In a Tamale market, the price you are quoted is rarely the price you pay. That is not a trick; it is a conversation. This guide covers the Dagbani market bargaining phrases you actually need — how to greet, how to ask what something costs, how to say it is too expensive, and how to accept or decline without causing offence.
Every word below comes from a published Dagbani phrasebook, so you can use it knowing it is real. Dagbani is the anglicised name of the language; in the language itself it is Dagbanli, and the people are Dagbamba. A few phrases, used at the right moment, will do more for your day in the market than any amount of haggling technique.
If you are new to the language, start with our first Dagbanli phrasebook and then come back here for the market.
Greeting first, then business
Among Dagbamba, as commonly understood, a greeting is not a formality you skip to save time. It is how a stranger becomes someone worth dealing with. Walk up to a stall, name the price you want, and you have begun in the wrong place.
Stop at the stall. Greet. Wait for the reply. Let the seller look at you and decide what kind of customer you are. Only then does the conversation turn to goods. Visitors who rush this stage often find the price goes up rather than down.
| English | Dagbani |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Dasiba |
| Good evening | Antire |
| Good evening (response) | Aninwula |
| Hello | N doo |
| How are you? | Ka di be wula? |
| Fine, thank you | M mali alaafei, m paɣiya |
| What is your name? | A yuli? |
| My name is ____ | N yuli booni ____ |
| Nice to meet you | Di niŋ ma suhupiɛli pam ni n ni nyaa ŋɔ |
How much is this? The Dagbani price questions
Dagbani Market Bargaining Phrases
The price question is the one phrase you will repeat all day. Learn it once and you can shop anywhere in the central market without pointing and miming.
| English | Dagbani |
|---|---|
| How much is this? | A la n nyɛ ŋɔ |
| That’s too expensive | Di be kirikiri yaɣi |
| That’s too expensive (variant) | Daa maa kpem yaɣi |
| Expensive | Kirikiri |
| Asking for a discount | Boomi ma |
| Cheap | Alaha |
| Would you take ____? | A ni kpuɣi ____ |
| OK, I’ll take it | Din ŋuna, n ni kpuɣi li |
| I don’t want it | M bi borili |
| I’m not interested | M bi bora |
| I can’t afford it | N ku tooi li |
| You’re cheating me | A ŋaritimami |
Note the two ways of saying something is too expensive. Use whichever comes to you; both are understood. And treat A ŋaritimami — you’re cheating me — as a last resort. It is a real phrase and a real accusation. Say it with a smile and it can land as banter; say it flatly and you have ended the negotiation.
Numbers: the words that carry the price
Prices in the market are spoken, not written. You will hear numbers faster than you can assemble them. The full number list is long, but a small core will carry you through most stalls.
| Number | Dagbani |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ndam |
| 2 | Ayi |
| 3 | Ata |
| 4 | Anahi |
| 5 | Anu |
| 6 | Ayobu |
| 7 | Apoin |
| 8 | Anii |
| 9 | Awoi |
| 10 | Pia |
| 20 | Pishi |
| 50 | Pihinu |
| 100 | Kɔbiga |
| 1,000 | Tuhili |
Two words make the numbers more useful still. Bɛla means less and pam means more. Paired with a gesture, they let you counter an opening price without needing the exact figure in Dagbani.
The four moves of a market negotiation
Bargaining in Dagbani follows a shape. You do not need to be fluent to follow it; you need to know which move comes next.
- Greet. Dasiba in the morning, Antire later in the day. Wait for the answer.
- Ask the price. Point at one item only and say A la n nyɛ ŋɔ. Asking the price of everything at once marks you as a browser, not a buyer.
- Respond to the price. A calm Kirikiri, or the fuller Di be kirikiri yaɣi, says it is expensive without saying the seller is dishonest.
- Offer, then settle or leave. Use A ni kpuɣi ____ to put your figure. Then either Din ŋuna, n ni kpuɣi li — OK, I’ll take it — or a polite exit.
