How do you bargain respectfully at a Guatemalan market?
Ask first how long the piece took to make, ¿Y cuánto tiempo se lleva hacer uno?: that is the respectful way in. You may ask for a rebaja, but asking for half price gets you shown a simpler piece; Me llevo este is how you say you'll take it. Pues at the end of a sentence softens it, very Guatemalan.
Bargaining with respect
| What is said | What it means | |
|---|---|---|
| Arriving | Adelante, joven. Pase, mire con calma. | An invitation to look without hurrying, not an order. |
| Asking the price of the work | ¿Y cuánto tiempo se lleva hacer uno? | Asking how long it took is the respectful way in. |
| The discount | Puede pedir, pues. | You may ask for a rebaja. Pues at the end softens the sentence, very Guatemalan. |
| Asking too much | Si me pide la mitad, mejor le enseño otro más sencillo. | Half price buys a simpler piece, not this one. |
| Buying | Me llevo este. | I'll take it: the usual way to say you are buying. |
- Bargaining is normal, but asking for half price gets you shown a simpler piece.
- "Me llevo este" is the usual way to say you are buying something; payment is in quetzales, the currency named after the bird.
Adelante, joven. Pase, mire con calma.Go ahead, young man. Come in, take your time looking.
Puede pedir, pues. Pero si me pide la mitad, mejor le enseño otro más sencillo.You can ask, of course. But if you ask me for half, I'd better show you a simpler one.
Gracias. Me llevo este, y le pago en quetzales.Thank you. I'll take this one, and I'll pay you in quetzales.
More about The market at Chichicastenango
- When is the market in Chichicastenango, Guatemala?
- Why is the square the centre of a Central American town?
- What Spanish words do you need at a Guatemalan market?
- The market at Chichicastenango