Convenience Store

17 phrases · Telugu with romanization, English and audio

  1. ఒక లీటరు చల్లని నీళ్ల బాటిల్ ఉందా?

    Oka līṭaru challani nīḷla bāṭil undā?

    Do you have a chilled one-litre bottle of water?

    Usage

    The basic way to buy water at a kirana shop (కిరాణా కొట్టు) in Hyderabad or Andhra. Room-temperature bottles are stacked outside and only the fridge has cold ones, so always add "challani" (cold)

    Grammar Note

    "Nīḷla" is the genitive of "nīḷlu" (water), modifying the following noun. Much of the Telugu-speaking region is dry inland country, so bottled water is essential for travellers

  2. చల్లనివి ఫ్రిజ్ లోపల ఉన్నాయి, మీరే తీసుకోండి.

    Challanivi phrij lōpala unnāyi, mīrē tīsukōṇḍi.

    The cold ones are inside the fridge — help yourself

    Usage

    Said by staff. In a kirana shop the owner stays behind the counter while the fridge stands near the entrance on the customer's side — open it, take what you want, bring it over

    Grammar Note

    "Mīrē" is the honorific second person "mīru" plus the emphatic "-ē" ("you yourself"). The "-aṇḍi" ending is the respectful imperative a shopkeeper uses with customers

  3. అర కిలో పప్పు ఇవ్వండి.

    Ara kilō pappu ivvaṇḍi.

    Half a kilo of lentils, please

    Usage

    At a kirana shop rice, lentils, sugar and chilli powder are scooped from big sacks and weighed out. Name a weight and the shopkeeper measures it into a paper bag. "Pappu" is the staple of Telugu cooking

    Grammar Note

    Quantity expressions precede the noun. Swap "pappu" for "biyyaṁ" (rice) or "cakkera" (sugar) to reuse the pattern

  4. ఎంత కావాలి?

    Enta kāvāli?

    How much do you need?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Point at a loose-weighed item and you will be asked the amount. Answer "ara kilō" (500 g), "oka kilō" (1 kg) or "reṇḍu vandala grāmulu" (200 g)

    Grammar Note

    "Kāvāli" expresses need or want, with the wanter marked by the dative ("nāku" = to me). Use "enta" for quantity by measure and "enni" for countable items

  5. ఇంకొంచెం వేయండి.

    Iṅkoñceṁ vēyaṇḍi.

    Please add a little more

    Usage

    Use it when the scale falls just short. Telugu shopkeepers routinely round up with an extra scoop, and this phrase usually gets you that top-up

    Grammar Note

    "Iṅkā" (more) and "koñceṁ" (a little) contract into "iṅkoñceṁ". "Vēyu" means "to put / place" and is the verb for adding to the scale

  6. UPI స్కాన్ చేసి డబ్బు ఇవ్వొచ్చా?

    UPI skān cēsi ḍabbu ivvoccā?

    Can I pay by scanning the UPI code?

    Usage

    UPI QR payment is universal in India, from street carts to kirana shops, with a printed QR taped to the counter. It requires an Indian bank account, so travellers mostly use cash

    Grammar Note

    The auxiliary "-vaccu" expresses possibility or permission; adding the question particle "-ā" gives "may I…?". "Cēsi" is the conjunctive participle of "cēyu" (to do)

  7. QR స్కాన్ చేయండి, కార్డు తీసుకోను.

    QR skān cēyaṇḍi, kārḍu tīsukōnu.

    Scan the QR code — I don't take cards

    Usage

    Said by staff. Kirana shops almost never have a card terminal — it is cash or UPI only, so travellers should carry small notes

    Grammar Note

    "Tīsukōnu" is the first-person negative of "tīsukō" (to take). Telugu marks negation in the ending, which varies by person: "-nu" for first person, "-ḍu/-di" for third

  8. ఐదు వందల నోటు ఉంది, చిల్లర ఉందా?

    Aidu vandala nōṭu undi, cillara undā?

    I only have a 500-rupee note — do you have change?

    Usage

    ATMs dispense mostly 500-rupee notes while kirana shops hold little change. Asking before you buy saves being turned away at the counter

    Grammar Note

    "Vandala" is the genitive plural of "vanda" (hundred), modifying the noun that follows. "Cillara" is a shared Dravidian word appearing in nearly the same form in Tamil and Kannada

  9. చిల్లర లేదు, సరిపడా ఇవ్వండి.

    Cillara lēdu, saripaḍā ivvaṇḍi.

