Convenience Store

1. شاپر چاہیے؟ پانچ روپے کا ہے۔

   Shāpar cāhiye? Pāṃc rupaye kā hai.

   Do you need a bag? It costs five rupees

   Usage

   Said by staff. In Pakistan a carrier bag is universally called a "shāpar", from English "shopper". Thin polythene is restricted in Islamabad and Sindh, so even a karyana store (a family-run grocery) now charges for a thicker bag. Decline with "nahīṃ cāhiye"

   Grammar Note

   Urdu is written right to left in the Nastaliq style. "Cāhiye" is an invariable predicate meaning "is needed", unaffected by gender or number. Prices take the genitive: "pāṃc rupaye kā" (of five rupees)

2. صرف سو گرام تول دیں۔

   Sirf sau grām taul deṃ.

   Please weigh out just a hundred grams

   Usage

   At a Pakistani karyana store, pulses, rice, sugar, spices and tea are scooped from sacks and tins and sold loose ("khulā"). You can buy small amounts, handy for travellers and cheaper than packaged goods. The traditional "pāo" is about 250 grams and "ādhā kilo" is 500

   Grammar Note

   "Taul deṃ" is a compound verb: stem plus the auxiliary "denā" (to give), marking an action done for the hearer and sounding softer than plain "tauleṃ". Imperatives come in three grades: "taul" (tū), "taulo" (tum), "tauleṃ" (āp)

3. چھوٹا ساشے بھی ہے، دس روپے کا۔

   Choṭā sāshe bhī hai, das rupaye kā.

   We also have a small sachet, ten rupees

   Usage

   Said by staff. Shampoo, detergent, tea and milk powder come in single-use sachets costing five to twenty rupees. Ask for a bottle and the shopkeeper will often suggest a sachet — less waste on a short trip. Look for the strips hanging at the shop front

   Grammar Note

   The particle "bhī" attaches to the word before it, so word order carries the meaning: "sāshe bhī hai" = there is a sachet as well. The adjective "choṭā" agrees with a masculine noun; before a feminine noun it becomes "choṭī"

4. شاپر نہیں چاہیے، میرے پاس اپنا تھیلا ہے۔

   Shāpar nahīṃ cāhiye, mere pās apnā thailā hai.

   I do not need a bag, I have my own

   Usage

   As the polythene restrictions spread in Pakistan, more shoppers carry a cloth bag ("kapṛe kā thailā"). Declining saves a few rupees and is well received. Say it before the shopkeeper starts bagging

   Grammar Note

   Urdu has no verb "to have"; possession is expressed as "X ke pās Y hai" (with X there is Y). "Apnā" is the reflexive possessive pointing back to the subject — replacing it with "merā" would sound off

5. سٹرا چاہیے؟

   Sṭrā cāhiye?

   Would you like a straw?

   Usage

   Said by staff. You will be asked when buying carton mango juice, a fruit drink or lassi, though a straw is often already glued to the pack. Decline with "nahīṃ, shukriyā"

   Grammar Note

   Urdu yes/no questions keep the same word order; you either put "kyā" in front or simply raise your intonation, and "kyā" is usually dropped in quick counter exchanges. Note that the Urdu question mark is mirrored to suit right-to-left writing

6. اس پر قیمت لکھی ہے، اس سے کم نہیں ہو گا۔

   Is par qīmat likhī hai, is se kam nahīṃ ho gā.

   The price is printed on it, so it cannot go any lower

   Usage

   Said by staff. Packaged goods in Pakistan carry a printed maximum retail price and a karyana store sells at it. Unlike fresh produce or clothes in a bazaar, packaged items are not negotiable, so this reply ends the haggling. Charging above the printed price is illegal

   Grammar Note

   "Qīmat" is feminine, so the participle takes the feminine "likhī" (a masculine noun would give "likhā"). The "se" in "is se kam" is the comparative postposition: "X se kam" (less than X), "X se ziyādā" (more than X)

7. اوپر والے خانے سے وہ ڈبہ دکھا دیں۔

   Ūpar vāle khāne se vo ḍibbā dikhā deṃ.

   Please show me that box from the upper shelf

   Usage

   A Pakistani karyana store is counter service, not self-service: you stand at the street-side counter and the shopkeeper fetches things from the shelves behind. You never reach in yourself, so point and ask. In large stores such as Imtiaz or Metro you can browse freely

   Grammar Note

   "Vālā" turns the preceding word into a modifier meaning "the one that is …", and before the postposition "se" it takes the oblique form "vāle". It is indispensable for picking out goods: "ūpar vālā" (the upper one), "lāl vālā" (the red one)

8. کیو آر کوڈ دکھائیں، میں سکین کر کے پیسے بھیج دیتا ہوں۔

   Kyū-ār koḍ dikhāeṃ, maiṃ skain kar ke paise bhej detā hūṃ.

   Please show the QR code, I will scan it and send the money

   Usage

   Mobile wallets JazzCash and Easypaisa are widespread in Pakistan, and the state-run Raast QR scheme is spreading too, so even small shops often have a QR sticker on the counter. Opening an account needs a Pakistani number and a CNIC, though, so visitors mostly pay cash

   Grammar Note

   "Kar ke" is the conjunctive participle (stem + ke) meaning "having done". "Detā hūṃ" is the male-speaker form; a woman says "detī hūṃ". Urdu uses the present tense for an immediate future like this

9. کیا میں فریج سے خود نکال لوں؟

   Kyā maiṃ frij se khud nikāl lūṃ?

   May I take it out of the fridge myself?

