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Lesson 14.5A1

Shopping & Money

ഷോപ്പിംഗും പണവും

Shopping phrases put your accusative case and numbers lessons to direct use — asking a price, saying how many, and handling money are where classroom grammar turns into a real conversation.

Grammar Comparison

വ്യാകരണ താരതമ്യം

Was kostet...? keeps the item in the nominative, not the accusative

German

Was kostet das Brot? (What does the bread cost? — das Brot stays nominative, the subject of kosten)

Malayalam

ഈ റൊട്ടിയുടെ വില എന്താണ്? (this bread-of price what-is — റൊട്ടി itself never takes an object marker)

It's tempting to put the item you're asking about into the accusative, since you're 'dealing with' it — but kosten treats the item as the grammatical subject doing the costing, not an object being acted on, so it stays nominative in both languages: das Brot needs no case change, and Malayalam only marks റൊട്ടി with a possessive (-യുടെ), never an object suffix. Save the accusative for when you're the one taking an action on the item, as in Ich nehme den Kaffee ('I'll take the coffee') from Food & Ordering.

Vocabulary

വാക്കുകൾ

Was kostet das?vahs KOS-tet dahs
Malayalam
ഇതിന്റെ വില എന്താണ്?ithinte vila enthaanu?
English
What does this cost?
Das kostet zehn Euro.dahs KOS-tet tsayn OY-roh
Malayalam
ഇതിന് പത്ത് യൂറോ ആണ്.ithinu patthu yuro aanu.
English
That costs ten euros.
billig / teuerBIL-ikh / TOY-er
Malayalam
വില കുറഞ്ഞത് / വില കൂടിയത്vila kuranjathu / vila koodiyathu
English
cheap / expensive
das Gelddahs gelt
Malayalam
പണംpanam
English
money
bezahlenbeh-TSAH-len
Malayalam
പണം കൊടുക്കുകpanam kodukkuka
English
to pay
die Kassedee KAH-seh
Malayalam
കാഷ് കൗണ്ടർcash counter
English
the checkout / cash register