मोल-भाव (mol-bhaav)

noun A single-sense noun meaning bargaining or haggling over price -- the back-and-forth negotiation you do at a market stall.
Sense 1 : bargaining, haggling over price
noun, masculine Almost always paired with the verb करना (karnaa) -- मोल-भाव करना (mol-bhaav karnaa, 'to haggle') -- since the noun itself doesn't act, it's the thing you 'do'.
Synonyms: मोलतोल (moltol, one-word variant), भाव-ताव (bhaav-taav)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Bargaining is practically a social ritual in Delhi's markets like Sarojini Nagar or Lajpat Nagar -- shopkeepers expect you to push back on the first price, and walking away without any मोल-भाव (mol-bhaav) can even seem a little naive. Elders often say aap ko mol-bhaav karna aana chahiye as basic life-skill advice, half in jest, half seriously.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to use मोल-भाव (mol-bhaav) as a verb directly; it needs करना (karnaa) attached, e.g. मोल-भाव किया (mol-bhaav kiyaa, 'bargained') not a bare conjugated form. 2) Don't confuse with भाव (bhaav) alone, which just means 'price/rate' or 'sentiment' -- मोल-भाव (mol-bhaav) specifically means the *act* of negotiating that price.
Sample Sentences:
सरोजिनी नगर में मोल-भाव किए बिना कुछ मत खरीदो। Don't buy anything in Sarojini Nagar without bargaining.
(sarojinii nagar men mol-bhaav kie binaa kuchh mat khariido।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
वह दुकानदार से आधे घंटे तक मोल-भाव करता रहा। He kept bargaining with the shopkeeper for half an hour.
(vah dukaandaar se aadhe ghante tak mol-bhaav kartaa rahaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मुझे मोल-भाव करना बिल्कुल नहीं आता। I don't know how to bargain at all.
(mujhe mol-bhaav karnaa bilkul nahiin aataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बड़े कहते हैं कि आपको मोल-भाव करना आना चाहिए। Elders say that you should know how to bargain.
(bade kahte hain ki aapko mol-bhaav karnaa aanaa chaahie।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम थोड़ा मोल-भाव करते तो सामान सस्ता मिल जाता। If you had bargained a little, you would have gotten the goods cheaper.
(agar tum thodaa mol-bhaav karte to saamaan sastaa mil jaataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
लाजपत नगर में बिना मोल-भाव के कोई सौदा नहीं होता। No deal happens in Lajpat Nagar without bargaining.
(laajpat nagar men binaa mol-bhaav ke koii saudaa nahiin hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने इतना मोल-भाव किया कि दुकानदार परेशान हो गया। She bargained so much that the shopkeeper got exasperated.
(usne itnaa mol-bhaav kiyaa ki dukaandaar pareshaan ho gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम मेरे साथ मोल-भाव करने चलोगे? Will you come bargain with me?
(kyaa tum mere saath mol-bhaav karne chaloge?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
इस दाम पर थोड़ा मोल-भाव कर लीजिए। Please do a little bargaining on this price.
(is daam par thodaa mol-bhaav kar liijie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
बाज़ार में कुछ लोग मोल-भाव किए बिना ठगे जाते हैं। In the market, some people get cheated without bargaining.
(baazaar men kuchh log mol-bhaav kie binaa thage jaate hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
शायद वह विक्रेता से मोल-भाव कर रही हो। Maybe she is bargaining with the seller.
(shaayad vah vikretaa se mol-bhaav kar rahii ho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): मोल-भाव ([[मोल-भाव]])
(sg.m.oblique): मोल-भाव ([[मोल-भाव]])
(pl.m.direct): मोल-भाव ([[मोल-भाव]])
(pl.m.oblique): मोल-भावों ([[मोल-भावों]])