something cheaper, do you have it?

3

Bagaimana kalau kita sepakat di harga tiga puluh ribu?

How about we agree on thirty thousand?

4

Wah, harganya terlalu tinggi untuk saya.

Wow, the price is too high for me.

1

Boleh saya minta harga grosir jika saya beli banyak?

Can I ask for a wholesale price if I buy a lot?

2

Saya sudah sering beli di sini, bisa kasih harga spesial?

I often buy here, can you give me a special price?

3

Maaf, anggaran saya terbatas untuk barang ini.

Sorry, my budget is limited for this item.

4

Mari kita cari jalan tengah untuk harganya.

Let's find a middle ground for the price.

1

Saya menghargai kualitasnya, tapi apakah ada ruang untuk negosiasi?

I appreciate the quality, but is there room for negotiation?

2

Jika saya ambil dua, apakah bisa diberikan diskon?

If I take two, can a discount be given?

3

Saya rasa harga tersebut kurang kompetitif di pasaran saat ini.

I feel that price is less competitive in the market right now.

4

Apakah Anda bisa memberikan penawaran terbaik untuk saya?

Can you give me your best offer?

1

Mengingat kondisi barang ini, mungkin kita bisa meninjau kembali harganya.

Considering the condition of this item, perhaps we can review the price.

2

Saya tidak ingin memaksakan kehendak, tapi apakah harga ini final?

I don't want to force my will, but is this price final?

3

Mari kita diskusikan angka yang saling menguntungkan bagi kita berdua.

Let's discuss a figure that is mutually beneficial for both of us.

4

Saya akan mempertimbangkan tawaran Anda, namun saat ini belum sesuai.

I will consider your offer, but currently it is not suitable.

Easily Confused

Bargaining Language vs Boleh vs Bisa

Learners often mix these up.

Bargaining Language vs Harga pas vs Harga murah

Learners think they mean the same.

Bargaining Language vs Ya vs Iya

Learners use them interchangeably.

Erros comuns

✗

Turunkan harganya!

✓

Boleh kurang?

Too aggressive.
✗

Berapa murah?

✓

Boleh kurang?

Incorrect grammar.
✗

Ini mahal.

✓

Mahal sekali!

Lacks emotional emphasis.
✗

Saya mau diskon.

✓

Boleh kurang?

Too direct.
✗

Bisa murah?

✓

Bisa kurang?

Wrong word choice.
✗

Harga ini tidak pas.

✓

Ini harga pas?

Confusing the meaning of 'pas'.
✗

Saya tidak suka harga.

✓

Mahal sekali.

Unnatural phrasing.
✗

Boleh saya tawar?

✓

Boleh kurang?

A bit formal for a market.
✗

Ini terlalu mahal untuk saya.

✓

Mahal sekali, ya?

Too wordy.
✗

Bisa kasih harga yang lebih baik?

✓

Boleh kurang?

Too formal.
✗

Apakah Anda bersedia menurunkan harga?

✓

Boleh kurang?

Too formal for street market.
✗

Saya menuntut harga yang lebih rendah.

✓

Boleh kurang?

Too aggressive.
✗

Harga ini tidak masuk akal.

✓

Mahal sekali.

Too blunt.

Sentence Patterns

Boleh ___?

___, ya?

Mahal ___, ya?

Kalau ___, saya ambil.

Real World Usage

Traditional Market constant

Boleh kurang, Bu?

Souvenir Shop very common

Bisa kurang?

Street Food occasional

Boleh tambah?

Online Chat common

Bisa nego?

Taxi (Non-metered) common

Bisa kurang?

Handicraft Market very common

Mahal sekali, ya?

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💡

Smile

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

Don't be rude

Never be aggressive. It's considered very impolite.
🎯

Walk away

If the price is too high, walk away. They might call you back.
💬

Use 'Bu' or 'Pak'

Address the seller as 'Bu' (mother) or 'Pak' (father) to be polite.

Smart Tips

Use 'Boleh kurang?' instead of 'Berapa diskon?'.

