CEFR A1

    Shopping

    Learn essential vocabulary for shopping situations including prices, buying, selling, and common shopping phrases.

    Learning Objectives

    Learn essential shopping vocabulary for different types of stores and items.
    Understand how to ask about prices, make payments, and find items in stores.
    Practice common shopping phrases and conversations for real-life situations.
    Build confidence shopping in English-speaking countries and interacting with store staff!

    Shopping

    Shopping is something we do every day! Learning basic shopping vocabulary will help you buy things, ask about prices, and understand what you need in stores.

    In this lesson, you'll learn essential words and phrases for shopping situations. These simple words will help you feel confident when shopping in English-speaking countries.

    📖 A Trip to the Market

    On Saturday morning, Anna goes to the supermarket to buy food for the week.

    She picks up some bread, fruit, and milk and puts them in her basket.

    At the checkout, the cashier says: "That's twelve euros, please." Anna asks: "Can I pay by card?"

    The cashier gives Anna a receipt and says: "Thank you! Have a nice day!"

    By learning these everyday shopping words, you can buy what you need and communicate easily in any English-speaking shop!

    Common Stores

    Supermarket

    A large store where you buy food and household items

    I go to the supermarket every Saturday.

    Shop/Store

    A place where you buy things

    There's a nice clothes shop near my house.

    Bakery

    A shop that sells bread, cakes, and pastries

    The bakery makes fresh bread every morning.

    Market

    An outdoor place where people sell food and other items

    I buy fresh vegetables at the market.

    Want to try a Shopping quiz?

    Practice with multiple choice questions

    Shopping Actions

    Buy

    To pay money for something

    I want to buy a new jacket.

    Pay

    To give money for goods or services

    Can I pay by card or cash?

    Cost

    The price of something

    How much does this book cost?

    Sell

    To give something to someone for money

    This store sells fresh fruit.

    Ready to test your Shopping knowledge?

    Challenge yourself with fill-in-the-blank exercises

    Money & Prices

    Price

    How much money something costs

    What's the price of this shirt?

    Cheap

    Not expensive; low price

    These apples are very cheap today.

    Expensive

    Costs a lot of money; high price

    That watch is too expensive for me.

    Cash

    Money in coins or notes (not card)

    Do you have any cash? I only have my card.

    Card

    A plastic card used to pay (credit or debit card)

    I always pay by card.

    Master Shopping sentence building!

    Drag and drop words to form correct sentences

    Common Shopping Items

    Food

    Things you eat (bread, fruit, vegetables, meat, etc.)

    I need to buy some food for dinner.

    Clothes

    Things you wear (shirts, pants, dresses, shoes)

    She likes buying new clothes.

    Bag

    Something you carry things in

    Do you need a plastic bag?

    Receipt

    A paper that shows what you bought and how much you paid

    Keep your receipt in case you want to return it.

    People in Shopping

    Customer

    A person who buys things from a shop

    The customer asked for help.

    Cashier

    A person who takes your money at a shop

    The cashier gave me my change.

    Shop assistant

    A person who helps customers in a shop

    The shop assistant showed me the shoes.

    Useful Shopping Phrases

    • How much is this? / How much does this cost?
    • Can I try this on? (for clothes)
    • Do you have this in a different size / color?
    • I'm just looking, thank you.
    • Where can I find the [item]?
    • I'd like to buy this, please.
    • Can I pay by card?
    • Do you have a bag?
    • Can I have a receipt, please?
    • That's too expensive.
    • Is there a sale / discount?

    Shopping Quantities

    Some

    A small amount or number

    I need some apples and some milk.

    Many / Much

    A large amount or number

    How much sugar do you need? Not much.

    A lot of

    Many or much (informal)

    There are a lot of people in the store today.

    Learning Tips

    Polite Shopping

    Always use 'please' and 'thank you' when shopping. Say 'Excuse me' to get someone's attention politely.

    Countable vs Uncountable

    Use 'some' with both countable (some apples) and uncountable nouns (some water). Use 'a/an' only with countable singular nouns (an apple).

    Practice Numbers

    Shopping is a great way to practice numbers in English! Listen carefully to prices and try to repeat them.

    Common Mistakes

    Don't say 'How many costs?' Say 'How much does it cost?' or 'How much is it?' Remember: 'much' for prices!

    Speaking Practice

    To practice your pronunciation, listen to the native speaker audio first. Then 'Record' yourself repeating what you heard, then use the 'Playback' button to compare your pronunciation with the native speaker. If you want to record yourself again, simply click 'Delete'!

    1. Asking for prices:

    How much is this T-shirt? It's fifteen euros.

    2. Shopping in a store:

    I want to buy some bread and milk from the supermarket.

    3. Looking for items:

    Excuse me, where can I find the fresh fruit and vegetables?

    4. Comparing prices:

    This sweet apple juice is cheaper than that orange juice.

    5. Asking for help:

    Can you help me, please? I'm looking for some tea bags.

    6. Paying for items:

    Can I pay by card? Yes, we accept credit cards.

    Your exercises are loading!

    Your exercises are loading!

    Your exercises are loading!


    Continue Your Learning Journey

    Keep building your English skills with these carefully selected next steps


    Help Other People Just Like You Improve Their English!

    Share Free Daily English With Them Today!