Shopping in French
Here’s the ultimate lesson on shopping in French for beginners! Practice speaking this essential travel French aloud by following the pronunciation on the audio. You’ll learn to ask 'how much' in French and 'where is' in French. You’ll also learn the French words for shops, clothes, sizes, and more. Shopping in France will never be the same again!
Resources for further reading:
Talking about Shopping in French
Here are some basic French phrases to get you warmed up:
Practice Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record
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Promotion de fin de saison
The end of season sale
Réduit
Reduced
Une affaire
A bargain
Où se trouve…… ?
Where is……?
Où se trouve le rayon femme ?
Where is the women's department?
Où se trouve la caisse ?
Where is the check out?
Je cherche…..
I am looking for…..
Je cherche les livres
I am looking for the book section
Shops in French
La poste
The post office
Le centre commercial
The shopping center
Le marché
The market
Le supermarché
The supermarket
La pharmacie
The pharmacy
La librairie
The bookstore
Le magasin
The store
La boulangerie
The bakery
La pâtisserie
The pastry shop
Le magasin de musique
The music store
Le magasin de vêtements
The clothing store
La quincaillerie
The hardware store
Le boucher
The butcher
L'opticien
The optician
French signs
Dames
Ladies
Monsieur
Gentleman
Tirer
Pull
Pousser
Push
Ouvert
Open
Fermé
Closed
Les heures d'ouverture
Opening hours
Ne pas stationner
No parking
Aire fumeurs
The smoking area
Aire non-fumeurs
The non- smoking area
Interdit de fumer !
No smoking!
When you buy food in a supermarket and don’t intend to eat it straight away it might pay to check the ‘best before date’ to avoid nasty surprises…
A consommer avant
The best before date
Meilleur avant…
Best before…
Once you’ve found the right shop, you need to find what you’re looking for. Use the following words and phrases to find what you need, figure out how much it costs and tell the sales assistant how many you want…
Est-ce que vous avez…
Do you have...
Combien ça coûte ?
How much does it cost?
Est-ce que vous en avez d'autre ?
Do you have more?
Quelle est cette taille ?
Which size is that?
Je voudrais l'essayer.
I'd like to try it on.
Où se trouvent les cabines d'essayage ?
Where are the changing rooms?
Je vais le prendre.
I'll take it.
Here are some more useful questions and answers…
Quelle taille faites-vous ?
What size do you wear?
Taille
The size
Taille petite
A small size
Taille moyenne
A medium size
Grande Taille
A large size
Taille extra large
An extra large size
Cela me plaît.
I like it.
C'est joli.
It looks good.
Cela vous va bien.
It suits you
Cela ne vous va pas.
It doesn't suit you.
Paying in French
Payez à la caisse s'il vous plaît.
Please pay at the check out.
Je voudrais payer par carte bleue.
I'd like to pay by credit card.
Je voudrais payer en espèces, s'il vous plaît.
I'd like to pay with cash, please.
Je voudrais payer avec ma carte de débit, s'il vous plaît.
I'd like to pay with my debit card, please.
Est-ce que je peux payer avec des Travellers chèques ?
Can I pay with travelers checks?
Quel est le numéro de votre carte de crédit ?
What is your credit card number?
Nous n'acceptons pas les cartes de crédit.
We don't accept credit cards.
Où se trouve le guichet automatique le plus près ?
Where is the closest ATM?
Tapez votre code confidentiel, s'il vous plaît.
Please type in your PIN.
Signez ici, s'il vous plaît.
Please sign here.
Voici votre reçu.
Here is your receipt.
And when out shopping, you will need to know how to talk about prices and say you'd like to take your time!
Je regarde !
I am just looking!
Je reviendrai !
I will come back!
C'est trop cher !
It's too expensive!
C'est combien ?
It's how much?
That’s it for today’s lesson. Now, you are well prepared for your next shopping experience. If you want more then check out this French lesson on clothes in French, or make sure that you know your French numbers!
À bientôt!
Marie-Claire Rivière and the Rocket French Team
Make It Stick With Rocket Reinforcement
Reinforce your learning from this lesson with the Rocket Reinforcement activities! These activities are scientifically designed to improve your knowledge and retention of French.