At a Bolivian market, greet your regular vendor as caserita. For crafts, ¿me hace una rebajita? is the polite way to open bargaining; everyday produce at a market such as Los Pozos in Santa Cruz usually already has its price. Once the vendor has come down a little, está bien, me lo llevo closes the deal, and if you decide not to buy, gracias igual, caserita is just as warm.
Every phrase comes from the lessons. Press play to hear it.
Buenos días, caserita.Good morning (to your regular vendor).
Caserita, ¿quiere la bolsa azul?Would you like the blue bag?
¿A cuánto está el kilo de papa?How much is a kilo of potatoes?
¿Me hace una rebajita?Could you give me a little discount?
Está bien, me lo llevo.All right, I'll take it.
Gracias igual, caserita.Thanks anyway.
¿Me lo puede envolver, por favor?Could you wrap it for me, please?
¿Aceptan tarjeta?Do you take cards?
En el mercado casi todo se paga en efectivo.At the market almost everything is paid in cash.
How it works
Taking it without naming it again
me lo llevo
I'll take it: lo stands for a masculine thing, like el jabón.
me la llevo
I'll take it: la stands for a feminine thing, like la bolsa.
los llevo
I'll take them: los for several masculine things, las for feminine ones.
no lo necesito
I don't need it: no first, then the little word, then the verb.
¿Me lo puede envolver?
Could you wrap it for me? me and lo stay together, in that order, in front of the verb.
The rule card of lesson 16 (A0)
lo and la replace the thing,le replaces the person who receives
The thing the verb acts on comes back as lo or la, and as los or las when there is more than one.
The person you give, say, send or ask something to comes back as le, or les for several people.
A person the verb acts on directly still takes lo or la in Latin America: a Marcos lo vi, a Marcos le dije.
El contrato lo firmamos mañana.The contract is what the verb acts on, and it is masculine singular, so lo.
Le di el recibo a la casera.The receipt is what changes hands; the landlady is who receives it, so she is le.
In Bolivia
What the lessons tell you about doing it here.
Mercado · Lesson 15 (A0)
Your casera
In Bolivian markets the vendor is your casera, or caserita, and you are hers: a warm word for a returning customer, not just a sale. Greeting her by name and coming back is how that bond starts.
Santa Cruz · Lesson 20 (A0)
At Los Pozos,the price is the price
At Los Pozos, a big market in Santa Cruz, everyday produce is usually already priced by the kilo, and it is not really up for bargaining the way crafts are. Asking ¿A cuánto está? just finds out the number: it is not an opening bid.
Mercado · Lesson 10 (A1)
A little discount:una rebajita
For crafts at a Bolivian market, ¿me hace una rebajita? is the polite way to open bargaining. The -ita makes the request small and warm: market Spanish is full of these softeners, rebajita, yapita, caserita, and they carry the friendly tone of the whole exchange.
Mercado · Lesson 16 (A0)
The graceful close
In a Bolivian market, knowing when to stop is part of good bargaining. Once the casera has come down a little, Está bien, me lo llevo is the graceful close. If you decide not to buy, Gracias igual, caserita is the equally warm way out: no pressure, no hard feelings.
Short dialogues
The chat that closes each lesson: what you hear, and the reply the lesson teaches.
EDoña Elsa, market vendorLesson 15 (A0)
Buenos días, caserita. ¿Qué quiere?Good morning. What would you like?
YouBuenos días. ¿Tiene una bolsa roja?
Sí, tengo una bolsa roja pequeña.Yes, I have a small red bag.
You¿Tiene una más grande?
Sí, caserita, tengo una más grande.Yes, I have a bigger one.
EDoña Elsa, market vendorLesson 16 (A0)
Caserita, ¿quiere la bolsa azul?Would you like the blue bag?
YouSí, me la llevo.
¿Y el jabón?And the soap?
YouNo lo quiero, gracias.
Está bien. Son cuarenta, caserita.All right. That's forty.
YouMuchas gracias, caserita.
Gracias, caserita. Hasta mañana.Thank you. See you tomorrow.
EDoña Elsa, market stallholderLesson 9 (A1)
Buenas tardes. ¿Quiere la camisa?Good afternoon. Do you want the shirt?
YouSí, la llevo.
¿Y los zapatos?And the shoes?
YouNo, no los necesito, gracias.
Muy bien. Gracias.Very good. Thank you.
SSeñor Pablo, shop assistantLesson 10 (A1)
Buenas tardes. ¿Le gusta el suéter?Good afternoon. Do you like the sweater?
YouSí. ¿Cuánto es el suéter?
Son ochenta.It is eighty.
YouLo llevo. ¿Me lo puede envolver?
Sí, un momento.Yes, one moment.
YouGracias. ¿Aceptan tarjeta?
Sí, aceptamos tarjeta.Yes, we take cards.
Practise it in a free lesson
Lessons 15 and 16 (A0), 9 and 10 (A1) of Mi español teach exactly this, with short exercises and these dialogues.
Lesson 15 (A0) · {min} to {max} min Free account
In a shop:colours and ¿Tiene...?
Name what you are looking for with its colour, ask politely whether they have it, and ask for a bigger or a smaller one.
