The vocabulary of shopping appears when you go to a store, a market or a mall. It helps you talk about what you need, what you are looking for and what you are going to pay. In daily life, many phrases follow the pattern comprar + objeto, pedir + objeto and buscar + objeto. If you buy food or drinks, it also helps you with Food and Beverages. When the topic is paying, saving or exchanging money, Money and Finances comes into play.

Una tienda is a place where you buy things. The supermercado sells food, drink and everyday products. The farmacia sells medicines and other personal care items. The mercado usually has stalls of fruit, vegetables, meat, clothing or other products, depending on the place. The tienda de ropa sells garments and shoes. Also very common are the panadería, the ferretería and the papelería. In a sentence, you can use ir a + lugar: ir al supermercado, ir a la farmacia, ir al mercado.

libreríafarmaciaperfumeríaferreteríamercadotienda de regalossupermercadopuestopanaderíatienda de ropa

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Es la tienda donde se compran herramientas y artículos de arregloEs una tienda grande de comida y productos diariosEs la tienda donde se venden libros y material escolarEs la tienda donde se venden perfumes y cosméticosEs el lugar donde se compra pan y dulces horneadosEs un pequeño espacio de venta dentro de un mercado o feriaEs una tienda donde se venden prendas para vestirEs el lugar donde se compran medicinas y productos de saludEs un lugar donde se compran objetos para regalarEs un lugar con puestos de comida y productos frescos

Common places to shop

Word	Definition
supermercado	It is a large grocery store and daily necessities.
farmacia	It is the place where medicines and health products are sold.
mercado	It is a place with stalls of food and fresh products.
tienda de ropa	It is a store where garments to wear are sold.
panadería	It is the place where bread and baked goods are bought.
librería	It is the shop where books and school supplies are sold.
ferretería	It is the shop where tools and repair items are bought.
perfumería	It is the store where perfumes and cosmetics are sold.
tienda de regalos	It is a place where gifts to give are bought.
puesto	It is a small selling space inside a market or fair.

Scramble

In everyday shopping, some products appear again and again. For food you buy pan, leche, huevos, arroz, fruta, verdura and agua. For drinks, you order or buy café, té, jugo and refresco. In hygiene and personal care words like jabón, champú, pasta de dientes, cepillo de dientes and papel higiénico are common. For the home you see detergente, servilletas, bolsas de basura, toalla and vela. You also buy regalos such as flores, chocolates or a tarjeta. If you buy to cook or eat at home, the vocabulary of Food and Beverages fits naturally.

toallaaguajabónfrutaverduraarrozhuevospanregaloleche

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Es una tela absorbente que seca el cuerpo o las manosSon un alimento ovalado que se cocina de muchas manerasEs un alimento vegetal que se usa en comidas saladasEs una bebida blanca que suele venir de animales o plantasEs una bebida básica que se compra para tomar cada díaEs un producto para limpiar manos, cuerpo o ropaEs un objeto que se da a otra persona por cariño o celebraciónEs un alimento hecho con harina que se come en muchas comidasEs un grano pequeño que se cocina y acompaña muchos platosEs un alimento dulce o fresco que crece en plantas

Everyday Frequently Bought Products

Word	Definition
agua	It is a basic beverage that is bought to drink every day.
pan	It is a food made with flour that is eaten in many meals.
leche	It is a white drink that usually comes from animals or plants.
fruta	It is a sweet or fresh food that grows on plants.
verdura	It is a vegetable food used in savory meals.
arroz	It is a small grain that is cooked and accompanies many dishes.
huevos	They are a oval food that can be cooked in many ways.
jabón	It is a cleaning product for hands, body, or clothes.
toalla	It is a absorbent cloth that dries the body or hands.
regalo	It is an object given to another person out of affection or celebration.

Scramble

When buying, first you search for something: buscar, encontrar and preguntar are very common verbs. Afterwards you choose, try or compare. The pattern elegir + objeto is used when you decide between several options, and probar + objeto when you try on clothes or shoes. In a store you can also say: Quiero este or Me llevo estos. At the checkout you pay; afterwards, sometimes you return a product. The phrases devolver un artículo and cambiar un producto are used when something doesn’t work, isn’t liked or has a defect. In food or home shopping these actions also appear frequently in Food and Beverages and Hogar y Muebles.

elegirdevolverencargarpagarpedircomprobarcambiarbuscarprobarreservar

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Significa entregar un producto otra vez a la tiendaSignifica revisar si algo está correcto antes de pagar o salirSignifica tomar una opción entre varias posibilidadesSignifica dar dinero o usar una forma de pago por algoSignifica pedir algo para que lo preparen o traigan despuésSignifica intentar encontrar un producto o lugarSignifica intercambiar un producto por otroSignifica guardar un producto o servicio para despuésSignifica usar antes de comprar para ver si sirve o gustaSignifica solicitar un producto o ayuda

Verbs and Expressions of Purchase

Word	Definition
buscar	It means to try to find a product or place.
elegir	It means to choose an option among several possibilities.
probar	It means to try on to see if it fits or if you like it.
pagar	It means to pay with money or a form of payment for something.
devolver	It means to return a product to the store.
cambiar	It means to exchange a product for another.
encargar	It means to order something to be prepared or delivered later.
reservar	It means to reserve a product or service for later.
pedir	It means to request a product or help.
comprobar	It means to check if something is correct before paying or leaving.

