Mivel a régiség drága, a vevő alkudni akar.

Since the antique is expensive, the buyer wants to haggle.

Breakdown of Mivel a régiség drága, a vevő alkudni akar.

• az: the
• akarni: to want
• drága: expensive
• vevő: a buyer or customer

Questions & Answers about Mivel a régiség drága, a vevő alkudni akar.

What does mivel mean here?

Here mivel means since / because.

That can confuse learners, because mivel can also mean with what? in other contexts. The difference is grammatical:

• Mivel a régiség drága... = Since/Because the antique is expensive...
• Mivel fizetsz? = What are you paying with?

In your sentence, mivel introduces a reason clause, so it means since/because, not with what.

Could I use mert instead of mivel?

Yes. Mert is the most common everyday word for because, and mivel can also introduce a reason.

So this would also work:

• Mert a régiség drága, a vevő alkudni akar.

That said, mivel often sounds a bit more like since/as, especially when the reason is presented as something already known or taken for granted. In many contexts, though, the two are very close.

Why is there a before both régiség and vevő?