Lesson 8: At the Market
Avi buys some fruit at the market and asks how much it costs.
The dialogue
שָׁלוֹם! מָה אַתָּה רוֹצֶה?
shalom! ma ata rotse?
Hello! What would you like?
אֲנִי רוֹצֶה תַּפּוּחִים. כַּמָּה זֶה עוֹלֶה?
ani rotse tapuchim. kama ze ole?
I want apples. How much does it cost?
עֶשֶׂר שְׁקָלִים לְקִילוֹ.
eser shkalim lekilo.
Ten shekels per kilo.
קִילוֹ אֶחָד, בְּבַקָּשָׁה. וְגַם בָּנָנוֹת.
kilo echad, bevakasha. ve’gam bananot.
One kilo, please. And also bananas.
בְּבַקָּשָׁה. עוֹד מַשֶּׁהוּ?
bevakasha. od mashehu?
Here you go. Anything else?
לֹא, תּוֹדָה. כַּמָּה הַכֹּל?
lo, toda. kama hakol?
No, thanks. How much is everything?
חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שְׁקָלִים.
chamesh esre shkalim.
Fifteen shekels.
Grammar: making nouns plural
Hebrew has two main plural endings, by gender:
- Masculine nouns usually add ־ִים (-im): תַּפּוּחַ tapuach (apple) → תַּפּוּחִים tapuchim (apples).
- Feminine nouns usually add ־וֹת (-ot): בָּנָנָה banana (banana) → בָּנָנוֹת bananot (bananas).
To ask a price, use כַּמָּה (kama, “how much / how many”):
- כַּמָּה זֶה עוֹלֶה? kama ze ole? — “How much does it cost?”
- כַּמָּה הַכֹּל? kama hakol? — “How much is everything / in total?”
Vocabulary
Nouns
| שׁוּק | shuk | market |
| תַּפּוּחַ | tapuach | apple |
| בָּנָנָה | banana | banana |
| שֶׁקֶל | shekel | shekel (currency) |
| קִילוֹ | kilo | kilogram |
Verbs
| רוֹצֶה | rotse | want (m.) |
| עוֹלֶה | ole | cost (lit. “go up”) |
Question words
| כַּמָּה | kama | how much / how many |
Numbers
| עֶשֶׂר | eser | ten (f.) |
| חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה | chamesh esre | fifteen (f.) |
Other
| זֶה | ze | this, it |
| עוֹד | od | more, another |
| מַשֶּׁהוּ | mashehu | something |