Trade and Prices
Klingon Basic Conversation 1
Chapter 9 · Trade & Prices
⚖️ Trade & Prices — Huch
The usual "shop" chapter becomes a trade chapter, as agreed in the outline: a Klingon market is a place for merchants (Suy), swords and loud bargaining. By the end of this chapter you will be able to say you want to buy or sell something, ask how much it costs, pay, and haggle. The tools are numbers from Chapter 3, neH "want" from Chapter 8, and a handful of trade words.
① At the Merchant's — Suy jIH
② How Much? — Huch 'ar?
③ Bargaining — tlhong
④ A Fair Price — majQa'
⑤ Paying — vIDIl
⑥ No Deal — ghobe'
🗝️ Key Phrases — Gravaj Hol
Klingon has no formal and informal "you", so the table shows one form.
| Situation | Klingon | Say it | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| I want to buy a sword | 'etlh vIje' vIneH. | 'etlh vi-je' vi-neH | two verbs, each with vI- |
| How much do you want? | Huch 'ar DaneH? | Huch 'ar Da-neH | |
| The price is 100 | Huch wa'vatlh. | Huch wa'-vatlh | numbers from Chapter 3 |
| I pay for the sword | 'etlh vIDIl. | 'etlh vi-DIl | |
| I sell the sword | 'etlh vIngev. | 'etlh vi-ngev | |
| I want to pay less | Huch puS vIDIl vIneH. | Huch puS vi-DIl vi-neH | puS "less" |
| I bargain | jItlhong. | ji-tlhong |
Three verbs with the prefixes you know:
| Verb | I → it | you → it | he / she → it |
|---|---|---|---|
| je' (buy) | vIje' | Daje' | je' |
| ngev (sell) | vIngev | Dangev | ngev |
| DIl (pay for) | vIDIl | DaDIl | DIl |
📖 Vocabulary — Vortaro
20 key words. The Say it column shows the syllables.
| # | Klingon | Say it | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huch | Huch | money | noun |
| 2 | je' | je' | buy | verb |
| 3 | ngev | ngev | sell | verb |
| 4 | DIl | DIl | pay for | verb |
| 5 | mech | mech | trade | verb |
| 6 | tlhong | tlhong | bargain, barter | verb |
| 7 | Suy | Suy | merchant | noun |
| 8 | malja' | mal-ja' | business | noun |
| 9 | 'etlh | 'etlh | sword, blade | noun |
| 10 | Duj | Duj | ship | noun |
| 11 | neH | neH | want | verb |
| 12 | 'ar | 'ar | how many, how much | question |
| 13 | law' | law' | more, many | adj |
| 14 | puS | puS | fewer, less | adj |
| 15 | QaQ | QaQ | be good | adj |
| 16 | QaQbe' | QaQ-be' | be not good, bad | adj |
| 17 | wa'vatlh | wa'-vatlh | one hundred | number |
| 18 | wa'SaD | wa'-SaD | one thousand | number |
| 19 | HIja' | HI-ja' | yes | phrase |
| 20 | ghobe' | gho-be' | no | phrase |
📜 Reading — LaD
A short text using only words you know.
True or false? (a) The speaker is a merchant. (b) The speaker sells a ship. (c) The speaker wants forty. (d) The speaker is unhappy.
Show answers
(a) True. (b) False: 'etlh vIngev "I sell a sword". (c) True: loSmaH. (d) False: QaQ! is "good".
✍️ Try It Yourself — Ekzercoj
Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.
1. Say "I want to buy a ship".
Show answer
Duj vIje' vIneH.
2. Ask how much money someone wants, and answer "fifty".
Show answer
Huch 'ar DaneH? · Huch vaghmaH.
3. Say "I am a merchant" and ask someone else if they are.
Show answer
Suy jIH. · Suy SoH'a'?
4. Say "I pay for the sword" and "I sell the ship".
Show answer
'etlh vIDIl. · Duj vIngev.
5. Say "I want to pay less money" and "no, that is too much".
Show answer
Huch puS vIDIl vIneH. · ghobe'! Huch law'!
6. Say "I do not have the money" (use -be' after the verb).
Show answer
Huch vIghajbe'.