Items You Find in the Market

The market has many different types of items. Here are the main groups:

Fruits (الفواكِه):

• المانجو (mango)
• البرتقال (orange)
• الموز (banana)
• التفاح (apple)
• الجوافة (guava)

Vegetables (الخضروات):

• الطماطم (tomatoes)
• البصل (onion)
• الثوم (garlic)
• الخيار (cucumber)
• الجزر (carrot)

Spices (التوابل):

• القرفة (cinnamon)
• الفليفلة السوداء (black pepper)
• الهيل (cardamom)
• القرنفل (clove)

People in the Market

• البائع (al-bā'iʿ) — the seller
• المشتري (al-mushterī) — the buyer
• العامل (al-ʿāmil) — the worker

Here are important actions that happen in the market, with their Arabic words:

The main skill here is matching what you see in the market with the correct Arabic word. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Look at the action happening in the market.

Step 2: Remember the Arabic word for that action.

Step 3: Make a sentence connecting the word to the action.

Worked Example

Action: A person gives money to the seller to get goods.

Arabic word: دفع (dafaʿa) — to pay

Complete sentence:

• دفع المشتري ثمن الخضروات金额 = The buyer paid the price of vegetables

Another example:

Action: Someone shows you the mangoes to sell them.

Arabic word: عرض (ʿaraḍa) — to show

Complete sentence:

• عرض البائع المانجو = The seller showed the mangoes

Look at each situation and write the correct Arabic word:

1. A customer asks for tomatoes. (طلب / باع)
2. The seller gives you the fish and you give money. (دفع / نام)
3. The worker carries boxes from the truck. (حمل / كتب)
4. The shopkeeper lowers the price. (خصَّص / أكل)

Answers:

1. طلب — طلب المشتري الطماطم
2. دفع — دفع المشتري ثمن السمك
3. حمل — العامل يحمل الصناديق
4. خصَّص — خصَّص البائع السعر

Here is a conversation between a buyer and seller at the market:

المشتري: بكم كيلو لحم؟ (How much is one kilo of meat?)

البائع: ثلاثة عشر ألفاً (Thirteen thousand)

المشتري: أريد kilo ونصف (I want one and a half kilos)

البائع: ها هو ذا. شيء آخر؟ (Here it is. Anything else?)

المشتري: كم الحساب؟ (How much is the total?)

البائع: ستة وعشرون ألفاً (Twenty-six thousand)

المشتري: ها هو المال (Here is the money)

This dialogue shows how buyers and sellers communicate in Arabic at the market.

• The market has fruits, vegetables, spices, and many other items
• People in the market include the seller (بائع), buyer (مشتري), and worker (عامل)
• Key actions include buying (اشترى), selling (باع), paying (دفع), and asking for (طلب)
• To connect words to actions, identify what is happening and match it with the correct Arabic word

In Tanzania, you will often visit local markets like Buguruni, Kariakoo, or Mlimani City to buy food, school supplies, or household items. When you go to a duka or sokoni, you can use these Arabic words to ask for prices, bargain, and pay — for example, asking "بكم؟" (how much?) for mkono wa chipsi or requesting the seller to reduce the price by saying "punguzia bei kidogo" while thinking of the Arabic word for discount (خصم). This vocabulary helps you communicate clearly when shopping in daily life.