Shopping & Prices
French Basic Conversation 1
Chapter 9 · Shopping & Prices
🛍️ Shopping & Prices — Faire les courses et les achats
Ask how much something costs, say prices out loud, describe clothes and colours, try something on, and pay. You'll reuse the numbers from Chapter 3, and meet the "this / these" words (ce, cette, ces) and colour words that change with the noun.
① At the Market — C'est combien ?
A:
Bonjour, Madame. C'est combien, les pommes ?
bõ-ZHOOR, mah-DAHM. say kõ-BYẼ, lay POM
Hello, madam. How much are the apples?
B:
Trois euros cinquante le kilo.
trwah-zuh-ROH sẽ-KÃT luh kee-LOH
Three euros fifty a kilo.
A:
Je voudrais un kilo, s'il vous plaît.
zhuh voo-DRAY ẽ kee-LOH, seel voo PLAY
I'd like a kilo, please.
B:
Voilà. Et avec ceci ?
vwah-LAH. ay ah-VEK suh-SEE
Here you are. Anything else?
A:
C'est tout, merci. Ça fait combien ?
say TOO, mair-SEE. sah FAY kõ-BYẼ
That's all, thanks. How much is that?
② Looking for a Jumper — Je cherche un pull
A:
Bonjour, je cherche un pull.
bõ-ZHOOR, zhuh SHERSH ẽ PÜL
Hello, I'm looking for a jumper.
B:
Quelle taille, Monsieur ?
kel TAHY, muh-SYUH
What size, sir?
A:
Taille M, en bleu.
TAHY EM, ã BLUH
Size medium, in blue.
B:
Voici. La cabine est là-bas.
vwah-SEE. lah kah-BEEN ay lah-BAH
Here you are. The fitting room is over there.
A:
Je peux l'essayer ?
zhuh PUH lay-say-YAY
Can I try it on?
③ Too Big, a Bit Dear — Trop grand, trop cher
A:
Il est trop grand. Vous avez une taille plus petite ?
eel ay troh GRÃ. voo-zah-vay ün TAHY plü puh-TEET
It's too big. Do you have a smaller size?
B:
Oui, voici un S.
WEE, vwah-SEE ẽ ES
Yes, here's a small.
A:
Il est parfait ! C'est combien ?
eel ay par-FAY! say kõ-BYẼ
It's perfect! How much is it?
B:
Quarante-cinq euros. Mais il est en solde : trente-cinq euros.
kah-rãt-sẽ-kuh-ROH. may eel-ay-tã SOLD: trãt-sẽ-kuh-ROH
Forty-five euros. But it's in the sale: thirty-five euros.
A:
Alors, je le prends.
ah-LOR, zhuh luh PRÃ
Then I'll take it.
④ Paying — Je paie par carte
A:
Vous acceptez les cartes ?
voo-zak-sep-tay lay KART
Do you accept cards?
B:
Oui, ou en espèces.
WEE, oo ã-nes-PES
Yes, or in cash.
A:
Je paie par carte, s'il vous plaît.
zhuh PAY par KART, seel voo PLAY
I'll pay by card, please.
B:
Voilà. Vous voulez un sac ?
vwah-LAH. voo voo-LAY ẽ SAHK
There you go. Would you like a bag?
A:
Non, merci. Bonne journée !
NÕ, mair-SEE. bon zhoor-NAY
No, thank you. Have a good day!
⑤ Friends Shopping — Cette robe rouge
A:
Regarde cette robe rouge ! Elle est jolie, non ?
ruh-GARD set ROHB ROOZH! el-ay zhoh-LEE, NÕ
Look at this red dress! It's pretty, isn't it?
B:
Oui, mais elle est chère. C'est combien ?
WEE, may el-ay SHAIR. say kõ-BYẼ
Yes, but it's expensive. How much is it?
A:
Quatre-vingt-neuf euros.
kah-truh-vẽ-nuh-vuh-ROH
Eighty-nine euros.
B:
Oh là là ! Et cette robe noire ? Soixante euros. Je la prends !
oh lah LAH! ay set ROHB NWAHR? swah-sãt-uh-ROH. zhuh lah PRÃ
Oh dear! And this black dress? Sixty euros. I'll take it!
⑥ Just Looking — Je regarde seulement
A:
Bonjour, je peux vous aider ?
bõ-ZHOOR, zhuh PUH voo-zay-DAY
Hello, can I help you?
B:
Non, merci. Je regarde seulement.
NÕ, mair-SEE. zhuh ruh-GARD suhl-MÃ
No, thanks. I'm just looking.
B:
Excusez-moi, vous êtes ouvert dimanche ?
ek-skü-zay-MWAH, voo-ZET oo-VAIR dee-MÃSH
Excuse me, are you open on Sunday?
A:
Non, nous sommes fermés le dimanche. Nous sommes ouverts de neuf heures à dix-neuf heures.
