Money & Exchange

1. Qawqha qullqisa?

   Qaw-qha qull-qi-sa?

   How much does it cost?

   Usage

   The most basic phrase for asking prices at markets or shops

   Grammar Note

   Price is asked with qawqha. Qullqi means 'silver, money, currency'

2. Uka chanix walikiwa.

   U-ka cha-nix wa-li-ki-wa.

   That price is fair

   Usage

   Used when agreeing to a price at a market or expressing that the price is reasonable

   Grammar Note

   Price is chani (CONADI: CHANI precio). The old card used qullqi 'money' for price and spelled the demonstrative Uca in Quechua fashion. Aymara 'that' is uka (CONADI: UKA ese, esa, eso)

3. Juk'ampi jisk'a chani muntwa.

   Ju-k'am-pi jis-k'a cha-ni munt-wa.

   I want a cheaper price

   Usage

   Used to negotiate for a lower price at markets or shops

   Grammar Note

   'Cheap' is expressed as jisk'a chani ('small price'). Price talk centers on chani (chani iraqaña 'to lower the price')

4. Cambio utji?

   Cam-bi-o ut-ji?

   Do you have change?

   Usage

   Used when paying with a large bill to check if the vendor has change

   Grammar Note

   Market vendors in Bolivia and Peru often lack change for large bills (100 Bs, 100 Soles). Always carry small bills and coins in Aymara market towns

5. Kawkhansa banco utji?

   Kaw-khan-sa ban-co ut-ji?

   Where is a bank?

   Usage

   Used to locate a bank for cash withdrawal or currency exchange

   Grammar Note

   The old card used kuna 'what' as a location interrogative and attached the Quechua suffix -pis. Location uses the repository-wide Kawkhansa … utji?

6. Qullqi turkaña utjiti?

   Qull-qi tur-ka-ña ut-ji-ti?

   Is there a currency exchange?

   Usage

   Used when looking for a place to exchange foreign currency to Bolivianos or Soles

   Grammar Note

   'To exchange, to swap' is turkaña. K'ari means 'lie' and k'arisiri means 'liar'

7. Tarjeta de crédito katuqtati?

   Tar-je-ta de cré-di-to ka-tuq-ta-ti?

   Do you accept credit cards?

   Usage

   Used to ask if credit card payment is accepted at shops or restaurants

   Grammar Note

   To receive is katuqaña (CONADI: KATUQANA recibir). The old aceptati was raw Spanish aceptar

8. Mä bolivianox qawqhasa?

   Mä bo-li-vi-a-nox qaw-qha-sa?

   How much is one Boliviano?

   Usage

   Used to ask about the exchange rate for one Boliviano

   Grammar Note

   Aymara numerals are mä (1), paya (2), kimsa (3), pusi (4), phisqa (5). Price is asked with qawqha

9. Janiw jisk'a qullqi utjkiti

   Ja-niw jis-k'a qull-qi ut-jki-ti

   I don't have small change

   Usage

   Used to explain that you do not have small coins or change

   Grammar Note

   Negation uses the janiw … -kiti frame. Laime 2010 gives this exact shape: Janiwa kunasa utjkiti 'there is nothing' and Yapu qarpañatakixa janiwa larqaxa utjkiti 'there is no channel to irrigate the field'

10. Uka chanix ancha jach'awa.

    U-ka cha-nix an-cha ja-ch'a-wa.

    That price is too expensive

    Usage

    Used in market bargaining to express that the price is too high

    Grammar Note

    The old askiti is aski 'good' plus -ti, and -ti is the question marker, not a negator. The old text could therefore only be read as 'is that price good?', the opposite of the translation. Negation requires the janiw … -kiti frame (Laime 2010: Janiwa kunasa utjkiti). Here the sentence stays affirmative and uses ancha jach'a 'too big'

11. Efectivo

    Cash

    Usage

    To show how you intend to pay

12. Tarjeta

    Card

    Usage

    To show how you intend to pay

13. Sapa mayni pagañani

    Let's split the bill

    Usage

    Show it when the bill arrives

14. Vueltu

    Change

    Usage

    Point at it when your change does not come back

Browse all TravelPhrases languages