Episode 0051
Summary
A customer is shopping for dresses. She inquires about the price of two different dresses, finding them both out of her price range. After some negotiation, where she suggests buying both dresses, the salesperson initially offers $190 for both. When the customer still finds it too pricey, the salesperson makes a final offer of $100 for both dresses, which the customer happily accepts.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
Hello, may I help you?
Yeah, this dress is really nice. How much is it?
That one is $150.
A hundred and fifty dollars?
What about this other one over here?
That's 140.
Um, that's a bit out of my price range.
Can you give me a better deal?
This is an exclusive design by Damarco. It's a bargain at that price.
Well, I don't know. I think I'll shop around.
Okay, okay. How about $100?
That's still more than I wanted to spend.
What if I take both dresses?
Okay, I can give you a special discount just because you seem like a nice person.
190 for both.
Um, I don't know. Still a bit pricey. Thanks anyway.
Okay, my final price: $100 for both. That's two for the price of one, and that's my last offer.
Great! You've got a deal.
Summary
This audio is an episode from the 'EnglishPod' podcast, hosted by Marco and Erica, focusing on the concept of bargaining. They explain 'bargain' as both a noun (a good deal) and a verb (to negotiate prices). The hosts feature a dialogue between a shopper and a shopkeeper demonstrating bargaining techniques, followed by a detailed breakdown of relevant vocabulary like 'price range', 'shop around', and 'pricey', and useful phrases for negotiating. The dialogue is replayed multiple times, including a slowed-down version, to reinforce understanding. The episode concludes with a discussion on cultural differences in bargaining, inviting listeners to share their own country's customs.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
Hello English learners, welcome back to EnglishPod.
My name is Marco.
And I'm Erica.
And today we're bringing you another great lesson, and this time we're going to be shopping.
That's right. Actually, a lot of our users asked for some some lessons about shopping, right?
Exactly. And I think one of the most important things when you go shopping is to get a good price.
That's right.
So, we're going to be teaching you how to bargain.
So, Marco, you just mentioned a really great word. Um, let's look at it in vocabulary preview.
Vocabulary preview.
All right. So, we're going to preview the word bargain today.
Bargain. Bargain. Bargain.
Now, this is an interesting word because it's a verb and a noun.
That's right. Um, so a bargain is a good price, right?
Okay, so a bargain is a good price.
Yeah. This t-shirt was a bargain. Um, I only paid a dollar for it.
Okay, so that is a bargain.
Yes.
But to bargain as a verb.
Um, to try and get a good price.
So it's very similar to negotiate.
Yeah, so I would say it costs $100.
And then I would say maybe it, no, I'll give you 50.
75.
And then I'll say 60.
Etc., etc.
And that's to bargain, right?
Okay, so we're going to be bargaining. Uh, let's listen to the dialogue for the first time, as we have a woman bargaining in a store, right?
That's right.
Hello, may I help you?
Yeah, this dress is really nice. How much is it?
That one is $150.
$150?
What about this other one over here?
That's 140.
Um, that's a bit out of my price range. Can you give me a better deal?
This is an exclusive design by Dhamarco. It's a bargain at that price.
Oh, I don't know. I think I'll shop around.
Okay, okay. How about $100?
That's still more than I wanted to spend. What if I take both dresses?
Okay, I can give you a special discount just because you seem like a nice person. $190 for both.
Um, I don't know. Still a bit pricey. Thanks anyway.
Okay. My final price, $100 for both, that's two for the price of one and that's my last offer.
Great! You got a deal.
All right, that was some good bargaining skills right there.
Yeah, and you know what? She used a lot of good language to get a cheaper price, didn't she?
Yeah, yeah, that was good.
So let's take a look at this language in language takeaway.
Language takeaway.
Okay, the first word we have in language takeaway today.
Price range.
Price range.
Price range.
Price range.
Price range. What does that mean exactly?
So price range is the minimum and the maximum that you're willing to spend for a thing that you want to buy.
Exactly. So, in the dialogue we heard, 'It's out of my price range.'
