What does it mean word for word?
بقداش joins ب, 'with' or 'for', and قداش, 'how much' or 'how many', a core Tunisian question word.
Which one should you use?
بقداش؟ asks specifically about price. The plain قداش؟ without the ب asks 'how much' or 'how many' more generally, for example about quantity or age.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
This question is used the same way in casual shopping and in more formal transactions alike.
Is it said differently in some regions?
قداش is a distinctly Tunisian question word, different from the Levantine قديش and the Moroccan شحال, even though all three ask the same thing.
How does it change in a sentence?
بقداش؟ does not change form regardless of who is asking or what is being priced.
How do you pronounce it?
The stress falls on the second syllable, 'b-qed-DESH'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Using the Levantine قديش in Tunisia is understood but sounds slightly foreign next to the local قداش.
When do people say it?
Asking بقداش؟ and then negotiating a little is a normal part of shopping at Tunisian markets, especially outside fixed-price shops.
Did you know?
- قداش is one of the clearest Tunisian question words, built differently from the Levantine قديش and the Moroccan شحال for the exact same meaning.
- Light haggling over the price after asking بقداش؟ is a normal, expected part of shopping at open-air Tunisian markets.
Examples in context
- بقداش هذا القميص؟b'qeddesh hedha el-qmis?How much is this shirt?
- بقداش الكيلو؟b'qeddesh el-kilou?How much is the kilo?
- بقداش التاكسي للمحطة؟b'qeddesh et-taxi lel-mahatta?How much is the taxi to the station?
Example conversation
A customer, Salwa, asks a vendor, Chedly, the price of oranges at the market.
- Salwaبقداش كيلو البرتقال؟b'qeddesh kilou el-burtugal?How much is a kilo of oranges?
- Chedlyبدينار ونص الكيلو.bdinar w noss el-kilou.One and a half dinars per kilo.
- Salwaعطيني ثلاثة كيلو يعيشك.atini thlatha kilou yaishek.Give me three kilos please.
- Chedlyباهي، هاو الكيس.bahi, haw el-kis.Okay, here is the bag.