Scramble

To talk about money in a store, you use caro and barato to compare prices. Oferta and descuento indicate a price lower than normal. You also hear rebaja during sale season. With quantities, the most common pattern is number + unit + de + product: un kilo de manzanas, medio kilo de queso, un paquete de arroz, una botella de agua, una caja de galletas. When you buy foods, these quantities appear all the time in Food and Beverages. To understand how much you spend, the vocabulary of Money and Finances is also useful.

descuentodocenacarokilocantidadpaquetepreciobaratomitadoferta

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Quiere decir que cuesta mucho dineroEs una unidad de peso que sirve para comprar por pesoEs la medida de cuánto hay de un productoEs la parte igual dividida en dosEs una rebaja del precio normalEs una cantidad de doce unidadesEs un conjunto de productos dentro de un envoltorioQuiere decir que cuesta poco dineroEs la cantidad de dinero que cuesta algoEs una venta con precio reducido por un tiempo

Expressions about Price and Amount

Word	Definition
caro	Means that it costs a lot of money.
barato	Means that it costs little money.
oferta	Is a sale with a reduced price for a time.
descuento	Is a discount from the normal price.
precio	Is the amount of money something costs.
cantidad	Is the measure of how much there is of a product.
kilo	Is a unit of weight used to buy by weight.
paquete	Is a set of products within packaging.
docena	Is a quantity of twelve units.
mitad	Is the half divided into two equal parts.

Scramble

In markets and stores very common measures are used. Kilo and gramo serve for weight. Litro and medio litro serve for liquids. Docena is used a lot for eggs and other products in groups of twelve. For payment, the most common is to pay in efectivo or with a tarjeta. You can also talk about cambio when there is extra money and about recibo or ticket when the store gives a receipt. In some places an factura is asked for if you need a more formal document. All this relates to Money and Finances, especially when you ask how much something costs or how you will pay.

unidadtarjetaefectivovueltoreciboterminaltransferenciacajalitrogramo

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Es una unidad de volumen para líquidosEs un envío de dinero entre cuentasEs una unidad pequeña de pesoEs el dinero en billetes y monedasEs un medio de pago plástico o digitalEs el aparato para cobrar con tarjetaEs el dinero que te devuelven después de pagarEs el lugar donde se paga en una tiendaEs una sola pieza de un productoEs un papel o comprobante de compra

Common Measures and Forms of Payment

Word	Definition
gramo	Is a small unit of weight.
litro	Is a unit of volume for liquids.
unidad	Is a single piece of a product.
efectivo	Is the money in bills and coins.
tarjeta	Is a plastic or digital payment method.
transferencia	Is a transfer of money between accounts.
recibo	Is a paper or receipt of purchase.
vuelto	Is the money you get back after paying.
caja	Is the place where you pay in a store.
terminal	Is the device to charge with a card.

Scramble

In a store, customer service uses very direct phrases. ¿Me ayuda? is used to ask for help. Quisiera is a polite way to request something: Quisiera probarme esto. To ask about a product you use ¿Tiene...? or ¿Hay...?. If something goes wrong, you complain with No funciona, Está roto or Quiero devolverlo. To reserve, you use reservar or encargar when you want to set aside an item. In customer service, the most common pattern is verb + object + por favor, as in Muéstreme este modelo, por favor or Deme un momento, por favor.

Expressions of help and service

Usage	Explanation
Request for information	Use ¿me puede ayudar? to ask for assistance politely in a shop or service.
Question about location	Use ¿dónde está? to ask for the location of a product or section.
Request for recommendation	Use ¿me recomienda? to ask for a helpful suggestion according to what you’re looking for.
Polite complaint	Use tengo un problema to say something went wrong and ask for a solution.
Request for exchange	Use quiero cambiar to ask for another size, color, or product.
Availability inquiry	Use ¿les queda? to ask if a product is still in stock.
Reservation request	Use me gustaría reservar to reserve a product or service for later.
Checkout closure	Use eso es todo to indicate that you don’t need anything else.
Gratitude	Use gracias por su ayuda to close the interaction politely.
Payment confirmation	Use ¿puedo pagar aquí? to confirm if this is the right place to pay.