It's more than I can spend.
More than I could spend.
Yeah.
Okay.
Okay, let's look at our next word. Shop around.
Shop around.
Shop around.
Shop around.
So she said, 'I think, I think I'll shop around.'
Right. Um, so she wants to check in a few other stores to see if there's a better price.
If I shop around, I'm going and trying to compare prices maybe.
Exactly. This is a really good, um, shopping technique.
Yeah, it is.
Okay, and let's look at our last word. Pricey.
Pricey.
Pricey.
Pricey.
So something that's pricey is.
Expensive.
Expensive.
Yep, this is a more sort of informal way of saying expensive.
Exactly. So, instead of saying, 'Wow, that car is really expensive.'
It's really pricey.
It's really pricey.
Okay, let's listen to our dialogue for the second time, and it's going to be slowed down a bit.
So you'll understand some of these great words a little bit better.
Hello, may I help you?
Yeah, this dress is really nice. How much is it?
That one is $150.
$150?
What about this other one over here?
That's 140.
Um, that's a bit out of my price range. Can you give me a better deal?
This is an exclusive design by Dhamarco. It's a bargain at that price.
Well, I don't know. I think I'll shop around.
Okay, okay. How about $100?
That's still more than I wanted to spend. What if I take both dresses?
Okay, I can give you a special discount just because you seem like a nice person. $190 for both.
I don't know. It's still a bit pricey. Thanks anyway.
Okay, my final price, $100 for both, that's two for the price of one, and that's my last offer.
Great! You've got a deal.
So we've covered the language in this dialogue. Now let's take a look at some of the phrases in putting it together.
Putting it together.
So, Marco, in this dialogue there's a lot of really useful phrases to help you get a better price when you shop, right?
Exactly.
So the first one we have is, 'Can you give me a better deal?'
Can you give me a better deal?
Can you give me a better deal?
So if I'm shopping and something is too expensive, I would use this sentence with the shopkeeper.
Yeah, so you might say, 'Um, hey, this is out of my price range, could you give me a better deal?'
Can you give me a better deal?
Yeah.
Okay.
We have some examples of 'Can you give me a better deal?' Let's listen.
Example one.
I really like this shirt, but it's too expensive. Can you give me a better deal?
Example two.
Can you give me a better price on this car? I really don't have that much money.
So you can see here that you can say, 'Can you give me a better deal?' or 'Can you give me a better price?'
All right, let's take a look at the next phrase.
That's still more than I wanted to spend.
That's still more than I wanted to spend.
That's still more than I wanted to spend.
So if the seller suggests a really high price, you can say, 'That's still more than I wanted to spend.'
That's still more than I wanted to spend.
So, basically, you're telling the shopkeeper, 'Still too expensive.'
It's still too expensive.
You still don't want to spend that much.
Mhm.
All right. Let's take a look at our last phrase.
That's my last offer.
That's my last offer.
That's my last offer.
Now this could work both ways, it could be the shopkeeper that's telling you that.
That's my lowest price.
Right? Or you could say, 'That's my last offer.'
That's my highest price if you are buying it.
Right. Because sometimes when you're bargaining, the shopkeeper will say, 'All right, what's your best offer? How much will you pay?'
$100. That's my final offer.
Exactly.
All right, so we've looked at a lot of great phrases and words, and now you're ready to bargain and also listen to this dialogue for the third time. And then we'll come back and talk some more.
Hello, may I help you?
Yeah, this dress is really nice. How much is it?
That one is $150.
$150?
What about this other one over here?
That's 140.
Um, that's a bit out of my price range. Can you give me a better deal?
This is an exclusive design by Dhamarco. It's a bargain at that price.
Oh, I don't know. I think I'll shop around.
Okay, okay. How about $100?
That's still more than I wanted to spend. What if I take both dresses?
Okay, I can give you a special discount just because you seem like a nice person. $190 for both.
Um, I don't know. Still a bit pricey. Thanks anyway.
Okay, my final price, $100 for both, that's two for the price of one, and that's my last offer.
