Convenience Store

1. થેલી જોઈએ છે?

   The-li jo-ie chhe?

   Do you need a bag?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Single-use plastic bags are banned in Gujarat, so a bag means a paid cloth or paper one. Locals routinely bring their own

   Grammar Note

   "Joie chhe" is an impersonal "is needed" construction; the person who needs it takes "-ne" (mane joie chhe = I need it). To decline, use the negative "na, nathi joiti".

2. એક થેલી આપો ને

   Ek the-li aa-po ne

   Please give me one bag

   Usage

   Use it when staff do not offer one. A cloth bag costs about 5-15 rupees and is added to the bill. The sentence-final "ne" softens the request so it does not sound like an order

   Grammar Note

   "Aapo" is the polite imperative of "aapvun" (to give). With juniors or close friends you would say "aap"; for extra politeness use the future "aapsho?" (would you give me?).

3. છૂટા પૈસા છે?

   Chhu-ta pai-sa chhe?

   Do you have change?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Indian shops are chronically short of small notes and coins, so a 500-rupee note always prompts this question. Keeping 10, 20 and 50 rupee notes on hand makes paying much smoother

   Grammar Note

   "Chhutun" means "loose, separate"; the ending shifts to "-a" to agree with the masculine plural "paisa". Gujarati adjectives inflect for three genders — masculine, feminine and neuter.

4. ઓનલાઈન કે રોકડ?

   On-line ke ro-kad?

   Online or cash?

   Usage

   Said by staff. In India "online" is everyday shorthand for a UPI QR payment. In Ahmedabad and Surat even street carts display a printed QR code, and it has overtaken cash as the usual method

   Grammar Note

   "Ke" links two alternatives, like English "or". Dropping the verb and juxtaposing the two nouns is the normal, brisk register for service exchanges.

5. યુપીઆઈ ચાલશે?

   U-P-I chaal-she?

   Will UPI work here?

   Usage

   Almost every shop answers "ha" (yes). UPI does require an Indian bank account and local phone number, though, so most short-term visitors cannot register and should carry cash

   Grammar Note

   "Chaalvun" literally means "to walk", but it is standard for payments and banknotes in the sense of "is accepted". The future "chaalshe" is used because the payment has yet to happen.

6. બીજું કંઈ જોઈએ છે?

   Bi-jun kan-i jo-ie chhe?

   Do you need anything else?

   Usage

   Said by staff. In a Gujarati kirana shop the goods sit behind the counter and you ask for each item aloud, which is why staff check this before adding up the bill

   Grammar Note

   The standard reply is "bas, aatlun ja" (that's all, just this). "Bas" on its own means "enough / that's it" and is understood right across India.

7. બિલ જોઈએ છે?

   Bill jo-ie chhe?

   Do you want the bill?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Small shops total things up mentally without a till, so often no receipt exists. If you need a formal tax invoice, ask specifically for a "GST bill"

   Grammar Note

   In the "joie chhe" construction the needed item is the subject, and the form stays the same regardless of its gender or number. To ask for one yourself, say "bill aapo ne".

8. આ આપો ને

   Aa aa-po ne

   I'll take this one

   Usage

   The simplest phrase, used while pointing. Since you cannot reach the shelves behind the counter, adding "aa vaalun" (this one here) while pointing removes any doubt

   Grammar Note

   Put a numeral in front for quantity: "be aapo ne" (give me two). For weighed goods the common units are "ek kilo" (one kilo), "adhdho kilo" (half a kilo) and "so gram" (100 grams).

9. આ શાકાહારી છે?

   Aa sha-ka-ha-ri chhe?

   Is this vegetarian?

   Usage

   Most Gujaratis are vegetarian and shop stock reflects it. Indian law requires packaged food to carry a green dot (vegetarian) or a red-brown dot (non-vegetarian), so you can check the pack itself. Products free of onion and garlic for Jains are marked "Jain"

   Grammar Note

   A compound of "shak" (vegetable) and "aahaari" (eater); its opposite is "maansaahaari" (non-vegetarian). Many Gujaratis do not count eggs as vegetarian, so it is worth asking separately: "indun chhe?" (does it contain egg?).

10. પાણીની બોટલ આપો

    Pa-ni-ni bo-tal aa-po

    A bottle of water, please

    Usage

    Tap water is not drunk in Gujarat, so bottled water is the norm at about 20 rupees a litre. The MRP (maximum retail price) is printed on the bottle, so you can point at it if overcharged. Add "thandi" for a chilled one

    Grammar Note

    The genitive "no / ni / nun" agrees with the noun that follows. "Botal" is feminine, hence "paani-ni". Gujarati orthography attaches the genitive directly to the noun.