NÕ, noo som fer-MAY luh dee-MÃSH. noo som oo-VAIR duh nuh-VUR ah dee-znuh-VUR
No, we're closed on Sundays. We're open from nine to seven.
🗝️ Key Phrases at a Glance — Phrases clés
| Situation | Formal / shop | Informal |
|---|---|---|
| How much is it? | C'est combien ? / Ça coûte combien ? | C'est combien ? |
| I'm looking for… | Je cherche un pull. | Je cherche un pull. |
| Do you have…? | Vous avez ça en bleu ? | Tu as ça en bleu ? |
| Can I try it on? | Je peux l'essayer ? | Je peux l'essayer ? |
| Too big / too dear | C'est trop grand. / C'est trop cher. | C'est trop grand. / C'est trop cher. |
| I'll take it | Je le prends. / Je la prends. | Je le prends. / Je la prends. |
| Paying | Je paie par carte. / en espèces. | Je paie par carte. |
| Just looking | Je regarde seulement, merci. | Je regarde seulement. |
💶 Prices — Les prix
France uses the euro and the centime. A price is written with a comma: 12,50 €, and said "twelve euros fifty", with no "and": douze euros cinquante.
| Written | French | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 € | un euro | ẽ-nuh-ROH |
| 2,50 € | deux euros cinquante | duh-zuh-ROH sẽ-KÃT |
| 12,90 € | douze euros quatre-vingt-dix | dooz-uh-ROH kah-truh-vẽ-DEES |
| 45 € | quarante-cinq euros | kah-rãt-sẽ-kuh-ROH |
| 0,80 € | quatre-vingts centimes | kah-truh-vẽ sã-TEEM |
| 100 € | cent euros | sã-tuh-ROH |
Saying a Price
Say the euros, then the cents, with no "and" between them: 12,50 € is douze euros cinquante. The final consonant of a number links onto euros (deux euros is "duh-ZUH-roh", neuf euros is "nuh-VUH-roh"). To ask for a total, say Ça fait combien ? ("How much does that come to?"); the answer starts Ça fait…. For several items you can also ask C'est tout ? or reply C'est tout, merci.
👕 Clothes and Colours — Les vêtements et les couleurs
| French | Say it | English | French | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| un pull | ẽ PÜL | a jumper | une robe | ün ROHB | a dress |
| un pantalon | ẽ pã-tah-LÕ | trousers | une jupe | ün ZHÜP | a skirt |
| un manteau | ẽ mã-TOH | a coat | une chemise | ün shuh-MEEZ | a shirt |
| un t-shirt | ẽ tee-SHURT | a T-shirt | des chaussures | day shoh-SÜR | shoes |
| Colour (m.) | Say it | Colour (f.) | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rouge | ROOZH | rouge | ROOZH | red |
| bleu | BLUH | bleue | BLUH | blue |
| vert | VAIR | verte | VAIRT | green |
| noir | NWAHR | noire | NWAHR | black |
| blanc | BLÃ | blanche | BLÃSH | white |
| gris | GREE | grise | GREEZ | grey |
| jaune | ZHOHN | jaune | ZHOHN | yellow |
| marron | mah-RÕ | marron | mah-RÕ | brown (never changes) |
Colours Come After the Noun and Agree With It
A colour follows the noun and matches its gender and number: un pull bleu, une robe bleue, des chaussures vertes. Colours ending in -e (rouge, jaune) don't change in the feminine, and marron (and orange) never change at all. Notice the sound shift in the feminine: vert "VAIR" → verte "VAIRT", gris "GREE" → grise "GREEZ", blanc "BLÃ" → blanche "BLÃSH".
👉 "This" and "These" — ce, cet, cette, ces
| Type of noun | this / these | Example | Say it |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular | ce | ce pull | suh PÜL |
| masculine singular, before a vowel | cet | cet article | set ar-TEE-kluh |
| feminine singular | cette | cette robe | set ROHB |
| plural | ces | ces chaussures | say shoh-SÜR |
"Ce Pull-ci" and "Ce Pull-là"
Ce covers both "this" and "that". To say which one, add -ci ("here", near) or -là ("there", far): Je préfère ce pull-ci (I prefer this one) or Je prends ce pull-là (I'll take that one). In everyday speech people often just say ce pull and point.
