Nepali Numbers and Bargaining — Count Like a Local, Pay Like a Local

Bargaining in Nepal is expected at most non-fixed-price markets — Thamel souvenir shops, Asan market, Pokhara Lakeside stalls, rickshaw rides, taxi fares without a meter. The vendors set initial prices for foreigners 2-3x higher than for Nepalis, and a brief negotiation gets you somewhere in the middle.

Numbers in Nepali are the lever that changes the dynamic. The moment you quote a counter-offer in Nepali rupees pronounced in Nepali, the vendor reads you as someone with some local context — and the price drops.

Here are the numbers, the bargaining phrases, and the cultural rules.

Nepali numbers 1-10

The basics, with rough pronunciation:

| # | Devanagari | Nepali | Pronunciation | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | १ | ek | EHK | | 2 | २ | dui | DOO-ee | | 3 | ३ | tin | TEEN | | 4 | ४ | char | CHAR | | 5 | ५ | paanch | PAANCH | | 6 | ६ | chha | CHHA | | 7 | ७ | saat | SAAT | | 8 | ८ | aath | AATH | | 9 | ९ | nau | NOW | | 10 | १० | das | DAHS |

Nepali numbers 11-20

These are slightly irregular — the pattern isn't "one-ten, two-ten" like English:

| # | Nepali | Pronunciation | |---|---|---| | 11 | eghaara | EH-gah-rah | | 12 | baahra | BAAH-rah | | 13 | tehra | TEH-rah | | 14 | chaudha | CHOW-dah | | 15 | pandhra | PAN-drah | | 16 | sohra | SOH-rah | | 17 | satra | SAH-trah | | 18 | athaara | AH-thaa-rah | | 19 | unnais | OO-nais | | 20 | bis | BEES |

The "tens" — 20, 30, 40, etc.

| # | Nepali | Pronunciation | |---|---|---| | 20 | bis | BEES | | 30 | tis | TEES | | 40 | chaalis | CHAA-lees | | 50 | pachaas | PAH-chaas | | 60 | saaThi | SAH-tee | | 70 | sattari | SAH-tah-ree | | 80 | asi | AH-see | | 90 | nabbe | NAH-beh | | 100 | (ek) saya | EHK SAH-yah |

For numbers in between (21, 22, etc.), Nepali combines them into single irregular forms — and for tourist purposes, the round numbers above are usually sufficient.

Higher numbers

| # | Nepali | Pronunciation | |---|---|---| | 100 | saya | SAH-yah | | 200 | dui saya | DOO-ee SAH-yah | | 500 | paanch saya | PAANCH SAH-yah | | 1,000 | hajaar | HAH-jaar | | 5,000 | paanch hajaar | PAANCH HAH-jaar | | 10,000 | das hajaar | DAHS HAH-jaar |

For market negotiations, you'll mostly use numbers in the 100-2,000 range, so the key vocabulary is the tens, 100 (saya), and 1,000 (hajaar).

The core bargaining phrases

"Kati paisa?" — कति पैसा? — "How much money?"

The first question. Vendors expect it.

"Yo mahaango cha" — यो महँगो छ। — "This is expensive."

The first pushback. Said with a small head tilt. Don't say it angrily — it's just opening the negotiation.

"Ekdam mahaango" — एकदम महँगो — "Way too expensive."

The stronger version.

"Sasto banaaunuhos" — सस्तो बनाउनुहोस् — "Make it cheaper."

Direct request.

Counter-offer: "Paanch saya rupaiyaa, antim" — "500 rupees, final."

The structure: number + "rupaiyaa" (rupees) + "antim" (final/last). The word antim signals you've named your price and aren't going further.

Walk-away: "Ma arko ma jaanchu" — "I'll go to another (shop)."

The walk-away phrase. Usually drops the price 20-30% by the time you take 5 steps.

Agree: "Hunchha" — "OK." (Pronounced HOON-chah.)

How bargaining actually flows in Thamel

A typical exchange for a souvenir scarf:

• You: "Kati paisa?"
• Vendor: "Two thousand rupees." (often quoted in English)
• You (smiling, shaking head slightly): "Mahaango. Paanch saya." — "Expensive. Five hundred."
• Vendor: "No no, fifteen hundred."
• You: "Saat saya." — "Seven hundred."
• Vendor: "Twelve hundred final price."
• You: "Nau saya, antim. Ma jaanchu." — "Nine hundred, final. I'll go."
• Vendor: "Hunchha" — "OK." Or "Eleven hundred."
• You: "Nau saya" — "Nine hundred."
• Vendor "Hunchha" — accepts at 900.

You started at 2000, settled at 900. The fair price was probably 700-1000.

What bargaining is and isn't

Is normal:

• Souvenir shops in Thamel and Lakeside
• Street markets (Asan, Indra Chowk)
• Rickshaws (without meters)
• Pashmina/textile shops
• Trekking gear shops
• Taxi without meters

Is NOT normal:

• Restaurants (prices are fixed, on menu)
• Lodges and teahouses (set price)
• Supermarkets and chain stores
• ATMs
• Government offices
• Major hotels (rack rate is the rate)
• Taxis with meters (just ask for the meter)
• Trekking permits (fixed amounts)

The rules of bargaining

1. Smile. Bargaining in Nepal is friendly, not adversarial. Vendors are doing their job; you're doing yours.

2. Know the rough fair price before starting. For tourist items, the fair price is often 30-50% of the initial quote. For genuinely artisan items, the gap is smaller — maybe 20-30% below quote.

3. Don't haggle over very small amounts. Negotiating NPR 100 ($0.75) off a NPR 500 item is fine. Refusing to pay NPR 50 over your target is mean-spirited if the original price was already low.

4. Be ready to walk away. The walk-away is your only real leverage. If you can't actually walk, you've already lost.

5. Don't bargain in restaurants or fixed-price shops. Trying to haggle in a restaurant is a cultural mistake.

6. Pay what you agreed to, even if you later realize you over-paid. Backing out of an agreed price damages trust.

Number traps to know

• The currency note look-alikes: NPR 500 and NPR 100 notes can look similar. Count change carefully — see the scam-defence guide for the change-short scam.
• "Lakh": in some contexts you'll hear "lakh" used to mean 100,000. This is more common in Hindi than Nepali but appears in Nepal too. Probably not relevant for tourist transactions.
• Indian rupees: Indian rupees in denominations of 100 and below are legal tender in Nepal at 1.6 NPR per INR. NPR 500 and 2,000 Indian notes are NOT legal in Nepal.

In the souvenir shops specifically

A pattern that works well in Thamel souvenir shops:

1. Walk in, browse without rushing
2. Pick 3-4 items you genuinely want
3. Ask the price for each separately
4. Then ask for a combined price — "All together?"
5. Bundle pricing usually saves 15-25% over individual prices

Combined with the scam-defence phrases for the change-short situation, this gets you to a fair total.

Pre-trip checklist

• Practice numbers 1-10 aloud — they're useful daily
• Practice the round tens (20, 30, 50, 100, 500, 1000) — these are your bargaining tools
• Remember "kati paisa?" and "mahaango" — your two most-used market phrases
• The scenarios phrasebook for the broader context
• The scam-defence phrases for change-short situations
• A relaxed attitude — bargaining should feel friendly, not combative

The numbers are the easiest part. The cultural rhythm of the negotiation is harder, and it gets better with practice. Day 3 of your trip, you'll be bargaining smoothly. Day 7, you'll be doing it in Nepali.