ಇದು ಎಷ್ಟು?
idu eṣṭu?/id̪u eʂʈu/word by word
ಇದು ಎಷ್ಟು? (idu eṣṭu?) is the Kannada way to say "how much is it?"
ಇದು ಎಷ್ಟು? is a straightforward way to ask for the price of an item. You can also use the phrase Idu eshtu aagutte? to ask for the price in informal situations. If you want to be more specific, the word kimmatu means "price". For example, you might say Adara kimmatu eshtu? to mean "What is the price of that?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ಇದು ಎಷ್ಟು? is composed of idu, meaning "this" and eṣṭu, meaning "how much".
Which one should you use?
While ಇದು ಎಷ್ಟು? means "how much is this?", you should use adu eṣṭu? (how much is that?) if the item you are asking about is not within reach and you must point to it. In a casual market setting, you can be even more concise by simply saying eṣṭu? (how much?) while pointing to an item.
How do you pronounce it?
idu eṣṭu?
Did you know?
- The word ಎಷ್ಟು (eshtu) is actually derived from an ancient Proto-Dravidian root that was used to ask 'which' rather than just 'how much'.
- In traditional Kannada markets, bargaining is a social ritual where the first price given is rarely the final price, making eṣṭu? the start of a negotiation rather than a final inquiry.
- In Kannada, the word jaasti is used to mean 'too much', and saying it during a price negotiation is a polite signal to the seller that the price is too high.
Examples in context
- ಇದು ಎಷ್ಟು?idu eshtu?How much is this?
- ಸರ್, ಇದು ಎಷ್ಟು?sir, idu eshtu?Sir, how much is it?
Example conversation
Soumya is buying a pen from Rahul at a stationery shop.
- ಸೌಮ್ಯ Soumyaರಾಹುಲ್, ಈ ಪೆನ್ ನನಗೆ ಬೇಕು. ಇದು ಎಷ್ಟು?Rahul, ee pen nanage beku. Idu eshtu?Rahul, I want this pen. How much is it?
- ರಾಹುಲ್ Rahulಸೌಮ್ಯ, ಇದರ ಬೆಲೆ ಹತ್ತು ರೂಪಾಯಿ.Soumya, idara bele hattu rupayi.Soumya, its price is ten rupees.
- ಸೌಮ್ಯ Soumyaಸರಿ, ಇಲ್ಲಿದೆ ಹತ್ತು ರೂಪಾಯಿ.sari, illide hattu rupayi.Okay, here is ten rupees.
- ರಾಹುಲ್ Rahulಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು.dhanyavadagalu.Thank you.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ಇದು, ಎಷ್ಟು) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ಇದು, ಎಷ್ಟು, CC BY-SA 4.0.
