Markets & Souvenirs

1. Man ollu dát máksá?

   How much does this cost?

   Usage

   The basic way to ask a price at a market stall or souvenir shop, usually while pointing at the item

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. Máksit means both "to pay" and "to cost". The question word comes first

2. Dát lea badjelmeare divrras

   This is too expensive

   Usage

   Tells the seller the price is too high; a natural opening for bargaining

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. Badjelmeare is an adverb meaning "beyond measure" and stands before the adjective. "Cheap" is hálbi

3. Dát lea hálbi

   This is cheap

   Usage

   Said while pointing at an item whose price is low

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. The predicate adjective agrees in number with the subject (plural: Dát leat …). There is no gender

4. Mun mávssán guoktelogi ruvnnu

   I will pay twenty kroner

   Usage

   Used at the end of bargaining to name the amount you will pay. In the Norwegian part of Sápmi the currency is the krone (ruvdnu); in Finland it is the euro

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. This says "I will pay that amount", not "I offer". The verb máksit becomes mávssán in the 1st person, and ruvdnu appears as ruvnnu after the numeral

5. Háliidan oastit dán

   I would like to buy this

   Usage

   The basic way to say which item you want to buy, usually while pointing at it

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. Háliidit (to want) + infinitive. The pronoun dát "this" becomes dán as an object

6. Gos lea márkan?

   Where is the market?

   Usage

   Asks where the market or fair is. In Sápmi traditional markets (márkan) are held, such as the Easter market in Guovdageaidnu (Kautokeino)

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. The question word gos comes first. Márkan means a market or fair in general, not a single shop

7. Goas márkan rahppo?

   When does the market open?

   Usage

   Asks when the market opens. It asks for the opening time, not the full opening hours

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. Rahppot is the intransitive "to open"; the same form is used for an exhibition opening (Čájáhus rahppo …)

8. Lea go dát duodji?

   Is this duodji (Sami handicraft)?

   Usage

   Used at stalls and markets selling Sami handicrafts (knives, cups, textiles, jewellery) to check that an item is genuine duodji

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. Yes/no questions put the question particle go after the verb (written separately). Duodji names both the craft and the finished objects

9. vilgeslávki

   Garlic

   Usage

   A word for buying vegetables and seasoning at a market

   Grammar Note

   A compound of vilges (white) + lávki (onion), literally "white onion". Compounds are written as one word

10. lávki

    Onion

    Usage

    A word for buying vegetables. The same form lávki also means "a step"

    Grammar Note

    Beware of the homograph: lávki means both "onion" and "step". Context tells them apart

11. ingefeara

    Ginger

    Usage

    A word for buying spices and roots at a market

    Grammar Note

    A loanword from Norwegian ingefær, spelled to fit North Sami orthography

12. jogurta

    Yoghurt

    Usage

    A word for buying dairy products

    Grammar Note

    A loanword adapted to North Sami spelling; it ends in -a

13. oastit

    To buy

    Usage

    The infinitive (dictionary form). Used in sentences like háliidan oastit "I would like to buy"

    Grammar Note

    The infinitive ends in -it. The 1st person singular is formed with -án (oastán)

14. vuovdit

    To sell

    Usage

    The infinitive (dictionary form), used when talking about selling goods

    Grammar Note

    The counterpart of oastit "to buy". An infinitive ending in -it

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