Rocket Spanish Newsletter Series
Hola and welcome to the Rocket Spanish Newsletter Series!
Everyone loves bargaining. Especially, in many Spanish-speaking countries, negotiating is a big part of the shopping experience. Bargaining can be fun and entertaining, and of course, financially rewarding!
Today we’re going to give you some tips on getting the best deal the Latin way. ¡Vamos a regatear!
Let’s do some bargaining! And in Spanish that is…
Audio 1 Click Play To Hear Audio
| Bargaining | Regateo | |
| Bargain over a price | Regatear el precio | |
| To drive a hard bargain | Regatear mucho |
Once you see an item you want, you should have an idea of how much you want to pay for it. Then ask for the price…
Audio 2 Click Play To Hear Audio
| How much is it? | ¿A cuánto está? / ¿Cuánto es? | |
| How much does it cost? | ¿Cuánto cuesta? |
If the price is higher than what you had in mind, then it’s decision time – Option one…you can walk away…or option two, it’s time to bargain!
Let’s suppose you take option two – first spend some time with the article in your hand, and have a little chit chat with the salesperson, then an easy bargaining response is to reply…
Audio 3 Click Play To Hear Audio
| Too much! | ¡Demasiado! | |
| You charge too much, I’m sorry. | Usted cobra demasiado, lo siento. |
Or you can ask this next question…
Audio 4 Click Play To Hear Audio
| Is this your lowest price? | ¿Es el precio más bajo? |
Other essential phrases to use when regateando – “bargaining” in a Spanish-speaking country are the following:
Audio 5 Click Play To Hear Audio
| Give me the best price and I’ll buy it. | Deme el mejor precio y lo compro. | |
| Not good enough. | No es aceptable. | |
| That’s too much. | Es demasiado. | |
| Too expensive. | Demasiado caro/a. | |
| The price is too high. | El precio es demasiado alto. |
And here are some more ambitious phrases…a little longer, but sometimes you need to pull all the tricks out when you’re bargaining. Telling the vendor, “hey somebody up the road offered it to me cheaper, so if you can match the price, I’ll buy it from you” will most likely get you a good price.
Audio 6 Click Play To Hear Audio
| I can get a lower price at another place. | Puedo conseguir un precio más barato en otro lugar. | |
| The store over there offered it to me for 10 dollars. | La tienda allá me lo ofreció por diez dólares. |
Usually, by then, the vendor will lower the price, and you can go home happy!
That’s it for today’s lesson. I hope you had fun!
See you soon! ¡Hasta pronto!
Mauricio Evlampieff
Rocket Spanish
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P.S. Don't forget to check out my special bonus offer only available for 6 Day Course subscribers:
http://www.rocketlanguages.com/spanish/6day_special.php |
P.P.S You can practice your Spanish skills with this exercise.
Exercise 1. Match the Spanish words and phrases with the correct English translation. Write the letter of the correct answer into the gap provided.
| 1. El precio es demasiado alto. | ( ____ ) | a. Too much! |
| 2. Regateo | ( ____ ) | b. How much does it cost? |
| 3. ¡Demasiado! | ( ____ ) | c. Bargaining |
| 4. No es aceptable. | ( ____ ) | d.Not good enough. |
| 5. ¿Cuánto cuesta? | ( ____ ) | e. The price is too high. |
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