Dialogue at the Market – English Standard Four

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, a pupil should be able to:

• Identify common words used at the market.
• Use polite expressions when buying and selling goods.
• Ask and answer questions about prices and quantities.
• Take part in simple conversations between buyers and sellers.

1. Common Vocabulary

Learn the following words and their meanings in Kiswahili:

Market	Soko
Buyer	Mnunuzi
Seller	Muuzaji
Customer	Mteja
Price	Bei
Money	Pesa
Change	Chenji
Fruits	Matunda
Vegetables	Mboga
Tomatoes	Nyanya
Onions	Vitunguu
Potatoes	Viazi
Bananas	Ndizi
Oranges	Machungwa
Mangoes	Maembe
Rice	Mchele
Beans	Maharage
Maize	Mahindi
Basket	Kikapu
Kilogram	Kilogramu
Weighing scale	Mizani
Shopkeeper	Muuza duka

2. Common Expressions

Good morning.	Habari za asubuhi.
How much is this?	Hiki ni bei gani?
How much are these?	Hivi ni bei gani?
I would like to buy some tomatoes.	Ningependa kununua nyanya.
Give me one kilogram, please.	Naomba unipatie kilogramu moja.
It is too expensive.	Ni ghali sana.
Can you reduce the price?	Unaweza kupunguza bei?
Here is your money.	Hapa kuna pesa yako.
Here is your change.	Hii ndiyo chenji yako.
Thank you.	Asante.

3. Sample Dialogue One: Buying Tomatoes

Buyer: Good morning.

Seller: Good morning. How can I help you?

Buyer: I would like to buy some tomatoes.

Seller: How many kilograms do you need?

Buyer: Give me two kilograms, please.

Seller: Two kilograms are three thousand shillings.

Buyer: That is a little expensive. Can you reduce the price?

Seller: I can sell them for two thousand five hundred shillings.

Buyer: That is fine. Here is your money.

Seller: Thank you. Have a nice day.

4. Sample Dialogue Two: Buying Oranges

Neema: Good afternoon.

Seller: Good afternoon, Neema.

Neema: How much is one orange?

Seller: One orange is five hundred shillings.

Neema: I would like to buy four oranges.

Seller: Four oranges are two thousand shillings.

Neema: Here is two thousand shillings.

Seller: Thank you. Please take your oranges.

Neema: Thank you. Goodbye.

5. Comprehension Questions

Dialogue One

1. Where are the buyer and the seller?
2. What does the buyer want to buy?
3. How many kilograms does the buyer need?
4. What is the first price?
5. How much does the buyer finally agree to pay?

Dialogue Two

1. What is the name of the girl?
2. What does Neema want to buy?
3. How much is one orange?
4. How many oranges does Neema buy?
5. How much does she pay altogether?

6. Practice Activities

Activity A: Match the words with their meanings.

• Buyer — a person who buys goods
• Seller — a person who sells goods
• Price — the amount of money paid for something
• Change — money returned after payment

Activity B: Fill in the blanks using these words: market, buyer, seller, money, price.

1. A person who buys goods is a __________.
2. A person who sells goods is a __________.
3. We buy and sell goods at the __________.
4. We use __________ to pay for goods.
5. The amount paid for an item is its __________.

Activity C: Complete the dialogue.

Buyer: Good morning. I would like to __________ some bananas.

Seller: Good morning. How many do you __________?

Buyer: How much __________ they?

7. Answer Guide

Dialogue One: 1. At the market. 2. Tomatoes. 3. Two kilograms. 4. Three thousand shillings. 5. Two thousand five hundred shillings.

Dialogue Two: 1. Neema. 2. Oranges. 3. Five hundred shillings. 4. Four oranges. 5. Two thousand shillings.

Activity A: Buyer — a person who buys goods; Seller — a person who sells goods; Price — the amount of money paid for something; Change — money returned after payment.

Activity B: 1. buyer 2. seller 3. market 4. money 5. price.

Activity C: buy; need; are.

8. Speaking Practice

Work in pairs. One pupil should act as a buyer and the other as a seller. Practise buying tomatoes, bananas, rice, onions or oranges. Remember to greet each other, ask about prices, state quantities and use polite expressions.

9. Support for Slow Learners

The teacher should use real objects or pictures of market goods, pronounce each new word clearly, and allow pupils to repeat the words. The teacher should model short conversations and pair pupils who need support with confident speakers. Give pupils time to practise simple questions and answers before performing a dialogue.

10. Learning Outcome

A pupil can use common market vocabulary and polite expressions to take part in simple buying and selling conversations.