    I have no change — please give the exact amount

    Usage

    Said by staff. Running out of change is routine at kirana shops; if they cannot make it up you may get sweets worth the difference, so hoard 10- and 20-rupee notes

    Grammar Note

    "Lēdu" negates existence and is the counterpart of "undi" (there is). "Saripaḍā" is an adverb from "saripaḍu" (to suffice / to match), meaning the amount comes out exactly right

  10. సంచి వద్దు, నా దగ్గర ఉంది.

    Sañci vaddu, nā daggara undi.

    I don't need a bag — I have my own

    Usage

    Single-use plastic bags are restricted across India, so kirana shops either charge for one or assume you brought a cloth bag. Say this while holding out your own

    Grammar Note

    "Vaddu" is the negative counterpart of "kāvāli" (to want) and the go-to word for declining. Possession is expressed spatially: "nā daggara undi" (it is near me)

  11. సంచికి ఐదు రూపాయలు ఎక్కువ అవుతుంది.

    Sañciki aidu rūpāyalu ekkuva avutundi.

    The bag costs five rupees extra

    Usage

    Said by staff. Bag charges run five to ten rupees depending on the shop. Decline with "vaddu" (no thanks) or accept with "sarē" (fine)

    Grammar Note

    The "-ki" suffix is the dative ("for / to"). "Avutundi" is the third-person singular of "avu" (to become) and is the standard verb for stating a total price

  12. పాత పేపరులో చుట్టి ఇవ్వండి.

    Pāta pēparulō cuṭṭi ivvaṇḍi.

    Please wrap it in newspaper

    Usage

    Wrapping fried snacks, dry goods and fragile items in newspaper is long-standing practice at kirana shops — a welcome way to avoid plastic

    Grammar Note

    The "-lō" suffix is the locative ("in"). "Cuṭṭi ivvaṇḍi" chains a conjunctive participle with "ivvu" (to give): "wrap it and hand it over"

  13. చిన్న ప్యాకెట్ ఉందా?

    Cinna pyākeṭ undā?

    Do you have a small sachet?

    Usage

    Shampoo, hair oil, detergent and tea come in single-use sachets costing a few rupees, usually hanging on strings from the ceiling — ideal for a short trip

    Grammar Note

    Telugu forms yes-no questions by attaching "-ā" to the end: "undi" (there is) becomes "undā" (is there?), simply lengthening the final vowel of the statement

  14. ప్యాకెట్ మీద రాసిన ధర ఎంత?

    Pyākeṭ mīda rāsina dhara enta?

    What is the price printed on the packet?

    Usage

    Every packaged good in India carries a printed Maximum Retail Price, and charging above it is illegal. Tourist areas sometimes add a markup, so point at the print and check

    Grammar Note

    "Rāsina" is the past relative participle of "rāyu" (to write), modifying the noun. "Mīda" is a postposition and follows its noun

  15. గడువు తేదీ ఒకసారి చూడండి.

    Gaḍuvu tēdī okasāri cūḍaṇḍi.

    Please check the expiry date

    Usage

    Kirana shops turn over stock slowly and the heat spoils goods fast. Worth asking about milk, curd and snacks

    Grammar Note

    "Okasāri" literally means "once", but placed before an imperative it softens the request, much like "just have a look"

  16. రేపు డబ్బు ఇస్తే సరిపోతుందా? నేను ఇక్కడే ఉంటున్నాను.

    Rēpu ḍabbu istē saripōtundā? Nēnu ikkaḍē uṇṭunnānu.

    Can I pay tomorrow? I'm staying right here

    Usage

    Kirana shops keep a credit ledger for regulars — "udhaar" in Hindi, "appu" in Telugu — settled at month's end. A traveller who becomes a familiar face can sometimes ask too

    Grammar Note

    The "-tē" ending marks a conditional ("if"). "Ikkaḍē" is "ikkaḍa" (here) plus the emphatic "-ē", meaning "right here and nowhere else"

  17. అయిపోయింది, సాయంత్రం వస్తుంది.

    Ayipōyindi, sāyantraṁ vastundi.

    We're sold out — it'll come in this evening

    Usage

    Said by staff. Kirana shops hold little stock and milk, eggs and bread often sell out by midday. Follow up with "eppuḍu vastundi?" (when will it arrive?)

    Grammar Note

    "Ayipōyindi" combines "ayi" (having become) with "pōyindi" (has gone) to stress completion. As an auxiliary, "pōvu" (to go) conveys "it has gone and happened"

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