Shopping and money expressions — your pocket-sized French survival kit

Imagine you walk into a marché in Paris. A vendor waves a wheel of cheese at you like it is the Holy Grail and says something fast. Panic. Then you say one confident phrase in French and suddenly you are the main character. That phrase exists. We are getting you there.

This lesson builds on the Travel and transportation vocabulary and Home and furniture words you learned earlier — now we take vocabulary from getting places and making your apartment cozy, and apply it to getting the things you actually buy. It also advances what you practiced in Pronunciation & Listening Skills: use those listening muscles to catch prices, liaisons and the little function words vendors throw at you.

---

Why this matters

Shopping situations are everywhere: markets, boutiques, bakeries, supermarkets, and online. They are high-frequency, high-stress, and therefore perfect practice for real-world speaking and listening. Learn these expressions and you can ask prices, pay correctly, get the right size, and avoid accidentally buying a lifetime supply of croissants.

---

Core vocabulary (quick reference)

• le magasin — store / la boutique — boutique
• le supermarché — supermarket
• le marché / l'étal — market / stall
• le prix — price
• combien ça coûte ? / quel est le prix ? — how much does it cost?
• c'est cher — it is expensive
• c'est bon marché — it is cheap
• une réduction / une remise — a discount
• les soldes — sales
• espèces — cash
• la carte bancaire / payer par carte — bank card / pay by card
• le terminal de paiement / paiement sans contact — card reader / contactless payment
• la caisse — checkout
• le ticket de caisse — receipt
• rendre la monnaie — give change
• la monnaie — change (coins); also small money
• taille — size (clothing)
• pointure — shoe size
• essayer / la cabine d'essayage — to try on / fitting room
• je voudrais... / s'il vous plaît — I would like... / please

---

Handy mini-table: formal vs informal ways to ask the price

Situation	Formal / Polite	Informal / Quick
Ask price	Pouvez-vous me dire le prix, s'il vous plaît ?	C'est combien ?
Want to look	Je voudrais juste regarder, merci.	Je regarde.
Ask for a discount	Est-ce que vous pouvez faire un prix ?	Vous faites une remise ?

---

Common phrases and how to actually say them (listening tip included)

• Combien ça coûte ? — familiar, clear. Pronunciation tip: link the nasal in combien and the liaison between "ça" and "coûte" softly.
• Quel est le prix ? — slightly more formal.
• Je voudrais une baguette, s'il vous plaît. — classic. Use soft liaison on je voudrais (zhuh voo-dray).
• Je paie en espèces / par carte. — specify payment method.
• Vous avez ma taille ? — do you have my size? (pronounce the final s in vous only when the next word starts with a vowel)

Listening skill reminder: vendors and cashiers often speak fast and drop vowels. Practice noticing numbers and currency signs first. They often say e.g. "trois euros cinquante" rather than 3.50. Train your ear to the rhythm: number + euros + cents.

---

Short dialogues (realistic practice)

Au marché
Vendeur: Bonjour Madame, vous voulez goûter ce fromage
Vous: Non merci, combien il coûte ?
Vendeur: Dix euros le morceau
Vous: D'accord, je prends celui-là. Vous pouvez me rendre la monnaie sur vingt euros ?
Vendeur: Bien sûr, voilà vos dix euros et le ticket

En boutique
Vous: Bonjour, vous avez cette robe en taille 38 ?
Vendeuse: Oui, je vais la chercher. Vous voulez l'essayer ?
Vous: Oui, s'il vous plaît. La cabine est où ?

Role-play these with a partner or record yourself. Use shadowing from Pronunciation & Listening Skills: listen to a native, then repeat immediately.

---

Numbers and prices cheat sheet

• 1 euro — un euro (pronounced: uh-n eu-ro)
• 2 euros — deux euros
• 10 euros — dix euros
• 20 euros — vingt euros (nasal ending: [vɛ̃])
• 50 euros — cinquante euros
• 100 euros — cent euros
• 3,50 € — trois euros cinquante (not "trois euros et cinquante centimes" in casual speech)

Practice saying prices aloud and listening to them in audio clips. Focus on nasal vowels (un, vingt) and contractions.

---

Bargaining and cultural notes

In most French shops you do not bargain. Exceptions: markets, brocantes, vide-greniers, and some small independent sellers. It never hurts to ask nicely, but expect a firm price in supermarkets and branded boutiques.

• Use "vous pouvez faire un prix ?" on markets or second-hand stalls.
• Mention "les soldes" for seasonal discounts; they are regulated and very popular.
• VAT (TVA) is included in the displayed price, so the price you see is generally the price you pay.
• Tipping: not expected in shops. For restaurants and taxis a small tip may be given but is not obligatory.

---

Exercises to lock it in

1. Listening drill: find 3 short videos of vendors, supermarkets, or market scenes. Write down every number you hear. Check with subtitles if available.
2. Role-play (2 minutes): Student A is buyer, B is seller. Use at least 5 vocabulary words above and make a transaction. Swap roles.
3. Pronunciation drill: shadow the phrase "Combien ça coûte" until your rhythm matches a native speaker.
4. Mini-quiz: translate these into French: "Do you have size 40?", "I will pay by card", "Can you give me the receipt?"

Answers: Vous avez la taille 40 ? / Je paie par carte / Pouvez-vous me donner le ticket de caisse ?

---

Quick troubleshooting: what people get wrong

• Mistake: Saying a direct literal translation like "How much cost it?" in French word order. Use "Combien ça coûte ?" or "Quel est le prix ?"
• Mistake: Expecting all sellers to accept cards. Smaller market stalls may be cash only. Always ask politely.
• Mistake: Not recognizing the way cents are spoken. Listen for the pattern: euros first, then cents.

---

Closing — lesson takeaway and next steps

Key takeaways:

• Memorize core nouns: magasin, marché, prix, caisse, monnaie.
• Practice the two price patterns: digits spelled out in words and the euros + cents cadence.
• Use politeness as your superpower: je voudrais, s'il vous plaît, merci.

Next steps: combine this with your Pronunciation & Listening drills. Go on YouTube and find 2-minute market videos, shadow the vendor, then do a 2-minute role-play with a native speaker app or a friend. Shopping vocabulary is where language becomes practical and kind of heroic — because now you can buy food and not starve in French-speaking lands.

Final line: Buy the cheese. Say the phrase. Live your best fromage life.