   Usage

   The drinks fridge at a karyana store usually stands at the front and customers are generally free to help themselves. The area behind the counter belongs to the owner, though, so a word first avoids friction. Chilled is "ṭhaṇḍā", room temperature is "nārmal"

   Grammar Note

   "Lūṃ" is the first-person singular subjunctive, used for "shall I / may I". The auxiliary "lenā" (to take for oneself) marks the action as done for the speaker's own benefit

10. سیل بند پانی کی بوتل ہے؟

    Sīl band pānī kī botal hai?

    Do you have a sealed bottle of water?

    Usage

    Refilled bottles are a known risk, so check that the cap seal is unbroken before leaving the counter. Ask for a major brand such as Nestlé Pure Life, Aquafina or Kinley. "Sīl ṭūṭī huī hai" means the seal is broken

    Grammar Note

    "Band", from Persian, means "closed" and appears widely: "dukān band hai" (the shop is closed), "band pānī" (sealed = bottled water). In "pānī kī botal" the genitive "kī" agrees with the feminine noun "botal"

11. یہاں ایزی لوڈ ہو جائے گا؟

    Yahāṃ īzī loḍ ho jāegā?

    Can I get a mobile top-up here?

    Usage

    Topping up a phone in Pakistan is called "easyload" or simply "load", and corner groceries and paan shops all offer it — just give the number and the amount. It works for Jazz, Zong, Telenor and Ufone, and is the easiest way to refill a tourist prepaid SIM

    Grammar Note

    "Ho jāegā?" literally asks "will it get done?" and is the standard way to check whether a service is available. "Karvānā" is a double causative: "karnā" (to do) becomes "karānā" (to have done) and then "karvānā" (to get someone else to do it)

12. یہاں بجلی کا بل جمع ہو جائے گا؟

    Yahāṃ bijlī kā bil jamā ho jāegā?

    Can I pay an electricity bill here?

    Usage

    Karyana stores that double as JazzCash or Easypaisa agents accept electricity (K-Electric, LESCO), gas (SNGPL) and water bills — just show the barcode or reference number; a small fee applies. Useful if you are renting a place for a longer stay

    Grammar Note

    "Jamā karānā" means to pay in; the intransitive "jamā honā" means to be paid in. The genitive "kā" agrees with the following noun, so the masculine "bil" takes "kā" in "bijlī kā bil" (a feminine noun would take "kī")

13. اس کی ایکسپائری کب کی ہے؟

    Is kī eksapāyarī kab kī hai?

    When does this expire?

    Usage

    Stock lingers on the shelves of a slow-moving shop, so always check dates on milk, bread and biscuits. Packs usually carry "Best Before" or "Expiry" in English too. If it has passed, say "ye eksapāyar ho cukā hai" and ask for a replacement

    Grammar Note

    The genitive "kā / ke / kī" agrees with the noun that follows, so the feminine "eksapāyarī" forces both "is kī" and "kab kī". In formal writing you would see "mīʿād khatm hone kī tārīkh" instead

14. ریزگاری نہیں ہے، ٹافی لے لیں۔

    Rezgārī nahīṃ hai, ṭāfī le leṃ.

    I have no small change — please take a toffee instead

    Usage

    Said by staff. Small Pakistani shops are chronically short of one- and five-rupee coins, so a toffee or a stick of gum often stands in for the odd change. You can insist with "nahīṃ, paise hī deṃ" (no, cash please), though often the coins genuinely are not there

    Grammar Note

    "Rezgārī" derives from Persian "rīza" (fragment) and means small denominations. "Le leṃ" stacks the auxiliary "lenā" onto the stem of "lenā" itself, adding a completive nuance: go ahead and take it for yourself

15. تھوڑا ادھار کر لیں، کل دے دوں گا۔

    Thoṛā udhār kar leṃ, kal de dūṃ gā.

    Please put it on my tab, I will pay tomorrow

    Usage

    A karyana store runs on neighbourhood trust, and regulars are allowed to buy on credit ("udhār"), recorded in the shopkeeper's ledger ("khātā"). If you are on a long stay and shop there often, you can ask when short of cash. A first-time visitor will usually be refused, so do not press

    Grammar Note

    "Kal" means both tomorrow and yesterday; the verb tense disambiguates — the future "de dūṃ gā" fixes it as tomorrow. Note how the light verb shifts roles: "udhār lenā" (to borrow), "udhār denā" (to lend)

16. آپ کے پاس چھٹے ہیں؟

    Āp ke pās chuṭṭe haiṃ?

    Do you have small change on you?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Hand over a 1000 or 5000 rupee note and this is the first question you will get. Answer "jī hāṃ" (yes) or "jī nahīṃ" (no). ATMs dispense only large notes, so break them at a big store or a petrol pump before shopping small

    Grammar Note

    "Āp" is the most respectful second person and the default for staff addressing customers ("tum" is familiar). The particle "jī" adds deference, making the answer politer than a bare "hāṃ". A customer asking the shop for change says "rezgārī hai?" instead

17. ایک ہی پیکٹ الگ سے مل جائے گا؟

    Ek hī paikaṭ alag se mil jāegā?

    Could I buy just one packet on its own?

    Usage

    A Pakistani karyana store will tear a strip of biscuits, shampoo or batteries apart and sell you a single unit. Cigarettes go one at a time and eggs one at a time too, so travellers need not buy more than they can use

    Grammar Note

    The particle "hī" restricts the preceding word — "ek hī" = one and only one. "Milnā" is an intransitive "to be available/obtained" whose subject is the thing obtained; the buyer takes "ko" ("mujhe mil jāegā"), usually dropped at the counter

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