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Les achats et courses
Once you learn the French names for shops and businesses – and the importance of saying bonjour – you just need to know what to say when faced with all that merchandise! Here are some useful phrases related to shopping in French.
Click a verb for its conjugations and any other word or phrase for the sound file.
Useful French shopping verbs
| acheter | to buy | |
| avoir | to have | |
| chercher | to look for | |
| dépenser | to spend | |
| essayer | to try on | |
| rendre | to return (an item) | |
| trouver | to find | |
| vendre | to sell | |
| vouloir | to want |
Let’s go shopping!
| For necessities | |||
| faire les / des courses | to go food shopping, run errands | ||
| For fun | |||
| faire les / des achats | to go shopping | ||
| faire les magasins | " " | ||
| faire du shopping | " " | ||
| For free | |||
| faire du lèche-vitrines | to window shop | ||
What the clerk might say …
| Je peux vous aider ? | May I help you? | ||
| Qu’est-ce que vous cherchez ? | What are you looking for? | ||
| Je vous écoute. | (Go ahead) I’m listening. | ||
| J’arrive. | (lesson) | I’ll be right there/back | |
| Quelle pointure (faites-vous) ? | What’s your shoe size? | ||
| Quelle taille (faites-vous) ? | What’s your (clothing) size? | ||
| C’est pour offrir ? | (lesson) | Is it a gift? | |
What you might respond …
| Je voudrais … J’aimerais … |
I would like… | |
| Combien coûte … ? | How much does … cost? | |
| Avez-vous …? | Do you have …? | |
| C’est … trop grand trop petit parfait |
It’s … too big too small perfect |
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| Je regarde seulement, merci. | I’m just looking, thanks. |
Miscellanous French shopping terms
| bon marché | (lesson) | inexpensive | |
| un caddie | shopping cart (upright, pulled) | ||
| un chariot | shopping cart (pushed) | ||
| un échantillon | sample, tester | ||
| un sac | bag | ||
| les soldes | twice-annual sales (learn more) | ||
À la caisse – At the register
| payer | en espèces en liquide |
to pay | cash |
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| avec une carte | with a credit card | |||
| avec des chèques de voyage | with traveler’s checks | |||
| la monnaie | change (back from what you paid) | |||
| le reçu | receipt | |||
Listening exercises
Reading exercises
Related lessons
- Acheter en vrac
- Bon marché (and other money-saving expressions)
- Clothing
- Colors
- Greetings
- Money and banking
- Numbers
- Politeness
- Restaurant
- Shops and businesses
- Weights and measures
French lesson plans
- Au marché Sandaga à Dakar (Lesson, 2nd-5th grade)
- Internet clothes shopping (Lesson, 9th-12th grade)
- Let’s go shopping (Lesson, 9th-12th grade)
- Qu’est-ce que tu vas acheter ? (PPT, 6th-8th grade)
- Un grand magasin à Paris (Lesson, 9th-12th grade)
En español
In italiano
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