How to walk away politely
Leaving is part of the negotiation. Done well, it is not rude and it is not final — it simply tells the seller your figure was serious. Done badly, it closes the stall to you for the rest of the day.
| What you want to do | What to say |
|---|---|
| Decline the item | M bi borili |
| Say you are not interested | M bi bora |
| Say it is beyond your means | N ku tooi li |
| Thank the seller | N paɣiya |
| Ask them to excuse you | Gaafara |
| Say goodbye | Naawuni ni sɔŋ |
| Informal goodbye | Bai bai |
Thank the seller, use Gaafara if you need to interrupt, and go. No sighing, no turning away mid-sentence, no telling them their market is unreasonable. If you come back tomorrow and greet them again, the conversation often starts warmer.
Words for the goods themselves
You do not need a whole food vocabulary to shop. A handful of words covers most of what is sold in a northern market, and the rest can be handled by pointing.
| English | Dagbani |
|---|---|
| Rice | Mo’chi / shinkaafa |
| Beans | Tuya |
| Vegetables | Ʒevari |
| Fruit | Bin’walli |
| Bread | Paanu |
| Eggs | Gala |
| Fish | Zahim |
| Chicken | Noo nimdi |
| Cheese | Waagashi |
| Salt | Yɛlim |
| Black pepper | Naanzu’sabinli |
| Water (still) | Kom din bi zora |
| Juice | Binkom |
For prepared food rather than raw goods, see our guide to must-try dishes in Tamale. Much of what you will buy at a market stall ends up in exactly those dishes.
Asking for help and paying
You will sometimes need more than a price phrase. Ask for help plainly and most people will find someone who can bridge the gap.
| English | Dagbani |
|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | A ni tooi yɛli silimiinsilii? |
| Is there someone here who speaks English? | So be kpe ka yari silimiinsilii? |
| I can’t speak Dagbani | N ku tooi yɛli Dagbanli |
| I don’t understand | N bi gbaai |
| Please | Dimi suɣulo / Pahimi suɣulo |
| Excuse me (getting attention) | Gaafara |
| Help! | Sɔŋmi ya ma! |
| Where is the toilet? | Ya polo ka baanjira be? |
On payment, know before you go what your options actually are at that stall. Cash and mobile money are not equally accepted everywhere, and a market is the wrong place to discover your wallet is empty. Our guide to money, connectivity and staying healthy in Tamale covers the practical side.
Mistakes visitors make
- Opening with a price demand. It skips the greeting, and the greeting is the point.
- Treating the first price as final. Treat it as an opening. Respond with Kirikiri and see where the conversation goes.
- Bargaining over everything. Small, everyday purchases are often not a negotiation at all. Read the stall before you start.
- Walking off in silence. Thank the seller first. N paɣiya costs nothing and keeps the relationship intact.
- Using A ŋaritimami too early. An accusation of cheating has its place, but not as your opening response to a price.
If you want to understand why the language behaves this way, our Dagbani language guide explains the two main dialects — Eastern Dagbani (Nayahali), centred on Yendi, and Western Dagbani (Tomosili), centred on Tamale. They are mutually intelligible, differing mainly in some root vowels and the pronunciation of some nouns, so phrases learned here will serve you across the region.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ask how much something costs in Dagbani?
Say A la n nyɛ ŋɔ, meaning how much is this. Point at one item when you say it. If you do not catch the answer, ask again rather than guessing — the number matters more than the grammar.
How do I say something is too expensive?
Two options are recorded in the phrasebook: Di be kirikiri yaɣi and Daa maa kpem yaɣi. The single word Kirikiri means expensive and works as a short reaction. Keep your tone level; the words already carry the point.
Is it rude to walk away from a stall?
Not if you do it politely. Say M bi borili or M bi bora, thank the seller with N paɣiya, and leave. Walking away while still speaking, or showing irritation, is what causes offence.
Do I need to speak Dagbani to shop in Tamale?
No. Many traders also work in English, and in a busy market you will often find someone nearby who does. But greeting in Dagbani changes the tone of the exchange, and a handful of market phrases will usually get you a fairer starting point than English alone.
Related reading
- A survival guide to Tamale Central Market
- Your first Dagbanli phrasebook
- Dagbani language guide
- A traveller’s guide to the Dagbani language
- Authentic crafts: shopping with purpose in Tamale
- Getting around Tamale
Learn ten of these phrases before you go, and use them in the order the market expects: greet, ask, react, decide. The language is doing more work than you think.
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