मोल-तोल (mol-tol)

noun A single core sense: the act of haggling or bargaining over price, very much a part of Delhi-NCR market life. Used mainly as a noun, often paired with the verb करना (karnaa).
Sense 1 : haggling, bargaining (over price)
noun, masculine Almost always used with करना (karnaa) -- मोल-तोल करना (mol-tol karnaa, 'to haggle') -- functioning as a light-verb pair rather than मोल-तोल appearing alone as a subject or object very often.
Synonyms: मोलभाव (molbhaav, one-word variant), बहस (bahas, argument -- looser fit, used only when haggling turns heated)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This word captures a whole social ritual: in Delhi's Sarojini Nagar or Lajpat Nagar markets, quoting the first price a shopkeeper gives is almost never done -- मोल-तोल (mol-tol) is expected, even enjoyed, as a bit of a verbal dance between buyer and seller. The two halves, मोल (mol, 'price/value') and तोल (tol, 'weighing'), together paint the image of literally weighing out a fair price through back-and-forth talk.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to use मोल-तोल (mol-tol) as a verb by itself, adding verb endings directly to it; it needs करना (karnaa) attached to actually express the action of haggling. 2) Don't confuse it with दाम (daam) or कीमत (kiimat), which just mean 'price' -- मोल-तोल (mol-tol) is the *activity* of negotiating that price, not the price itself.
Sample Sentences:
सरोजिनी नगर में बिना मोल-तोल किए कुछ मत खरीदना। Don't buy anything in Sarojini Nagar without bargaining.
(sarojinii nagar men binaa mol-tol kie kuchh mat khariidnaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
वह हर दुकान पर घंटों मोल-तोल करती है। She haggles for hours at every shop.
(vah har dukaan par ghanton mol-tol kartii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
हमने आधे घंटे मोल-तोल किया, तब जाकर दुकानदार माना। We bargained for half an hour before the shopkeeper finally agreed.
(hamne aadhe ghante mol-tol kiyaa, tab jaakar dukaandaar maanaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम थोड़ा मोल-तोल करते, तो यह कुर्ता सस्ता मिल जाता। If you had haggled a bit, you would have gotten this kurta cheaper.
(agar tum thodaa mol-tol karte, to yah kurtaa sastaa mil jaataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
इस दुकान में मोल-तोल की कोई गुंजाइश नहीं है, दाम तय हैं। There's no room for bargaining in this shop, the prices are fixed.
(is dukaan men mol-tol kii koii gunjaaish nahiin hai, daam tay hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
लाजपत नगर जाते वक्त मोल-तोल करना मत भूलना। Don't forget to haggle when you go to Lajpat Nagar.
(laajpat nagar jaate vakt mol-tol karnaa mat bhoolnaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम मेरे लिए भी थोड़ा मोल-तोल कर दोगे? Will you haggle a little for me too?
(kyaa tum mere lie bhii thodaa mol-tol kar doge?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
काश मुझे भी मोल-तोल करना आता। I wish I too knew how to bargain.
(kaash mujhe bhii mol-tol karnaa aataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
मोल-तोल तो यहाँ की संस्कृति का हिस्सा है, साहब। Bargaining is just part of the culture here, sir.
(mol-tol to yahaan kii sanskriti kaa hissaa hai, saahab।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बाजार में इतना मोल-तोल हो रहा था कि मैं दूर से ही सुन सकती थी। So much bargaining was going on in the market that I could hear it from far away.
(baajaar men itnaa mol-tol ho rahaa thaa ki main door se hii sun saktii thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
दुकानदार और ग्राहक के बीच मोल-तोल देर तक चलता रहा। The bargaining between the shopkeeper and the customer went on for a long time.
(dukaandaar aur graahak ke biich mol-tol der tak chaltaa rahaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): मोल-तोल ([[मोल-तोल]])
(sg.m.oblique): मोल-तोल ([[मोल-तोल]])
(pl.m.direct): मोल-तोल ([[मोल-तोल]])
(pl.m.oblique): मोल-तोलों ([[मोल-तोलों]])