Berapa diskon? → Boleh kurang?

Use 'Mahal sekali, ya?' to soften the complaint.

Ini mahal. → Mahal sekali, ya?

Use 'Oke, saya ambil' to finalize.

Oke. → Oke, saya ambil.

Use 'Lain kali saja' to be polite.

Tidak mau. → Lain kali saja.

Pronúncia

Boleh kurang? (rising pitch)

Intonation

Raise your pitch at the end of the question.

Question

Boleh kurang? ↑

Polite inquiry

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Boleh' as 'Bowl'—you want to fill your bowl for less money.

Visual Association

Imagine a friendly market seller smiling at you while you hold up two fingers to suggest a lower price.

Rhyme

Boleh kurang, harganya terang. Kalau mahal, janganlah malang.

Story

Budi goes to the market. He sees a beautiful shirt. He asks 'Boleh kurang?'. The seller smiles and says 'Yes'. Budi is happy.

Word Web

BolehKurangMahalHargaPasYaBeliJual

Desafio

Go to a local shop and ask for a small discount on an item, even if you don't buy it.

Notas culturais

Bargaining is very common and expected in traditional markets.

Bargaining is common for tourists, but be respectful.

Directness is common, but politeness is still valued.

Bargaining is rooted in traditional trade practices in the archipelago.

Conversation Starters

“

Boleh kurang harganya?

“

Ini harga pas?

“

Mahal sekali, bisa kurang?

“

Ada harga spesial?

Journal Prompts

Describe your experience bargaining in a market.
Write a dialogue between a buyer and a seller.
Why is bargaining important in Indonesia?
Compare bargaining in your country to Indonesia.
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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank.

Boleh ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kurang
Boleh kurang is the standard phrase.
Choose the correct phrase. Múltipla escolha

Which is polite?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Boleh kurang?
Boleh kurang is a polite request.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Saya mau diskon.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Boleh kurang?
Boleh kurang is more natural.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

Arrange the words in the correct order:

All words placed

Click words above to build the sentence

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Lima ribu, ya?
Correct order for a price offer.
Translate to Indonesian. Tradução

Can it be less?

Answer starts with: Bol...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Boleh kurang?
Boleh kurang means can it be less.
Match the phrase. Match Pairs

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

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

Buyer: Boleh kurang? Seller: ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Boleh.
Boleh is a natural response.
Build a sentence. Sentence Building

Use 'ya' and 'harga'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Harga pas, ya?
Correct structure.

Score: /8

Exercicios praticos

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

Boleh ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kurang
Boleh kurang is the standard phrase.
Choose the correct phrase. Múltipla escolha

Which is polite?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Boleh kurang?
Boleh kurang is a polite request.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Saya mau diskon.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Boleh kurang?
Boleh kurang is more natural.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

ya / lima / ribu / lima

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Lima ribu, ya?
Correct order for a price offer.
Translate to Indonesian. Tradução

Can it be less?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Boleh kurang?
Boleh kurang means can it be less.
Match the phrase. Match Pairs

Mahal sekali

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

Buyer: Boleh kurang? Seller: ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Boleh.
Boleh is a natural response.
Build a sentence. Sentence Building

Use 'ya' and 'harga'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Harga pas, ya?
Correct structure.

Score: /8

Perguntas frequentes (8)

No, only in traditional markets.

It means the price is fixed.

Not if you are polite.

It's a softening particle.

Yes, always.

Ask 'Berapa harganya?' first.

No, prices are fixed.

It's neutral/informal.

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

¿Se puede rebajar?

Indonesian uses 'ya' as a particle.

French moderate

C'est possible de baisser le prix?

Indonesian is more direct but polite.

German moderate

Geht es billiger?

Indonesian requires more social softening.

Japanese partial

安くできますか？

Japanese is more indirect.

Arabic high

هل يمكن تقليل السعر؟

Arabic uses more religious honorifics.

Chinese high

可以便宜点吗？

Chinese uses 'pianyi' for cheap.

Previous
Currency and Prices
Next
Shopping Vocabulary

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