French Shopping Vocabulary
Shopping in a French-speaking country calls for specific vocabulary. This topic comes up in the DELF A1 and A2 exams, in both listening and reading. Learn how to ask about prices, request sizes, find items and handle a return in French.
In the shop — Dans le magasin
la boutique / le magasin
/butik/ /maɡazɛ̃/
Cette boutique vend des vêtements de créateurs.
This shop sells designer clothes.
les soldes
/sɔld/
Les soldes commencent en janvier.
The sales start in January.
la promotion / la promo
/pʁɔmosjɔ̃/
Il y a une promo sur ce produit.
There's a special offer on this product.
l'étiquette (f)
/etiɡɛt/
Regarde l'étiquette pour voir le prix.
Look at the tag to see the price.
essayer
/eseje/
Est-ce que je peux l'essayer?
Can I try it on?
la cabine d'essayage
/kabin desɛjaʒ/
Les cabines d'essayage sont au fond.
The fitting rooms are at the back.
Sizes and measurements — Les tailles
la taille
/taj/
Quelle taille faites-vous?
What size are you?
la pointure
/pwɛ̃tyʁ/
Je chausse du 42.
I take a size 42.
trop grand / trop petit
/tʁo ɡʁɑ̃/ /tʁo pəti/
Ce pantalon est trop grand.
These trousers are too big.
avez-vous en…?
/avevuz ɑ̃/
Avez-vous cette veste en bleu?
Do you have this jacket in blue?
Paying and returns — Payer et rembourser
le ticket de caisse
/tikɛ də kɛs/
Gardez votre ticket de caisse.
Keep your receipt.
rembourser
/ʁɑ̃buʁse/
Ce magasin rembourse sans problème.
This shop gives refunds without any problem.
l'échange (m)
/eʃɑ̃ʒ/
Puis-je faire un échange?
Can I exchange this?
la caisse
/kɛs/
Je vais payer à la caisse.
I'm going to pay at the checkout.
Ejercicios de vocabulario
1How do you ask 'can I try it on?' in French?
2When do 'les soldes' typically take place in France?
3What does 'rembourser' mean?
Consejos de pronunciacion
- Les soldes: the final 's' of 'soldes' is silent, and the 'l' is clearly voiced — it sounds like 'sold'.
- L'étiquette: the double 'tt' is pronounced as a single /t/ — say 'ay-tee-ket'.
- Essayer: the double 's' gives a clean /s/ sound, and '-ayer' ends in a closed /ay/ — say 'ay-say-yay'.
- La caisse: the '-ai-' is an open vowel, like the 'e' in 'bed' — it sounds like 'kess', not 'case'.