Section 1 — Money Basics English Telugu Transliteration Listen Money డబ్బు dabbu Rupee రూపాయి rūpāyi Coin నాణెం nāṇeṁ — Note (currency) నోటు nōṭu — Change (coins back) చిల్లర chillara Price ధర dhara Bill బిల్లు billu — Cash నగదు nagadu — Card payment కార్డు చెల్లింపు kārḍu chelliṁpu — Online payment ఆన్‌లైన్ చెల్లింపు ānlain chelliṁpu — Section 2 — Shop & Shopping Words English Telugu Transliteration Listen Shop దుకాణం dukāṇaṁ Market మార్కెట్ / సంత mārkeṭ / santa — Shopkeeper దుకాణదారుడు dukāṇadāruḍu — Customer కస్టమర్ / వినియోగదారుడు kasṭamar — Bag సంచి sañchi Goods / items సామాను sāmānu — Discount తగ్గింపు taggiṁpu Offer ఆఫర్ āphar — Free ఉచితం uchitaṁ — Quality నాణ్యత nāṇyata — Section 3 — Quantity & Units English Telugu Transliteration Kilo కిలో kilō Half kilo అర కిలో ara kilō Quarter kilo పావు కిలో pāvu kilō Gram గ్రాము grāmu Litre లీటరు līṭaru Dozen డజను ḍajanu One piece ఒక ముక్క oka mukka Packet ప్యాకెట్ pyākeṭ More ఎక్కువ ekkuva Less తక్కువ takkuva Section 4 — Shopping Sentences That Work English Telugu Transliteration Listen How much is this? ఇది ఎంత? idi enta? How much per kilo? కిలో ఎంత? kilō enta? It's too expensive. చాలా ఎక్కువ ధర. chālā ekkuva dhara. Please reduce the price. కొంచెం తగ్గించండి. koñcheṁ taggiñchaṇḍi. I'll take this. ఇది తీసుకుంటాను. idi tīsukuṇṭānu. Give me the bill. బిల్లు ఇవ్వండి. billu ivvaṇḍi. — Keep the change. చిల్లర ఉంచుకోండి. chillara uñchukōṇḍi. — Do you accept card? కార్డు తీసుకుంటారా? kārḍu tīsukuṇṭārā? I don't want it. నాకు వద్దు. nāku vaddu. Numbers are half of every price you'll hear — keep Numbers in Telugu open in a second tab while you drill this section.

🗣️ Pronunciation Tips Telugu distinguishes single and double consonants meaningfully, and this lesson is full of them: డబ్బు (dab-bu), తక్కువ (tak-ku-va), ఎక్కువ (ek-ku-va), చిల్లర (chil-la-ra). Hold that doubled consonant for a beat — it's not decoration. Also note ధర: the ధ is aspirated, a soft puff of breath after the d, unlike English "dara". And నాణ్యత contains the retroflex ణ, made with the tongue curled back. Say each word slowly three times before speeding up.

❌ Common Pronunciation Errors డబ్బు → "dabu" ❌ — one b sounds unfinished to native ears. Hold బ్బు. ధర → "dhaara" ❌ — both vowels are short: dha-ra, quick and light. తగ్గించండి → "tagichandi" ❌ — the గ్గ is doubled and the ending is -ṇḍi with a retroflex ṇḍ. చిల్లర → "chilra" ❌ — three syllables: chil-la-ra. దుకాణం → "dukanam" with a plain n ❌ — that's ణ, retroflex, tongue tip up and back. 💡 Native Speaker Tip The single most useful bargaining move in Telugu is not a phrase — it's a pause. Ask ఎంత?, hear the price, then say అమ్మో! చాలా ఎక్కువ ("Whoa! That's a lot") with a light laugh, and wait. Nine times out of ten the seller moves first. If you want the polite closer, use లాస్ట్ ప్రైస్ చెప్పండి ("tell me your last price") — half-English, fully natural in Telugu markets. And when you're genuinely done, సరే, ఇస్తాను ("okay, I'll pay") seals it warmly.

🧠 Memory Trick డబ్బు (dabbu) = money. Think of "dab" — you dab your card to pay. Doubled b, doubled cash. ధర (dhara) = price. Sounds like "dharma" minus the ma — the right value of a thing. తక్కువ / ఎక్కువ — both end in -కువ. Takkuva = Tiny (less). Ekkuva = Extra (more). చిల్లర (chillara) = change. "Chill-a-rupee" — the small coins you get back. 🪔 Cultural Notes Bargaining etiquette in Telugu states is context-sensitive. In vegetable markets, street stalls and roadside cloth vendors, negotiating is expected and even enjoyed. In supermarkets, branded showrooms and pharmacies, prices are fixed and haggling is considered rude. Two customs worth knowing: బోణీ (bōṇī), the day's first sale, is treated as lucky, so early-morning shoppers often get a better price; and many shopkeepers will touch the money to their forehead or the shop's deity photo after that first transaction. Refusing a first-sale purchase after agreeing on price is considered genuinely unlucky.