🔧 Three Verbs You Just Used — Trois verbes
Acheter ("to buy") and payer ("to pay") are regular -er verbs with small spelling changes, while regarder ("to look at") is completely regular. The spelling changes affect the writing only; the sounds are simple.
| Who | acheter (to buy) | Say it | payer (to pay) | Say it | regarder (to look at) | Say it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | j'achète | zhah-SHET | je paie | zhuh PAY | je regarde | zhuh ruh-GARD |
| tu | tu achètes | tü ah-SHET | tu paies | tü PAY | tu regardes | tü ruh-GARD |
| il / elle / on | il achète | eel ah-SHET | il paie | eel PAY | il regarde | eel ruh-GARD |
| nous | nous achetons | noo-zahsh-TÕ | nous payons | noo pay-YÕ | nous regardons | noo ruh-gar-DÕ |
| vous | vous achetez | voo-zahsh-TAY | vous payez | voo pay-YAY | vous regardez | voo ruh-gar-DAY |
| ils / elles | ils achètent | eel-zah-SHET | ils paient | eel PAY | ils regardent | eel ruh-GARD |
Spelling Changes in Boot Verbs
In acheter the stem gets an accent in the "boot" forms (je, tu, il, ils): j'achète, but nous achetons. In payer the y becomes i in the same forms: je paie, nous payons (je paye is also accepted). You don't have to memorise every rule; just learn these two as patterns. Also remember Je peux… ("I can / may…", from pouvoir) as a ready-made phrase, as in Je peux l'essayer ? and Je peux vous aider ?
📖 Vocabulary — Vocabulaire
20 key words and phrases from this chapter. Nouns are listed with their article.
| # | French | Say it | English | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | le prix | PREE | price | noun, m. | same in the plural |
| 2 | cher / chère | SHAIR | expensive; dear | adj | sounds the same in m. and f. |
| 3 | bon marché | bõ mar-SHAY | cheap, good value | adj | never changes |
| 4 | l'euro | uh-ROH | euro | noun, m. | written € after the number |
| 5 | le centime | sã-TEEM | cent (1/100 euro) | noun, m. | cinquante centimes |
| 6 | la taille | TAHY | size (clothes); height | noun, f. | Quelle taille ? |
| 7 | la pointure | pwẽ-TÜR | shoe size | noun, f. | Quelle pointure ? |
| 8 | le pull | PÜL | jumper, sweater | noun, m. | short for "pull-over" |
| 9 | la robe | ROHB | dress | noun, f. | une robe noire |
| 10 | le pantalon | pã-tah-LÕ | trousers | noun, m. | singular in French |
| 11 | les chaussures | shoh-SÜR | shoes | noun, f. pl. | une paire de chaussures |
| 12 | le sac | SAHK | bag | noun, m. | un sac en plastique |
| 13 | les espèces | es-PES | cash | noun, f. pl. | en espèces |
| 14 | ouvert / fermé | oo-VAIR / fer-MAY | open / closed | adj | ouverte, fermée in the f. |
| 15 | trop | TROH | too, too much | adv | trop cher, trop grand |
| 16 | coûter | koo-TAY | to cost | verb | Ça coûte combien ? |
| 17 | acheter | ahsh-TAY | to buy | verb | j'achète |
| 18 | payer | pay-YAY | to pay | verb | je paie |
| 19 | essayer | ay-say-YAY | to try, to try on | verb | Je peux l'essayer ? |
| 20 | les soldes | SOLD | the sales | noun, m. pl. | en solde = in the sale |
Real French Tip — Say "Bonjour" and Watch the Sales
When you enter a French shop, say Bonjour to the person behind the counter, even if you're just browsing, and Merci, au revoir on the way out. A silent walk-in feels rude. Les soldes (the sales) are national events that take place twice a year, in winter and summer, on dates set by the government, so you'll see SOLDES in every window and plenty of people shopping with real purpose. Many shops close on Sundays (and some at lunchtime, especially in small towns), so check the horaires (opening hours).
Sizes: "La Taille" and "La Pointure"
Clothing sizes in France are numbers, not S/M/L: roughly a UK size 10 is a French 38, a 12 is a 40, and so on (Je fais du 40, "I'm a 40"), though shops also use S, M, L. Shoes have their own word, la pointure, with numbers like 38 or 42 that differ from UK sizes, so try shoes on (Je peux essayer ?) rather than guess.
✍️ Try It Yourself — Exercices
Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.
1. Ask the price of a jumper and of the apples.
Show answer
C'est combien, ce pull ? / C'est combien, les pommes ?
2. Say these prices: 2,50 € · 12,90 € · 89 €.
Show answer
deux euros cinquante · douze euros quatre-vingt-dix · quatre-vingt-neuf euros.
3. Make the colour agree: une robe ___ (noir) · un pull ___ (blanc) · des chaussures ___ (vert).
Show answer
une robe noire · un pull blanc · des chaussures vertes.
4. Choose ce, cet, cette or ces: ___ pull · ___ robe · ___ chaussures · ___ article.
Show answer
ce pull · cette robe · ces chaussures · cet article.
5. Say "It's too big. Do you have a smaller size?"
Show answer
Il est trop grand. Vous avez une taille plus petite ?
6. Ask if they accept cards, then say you'll pay by card.
Show answer
Vous acceptez les cartes ? / Je paie par carte.
Coming Up in Chapter 10
You can now shop and pay. Next up: asking for directions: Où est… ?, left, right and straight on, and understanding the answer.