Market prices
❃ Market prices
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පොළ කොහේද තියෙන්නේ?
[ poḷa kohēda tiyennē? ] -
Where is the local market?
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මේ පළතුරු අලුත්ද?
[ mē paḷaturu alutda? ] -
Are these fruits fresh?
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මට කෙසෙල් කිලෝ එකක් දෙන්න
[ maṭa kesel kilō ekak denna ] -
Give me one kilo of bananas
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අඹ කිලෝ එකක් කීයද?
[ am̆ba kilō ekak kīyada? ] -
How much is a kilo of mangoes?
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මේ එළවළුව මොකක්ද?
[ mē eḷavaḷuva mokakda? ] -
What is this vegetable?
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මට ලූනු ග්රෑම් පන්සීයක් ඕනේ
[ maṭa lūnu grǣm pansīyak ōnē ] -
I want 500 grams of onions
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මට එකක් කාලා බලන්න පුළුවන්ද?
[ maṭa ekak kālā balanna puḷuvanda? ] -
Can I taste one?
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මේක ගොඩක් පැණිරසයි
[ mēka goḍak pæṇirasayi ] -
This is very sweet
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මට අර ලොකු එක දෙන්න
[ maṭa ara loku eka denna ] -
Give me that big one
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මට බෑග් එපා, මා ළඟ එකක් තියෙනවා
[ maṭa bǣg epā, mā ḷan̆ga ekak tiyenavā ] -
I don't need a plastic bag, I have one
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කරුණාකරලා මේක කිරලා දෙන්න
[ karuṇākaralā mēka kiralā denna ] -
Please weigh this
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මට අමු මිරිස් ටිකකුත් දෙන්න
[ maṭa amu miris ṭikakut denna ] -
Give me some green chilies too
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මේවා ලංකාවේ ඒවද?
[ mēvā lan̆kāvē ēvada? ] -
Are these local Sri Lankan fruits?
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මට අන්නාසි ගෙඩි දෙකක් දෙන්න
[ maṭa annāsi geḍi dekak denna ] -
Give me two pineapples
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මට අන්නාසි ගෙඩිය කපලා දෙන්න පුළුවන්ද?
[ maṭa annāsi geḍiya kapalā denna puḷuvanda? ] -
Cut the pineapple for me, please
Visiting a local village market, known as a "Pola" (පොළ - poɭa), is one of the most culturally immersive experiences you can have in Sri Lanka. Far removed from the quiet, air-conditioned aisles of a Western supermarket, the Pola is a loud, colorful, and highly aromatic hub of community life. Vendors loudly proclaim the prices of their incredibly fresh tropical fruits, vegetables, and spices. To engage in this lively environment, the key phrase is "Me kiyada?" (මේ කීයද? - meː kiːjada?), meaning "How much is this?". When buying fruits like tiny, sweet bananas (kesel) or mangoes (amba), you can ask "Aluthda?" (අලුත්ද? - aluθda?), meaning "Is it fresh?". The vendor will proudly nod and often offer you a slice to taste. Bargaining at the Pola is expected, but it is fundamentally different from the aggressive haggling found in some tourist shops. It is a lighthearted, conversational exchange. If you are buying a kilo of rambutan and the price seems a bit high, ask with a smile, "Poddak adu karanna puluwanda?" (Can you reduce the price a little bit?). More often than not, the vendor will throw in an extra fruit rather than drop the price, offering a generous compromise. The Pola is not just about commerce; it's about connection. Showing genuine interest in the strange new vegetables, using a few Sinhala words, and interacting cheerfully with the vendors will turn a simple grocery run into a memorable highlight of your trip.
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