Great! You got a deal.
All right, so I know that in Canada, it's not really common to bargain, right?
No, it it really isn't, like even when you go to the market to buy fruits and vegetables, it's it's very, very rare to bargain with the shopkeeper. Mhm. How about in Ecuador?
Uh, no, in Ecuador you definitely bargain.
Really?
Well, if you go to the mall, for example, or if you go to a supermarket, of course, you wouldn't really bargain.
Yeah.
Unless maybe you go to a small store or you go to one of the local markets, then it's more common to bargain.
And you have to, because people expect you to bargain.
Really?
Yeah, yeah, in many countries in the world, bargaining is almost like an art.
Yeah, that's true. Actually, Marco, you are an excellent bargainer, aren't you?
Oh.
Yeah, I've been I've been known to bargain with the shopkeepers in uh I've been known to bargain a little bit with with the shopkeepers and helping out.
A little bit? I mean, you've got better prices than I can even imagine getting.
Yeah, that's a that's a good story. We'll get JP to to go to our comment section and tell you about that.
So we want to know about your countries, is it common to bargain? Do you really do it? Is it okay or when is it okay?
Yes, tell us.
Visit our website at englishpod.com, tell us about your country's bargaining customs and also leave your questions there for us.
Exactly, we'll be there to answer them.
But until then, we got to go, so.
Goodbye.
Bye.
Summary
The audio is an English vocabulary review focusing on shopping and pricing terms. It begins with a slow-paced review of definitions and vocabulary words, followed by a faster-paced repetition of some terms. The latter part of the audio provides example sentences for selected vocabulary words like 'bargain', 'shop around', 'pricey', and phrases like 'out of my price range' and 'more than we wanted to spend'.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
The English pod audio review.
Listen to the meaning, then say the vocabulary word.
Too expensive, can't afford it.
Out of my price range.
Agreement to buy something.
Deal.
Not common, unique.
Exclusive.
A good deal, a cheap price.
Bargain.
Look in many stores and try and find the best price.
Shop around.
A lowering of the price of something.
Discount.
Expensive.
Pricey.
An opportunity to buy something at a low price.
Offer.
Money in the form of coins and bills.
Cash.
Card that is used to buy things and pay at a later time.
Credit card.
A special discount or offer on goods and services.
Promotion.
To discuss and fight for a better price.
Negotiate.
A free item that is usually given to promote a product.
Freebie.
Let's try that faster.
A lowering of the price of something.
Discount.
A good deal, a cheap price.
Bargain.
A free item that is usually given to promote a product.
Freebie.
Too expensive, can't afford it.
Out of my price range.
To discuss and fight for a better price.
Negotiate.
Card that is used to buy things and pay at a later time.
Credit card.
Money in the form of coins and bills.
Cash.
A special discount or offer on goods and services.
Promotion.
Agreement to buy something.
Deal.
An opportunity to buy something at a low price.
Offer.
Look in many stores and try and find the best price.
Shop around.
Expensive.
Pricey.
Not common, unique.
Exclusive.
Now say the word and hear it in a sentence.
Bargain.
I got this shirt for half price. What a bargain!
Bargain.
Let's go shopping. Everything is on sale and I'm sure we'll find some great bargains.
Bargain.
You look around, you'll find some great bargains.
Shop around.
I'm not sure about it yet. I'm going to shop around for a while.
Shop around.
Let's shop around and see if we can find it cheaper in another store.
Shop around.
I was shopping around and I found this computer on sale.
Pricey.
This restaurant is too pricey for me. Can we go somewhere else?
Pricey.
This phone is a little pricey, but it is a really good phone.
Pricey.
I can't afford that trip. It's just too pricey.
Out of my price range.
No, that computer is out of my price range. Do you have something cheaper?
Out of my price range.
Honey, you know this restaurant is out of my price range.
We can't afford to buy a house in this neighborhood. It's out of our price range.
This house is a little bit more than we wanted to spend.
We can't afford that car. It's more than we wanted to spend.
$100 is more than I wanted to spend.