When you buy clothes, the most common names are camiseta, camisa, pantalón, falda, vestido, abrigo, chaqueta and zapatos. Colors are used to describe the garment: negro, blanco, azul, rojo and verde appear a lot. For size, you ask ¿Qué talla usa? or ¿Tiene talla M?. In Spain you hear talla a lot; in several American countries talle is also used. The probador is the fitting room where you try on clothes. For shoes, the common phrase is Me quedan bien or Me aprietan. The pattern garment + queda + adjective appears often: La camisa queda bien, Los zapatos quedan grandes.

pantalóntallazapatoajustadoprobadorchaquetafaldacamisetacolorholgado

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Es el espacio donde te pruebas ropaQuiere decir amplio y cómodoEs una prenda de abrigo o capa exteriorEs una prenda que cubre la parte inferior del cuerpo y no tiene piernasEs una prenda ligera para la parte superior del cuerpoEs un calzado que protege el pieEs una prenda que cubre las piernasEs el número o medida de una prenda o calzadoQuiere decir muy pegado al cuerpoEs la tonalidad visual de una prenda u objeto

Clothes, Sizes, Colors, and Fitting Room

Word	Definition
camiseta	It is a light garment for the upper body.
pantalón	It is a garment that covers the legs.
falda	It is a garment that covers the lower part of the body and has no legs.
chaqueta	It is a coat or outer layer garment.
zapato	It is a shoe that protects the foot.
talla	It is the number or measurement of a garment or shoe.
probador	It is the fitting room where you try on clothes.
color	It is the visual tone of a garment or object.
ajustado	It means very tight to the body.
holgado	It means loose and comfortable.

Scramble

Shopping online uses its own vocabulary. The carrito is where you store products before paying. An pedido is the purchase you have already made. Envío is delivering the order to your home, and seguimiento lets you see where it is. Also appear dirección, correo electrónico, confirmación and devolución. The most common pattern is añadir + producto al carrito, hacer + pedido and pagar + método de pago. When you buy food, clothing or home goods online, the vocabulary connects with Food and Beverages, Hogar y Muebles and Money and Finances.

cupóndirecciónenvíoreseñaconfirmacióncuentapedidoseguimientodevolucióncarrito

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Es el traslado de la compra hasta tu direcciónEs la entrega de un producto para recuperar el dinero o cambiarloEs el lugar exacto donde llega la compraEs un código o vale con descuentoEs el mensaje que dice que la compra salió bienEs la información para saber dónde va el pedidoEs el espacio virtual donde guardas productos antes de pagarEs el perfil de usuario en una tienda en líneaEs la compra que haces y esperas recibirEs una opinión escrita sobre un producto

Essential Digital Shopping Vocabulary

Word	Definition
carrito	It is the virtual space where you hold products before paying.
pedido	It is the purchase you make and expect to receive.
envío	It is the delivery of the purchase to your address.
devolución	It is the return of a product to recover money or exchange.
seguimiento	It is the information to know where the order is.
dirección	It is the exact place where the purchase arrives.
confirmación	It is the message that says the purchase went through.
cuenta	It is the user profile in an online store.
reseña	It is an written opinion about a product.
cupón	It is a code or voucher with a discount.

Scramble

Shopping words change by country. Moneda can be euro, peso, dólar or another, depending on the place. Recibo is common in many places, but you also hear ticket in Spain and boleta or factura in several American countries. For money exchange, in some places people say vuelto. There are also differences in very common words: carro or carrito for the transport of the purchase, super for supermarket and tienda for a small store. In a real purchase, context tells you which word sounds most natural.

ticketboletacentavodólarticketcolónbolívarnotafacturaboleta

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Se usa mucho para el documento de la compra en tiendas y serviciosSe usa para una parte pequeña de la monedaEs la palabra para la moneda nacionalEs la palabra más común para el comprobante de compraSe usa para nombrar el recibo o comprobante en muchas comprasEs la palabra para la moneda nacionalSe usa para el recibo de una compra en muchos comerciosEs la palabra habitual para el comprobante de compraSe usa con frecuencia para el comprobante de pagoEs la palabra usada para la moneda principal de pago

Regional Shopping Terms

Region	Variant	Definition	Example
Spain	ticket	It is the most common word for the purchase receipt.	Guardé el ticket por si el jersey falla.I saved the ticket in case the jersey fails.
Mexico	nota	It is used to name the receipt or proof of purchase in many purchases.	Pedí la nota para revisar el cambio.I asked for the nota to review the change.
Argentina	ticket	It is frequently used for the proof of payment.	Me dieron el ticket al salir del local.I got the ticket when leaving the store.
Colombia	factura	It is widely used for the document of the purchase in stores and services.	La factura llegó por correo después de pagar.The factura arrived by mail after paying.
Chile	boleta	It is the usual word for the purchase receipt.	Pedí la boleta para cambiar la camisa.I asked for the boleta to exchange the shirt.
Peru	boleta	It is used for the receipts of a purchase in many shops.	Guardé la boleta dentro del bolso.I kept the boleta inside the bag.
United States	dólar	It is the word used for the main currency used for payment.	Pagué cinco dólares por la libreta.I paid five dólares for the notebook.
Ecuador	centavo	It is used for a small part of the currency.	No tengo ni un centavo para el helado gigante.I don’t have a single centavo for the giant ice cream.
Costa Rica	colón	It is the word for the national currency.	Pagué en colones en la feria.I paid in colones at the fair.
Venezuela	bolívar	It is the word for the national currency.	Compré pan con bolívares y buen ánimo.I bought bread with bolívares and good cheer.

Scramble