11. દૂધ ક્યાં છે?

    Dudh kyan chhe?

    Where is the milk?

    Usage

    Gujarat is the birthplace of the Amul dairy cooperative. Pouches of fresh milk reach shops early in the morning and often sell out before noon; shelf-stable "tetra pack" cartons are available all day

    Grammar Note

    "Kyan chhe?" is the basic way to ask where something is; just swap the noun — "bread", "dahin" (yoghurt), "indaan" (eggs). The question word sits immediately before the verb.

12. મોબાઈલ રિચાર્જ થશે?

    Mo-bail ri-charj tha-she?

    Can you top up my mobile?

    Usage

    Many small Gujarati shops double as mobile top-up agents: give your number and the amount, the owner processes it through his own app, and you pay cash. Prepaid Jio, Airtel and Vi numbers are handled almost anywhere

    Grammar Note

    "Thashe", the future of "thavun" (to become / to happen), is the idiomatic soft way to ask whether something is possible, and is heard constantly in everyday Indian speech. A refusal comes as "nahin thaay".

13. પાવર બેંક છે?

    Pa-var bank chhe?

    Do you have a power bank?

    Usage

    Grocery shops rarely stock them, but any mobile shop ("mobile-ni dukaan") will. For a charging cable say "charger-no vaayar" or simply "cable"

    Grammar Note

    A bare "noun + chhe?" is enough to ask whether an item is in stock. Gujarati freely drops anything recoverable from context, and the brevity is not impolite.

14. ફોન ચાર્જ કરું?

    Phone charj ka-run?

    May I charge my phone?

    Usage

    Gujarati shopkeepers will usually let you use a socket and are glad to help, but it rests on their goodwill rather than any posted service. Buy something first, then ask

    Grammar Note

    The first-person subjunctive ending "-un" expresses "shall I / may I". "Karvun" (to do) combines with English loanwords to coin endless verbs: "charge karvun", "recharge karvun".

15. નજીકમાં એટીએમ છે?

    Na-jik-man A-T-M chhe?

    Is there an ATM nearby?

    Usage

    Shops never have an in-store ATM, but the owner will know where the nearest one is. In Ahmedabad, Vadodara and other cities State Bank of India machines are common; in villages you may simply need to bring cash

    Grammar Note

    The postposition "-man" means "in / inside" and attaches straight to the noun: "najik" (near) + "man" = "in the vicinity". The same pattern gives "dukaan-man" (in the shop) and "shaher-man" (in the city).

16. અહીં બિયર મળે છે?

    A-hin bi-yar ma-le chhe?

    Can I buy beer here?

    Usage

    The answer will almost certainly be "na" (no). Gujarat has enforced prohibition since the state was formed in 1960 — the strictest in India — so selling, buying or possessing alcohol is illegal. Foreign visitors can apply for a liquor permit through hotels or licensed outlets, but no ordinary shop stocks alcohol at all

    Grammar Note

    "Malvun" means "to be obtained / to meet", and in a shop it asks whether something is available. The grammatical subject is the item, not the buyer — this is the most natural way to ask about stock in Gujarati.

17. છૂટક મળશે?

    Chhu-tak mal-she?

    Can I buy it loose / by weight?

    Usage

    Indian shops sell rice, pulses, spices and sugar loose by weight rather than pre-packed. Ask for just what you need — "so gram" (100 grams) — and it is cheaper than the packaged version. Shampoo and detergent likewise come in single-use sachets

    Grammar Note

    "Chhutak" also means "retail", the opposite of "jaththaabandh" (wholesale). The future "malshe" is used because you are asking about a purchase yet to be made.

18. દુકાન કેટલા વાગે બંધ થાય છે?

    Du-kan ket-la va-ge bandh thaay chhe?

    What time does the shop close?

    Usage

    Gujarati shops are almost never open 24 hours; most open around 8am and close by 9-10pm, and many shut for a few hours in the early afternoon. Hours change substantially during Diwali and Navratri, so it is worth checking

    Grammar Note

    "Bandh" (closed) + "thavun" (to become) gives "to close"; "khullun" + "thavun" gives "to open". "Thaay chhe" is the habitual present, describing what regularly happens.

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