Beauty & Grooming

1. Ñik'utajaru khuchhuñ muntwa

   I'd like a haircut

   Usage

   Requesting a basic haircut at a salon

   Grammar Note

   Hair is ñik'uta; aycha means 'meat'. "I want to ..." is the verb stem + muntwa (I want). khuchhuña means 'to cut'

2. Juk'a khuchhuñ muntwa, janiw walja.

   Just a trim — don't cut too much

   Usage

   Asking for a minimal trim

   Grammar Note

   juk'a = a little, walja = a lot, janiw = negation: 'I want to cut a little, not a lot'. pisi means 'few/scarce'

3. Ñik'utajaru [wila] tinte uchañ muntwa

   I'd like to dye my hair [red]

   Usage

   Requesting a specific hair dye color

   Grammar Note

   Insert a colour name (red = wila; puka is Quechua). 'To dye' is tinte (Spanish loan) + uchaña ('to put/apply')

4. Peinados libro uñacht'ayita.

   Can I look at a hairstyle book?

   Usage

   Asking to look at a hairstyle catalog

   Grammar Note

   uñacht'ayaña = to show + the 1st-person object -ita = 'show me' (same pattern as churita). puritasmawa is built on puriña 'to arrive', and -mawa is not a request marker

5. Ñik'uta jarisiñampi secadurampi allichañ muntwa

   I'd like a shampoo and blow-dry

   Usage

   Requesting shampoo and blow-dry service

   Grammar Note

   "-mpi" means 'and/with'. allichaña is 'to fix/arrange', not 'to wash'; washing uses jarisiña (the stem used for bathing) and allichaña covers arranging with the dryer

6. Uñanaka patana arte lurañataki yatxatiriwa?

   Do you offer nail art?

   Usage

   Asking if nail art services are available

   Grammar Note

   "-wa" is a sentence-final question or affirmative marker

7. Gel uñanaka lurañ muntwa

   I'd like gel nails

   Usage

   Requesting gel nail service

   Grammar Note

   "I want to ..." is the verb stem + muntwa (I want). munarakta carries the 2nd-person -ta and could read 'you also want'. uñanaka as 'nails' is not certain

8. Akax qawqhasa?

   A-kax qaw-qha-sa?

   How much will this cost?

   Usage

   Asking the cost before a service begins

   Grammar Note

   kunalayku means 'why' and does not ask a price, and q'ipi means 'bundle, package, luggage', not 'price'. 'How much is it?' is qawqhasa

9. Lurañax qawqha pachasa?

   How long will it take?

   Usage

   Asking how long the service will take

   Grammar Note

   Duration is asked with "qawqha pachasa" (how much time), the same pattern as T'axsiñax qawqha pachasa?. khiti means 'who', not an amount or duration

10. Ajanujaru tratamiento lurañ muntwa

    I'd like a facial treatment

    Usage

    Requesting a facial skin treatment

    Grammar Note

    Face is ajanu; utt'ana is not 'face'. "-ja" is 'my', "-ru" is 'to/onto', and "I want to ..." is the verb stem + muntwa

11. Ñik'utajax kachi / liso / wali pisi / wali junt'u

    My hair is curly / straight / fine / thick

    Usage

    Describing your hair texture to the stylist

    Grammar Note

    Adjectives are placed directly after the subject

12. P'iqimaja lisochayi / ondulachayi munasktxa?

    Can you straighten / perm my hair?

    Usage

    Requesting hair straightening or perming

    Grammar Note

    "-yi" marks the transitive causative form

13. Wali askiwa, wali kusisitwa, yuspagara

    I'm very happy with the result — thank you

    Usage

    Expressing satisfaction after the service

    Grammar Note

    "Thank you" is yuspagara (the standard form). "wali" is 'very', kusisiña is 'to be happy', and -twa is the 1st-person verb ending. yuspajarkama is non-standard, and gustariraktwa is a Spanish gustar + Aymara suffix blend

14. Cejajar allichañ muntwa

    Can you shape / thread my eyebrows?

    Usage

    Requesting eyebrow shaping or threading

    Grammar Note

    Possession is "-ja" (my). "-maja" stacks the 2nd-person -ma on the 1st-person -ja and does not exist. allichaña = to arrange. For eyebrow the Spanish loan ceja is used

15. Kawkiri productunaka apnaqi?

    What products do you use?

    Usage

    Asking about the products used in the service

    Grammar Note

    "apnaqi" is a verb meaning "to use / apply"

16. Mä cita allatañaxa munasktxa?

    Do I need to make an appointment?

    Usage

    Asking if an appointment is required

    Grammar Note

    "munasktxa" expresses need or requirement in question form

17. Barbajar allichañ muntwa

    Can you also trim my beard?

    Usage

    Requesting beard trimming in addition to haircut

    Grammar Note

    "-ja" is 'my'. -majata stacks 2nd and 1st person and does not exist, and puritasmawa is built on puriña 'to arrive', which is not a request. For beard the Spanish loan barba is used

18. P'iqijaru masaje muntwa

    I'd like a scalp massage

    Usage

    Requesting a scalp massage

    Grammar Note

    'Head' is p'iqi, "-ja" is 'my', "-ru" is 'to'. masaje is a Spanish loan: 'masaje muntwa = I want a massage'. amuyuña means 'to understand/think' and does not give 'scalp'

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