Get Your Shop On with 60 Essential Words and Phrases for Shopping in Russian

We all need to shop from time to time.

Maybe it’s a quick jaunt to the supermarket to buy your frozen pizza supply for the week.

Maybe it’s a lengthy trip to a shopping center to browse for the latest styles.

Or maybe it’s just turning on your computer to restock your favorite finds.

But regardless of how you shop, one thing is for sure—if you don’t know the language, it could be a disaster.

Luckily, while shopping may blow your budget, learning vocabulary doesn’t need to cost a single ruble.

That’s because this list will teach you the must-know vocabulary to prepare you for your next Russian shopping trip!

So sit down, kick back, and prepare yourself to become a savvy Russian-language shopper!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

How to Learn Vocabulary by Shopping in Russian

There are several ways you can make the most out of your shopping sprees. Let’s check out two tips for turning them into Russian immersion experiences!

1. Visit a Russian store near you.

If you live in or near a big city in the United States, there’s probably a Russian store not too far from you. These are excellent training grounds to test out your skills without diving in over your head.

Many of the products will be labeled in Russian, and the store’s employees may even speak Russian. If nothing else, you’ll probably encounter some other Russian-speaking customers you can chitchat with.

Not sure where to start? Just Google the name of your city and “Russian store” to see what’s available near you!

2. Browse Russian stores online.

If there aren’t Russian stores near you, we sympathize.

But guess what?

That doesn’t mean you can’t practice your Russian by shopping.

That’s because there are plenty of awesome online stores that give you ample opportunity to fine-tune your skills!

• RussianFoodUSA. This New York-based site carries food, beauty products, souvenirs and more. Perhaps best of all, you can toggle between Russian and English using the drop-down language menu at the upper right side of the page. If you don’t understand something in Russian, just switch back to English!

• RussianTable.com. Another online store operated out of New York, you can change this shop’s language settings to Russian using the drop-down menu on the left side of the screen. This site sells food, cosmetics and health items.

• AliExpress and OZON are two of the most popular online shopping sites in Russia, but they’re not for the faint of heart. You’ll need an extensive Russian vocabulary to get by. Also, don’t get your heart set on anything since the stores might not ship internationally, or international shipping may be prohibitively expensive.

Get Your Shop On with 60 Essential Words and Phrases for Shopping in Russian

Asking for Help

1. Где…? — Where is…?

Где туалетная бумага? — Where is the toilet paper?

2. Я ищу… — I’m looking for…

Я ищу сувенир. — I’m looking for a souvenir.

3. Я хочу… — I want…

Я хочу красную матрёшку. — I want a red matryoshka.

4. У вас есть…? — Do you have…?

У Вас есть что-нибудь качественнее? — Do you have anything nicer?

5. Можно померить? — Can I try it on?

Это может быть мне мало. Можно померить? — This looks a little small. Can I try it on?

Negotiating

6. Сколько?/Сколько стоит? — How much is it?

Мне это нравится! Сколько стоит? — I like this! How much is it?

7. Это слишком дорого — This is too expensive

Это слишком дорого. Вы согласитесь на цену ниже? — This is too expensive. Would you accept a lower price?

8. Есть что-то подешевле? — Is there something cheaper?

У меня только 750 рублей. Есть что-то подешевле? — I only have 750 rubles. Is there something cheaper?

9. Напишите, пожалуйста — Please write it down

Я не понимаю. Напишите, пожалуйста. — I don’t understand. Please write it down.

10. Я возьму это — I’ll take it

Мне нравится эта шаль. Я возьму её! — I love this shawl. I’ll take it!

Stores

11. Магазин — Store

12. Торговый центр — Shopping center

13. Универмаг — Department store

14. Аптека — Pharmacy

15. Оптика — Optical center

16. Супермаркет — Supermarket

17. Рынок — Market

18. Пекарня — Bakery

19. Кондитерская — Confectionary

20. Мясная лавка — Butcher shop

21. Магазин одежды — Clothing store

Signs

22. Открыто — Open

23. Закрыто — Closed

24. Часы работы — Literally, “opening hours;” used like “hours of operation”

25. Ж — Abbreviation of женщины (women)

26. М — Abbreviation of мужчины (men)

27. Парковка запрещена — No parking

28. Не курить — No smoking

Sales

29. Распродажа — Sale

30. Со скидкой — Discounted

31. Бесплатно — Free

32. Дёшево — Cheap

33. Купон — Coupon

Locations in a Store

34. Касса — Checkout

Где касса? — Where is the checkout?

35. Очередь — Line

Пожалуйста, подождите в очереди. — Please wait in line.

36. Примерочная — Fitting room

Можно воспользоваться примерочной? — Can I use the fitting room?

People

37. Покупатель — Customer

38. Продавец — Vendor/shop assistant

Shopping-Related Verbs

39. Ходить за покупками — To go shopping

Я хожу за покупками по субботам. — I go shopping on Saturdays.

40. Купать — To buy

Я бы купил это. — I would buy this.

41. Продавать — To sell

Что продаёт магазин? — What does the store sell?

42. Платить — To pay

Где можно оплатить? — Where can I pay?

43. Искать — To look for

Что Вы ищете? — What are you looking for?

44. Торговаться — To bargain

Вы готовы поторговаться со мной? — Would you be ready to bargain with me?

45. Примерить — To try on

Где я могу это примерить? — Where can I try this on?

46. Глазеть на витрины — Literally, “to stare at windows;” used like “to window shop”

Я хочу глазеть на витрины дорогих магазинов. — I want to window shop at expensive stores.

Online Shopping

47. Добавить в корзину — Add to cart

48. Перейти к оформлению заказа — Proceed to checkout

49. Условия доставки — Shipping/delivery terms

Other Important Words

50. Деньги — Money

51. Тележка — Shopping cart

52. Пакет — Shopping bag

53. Цена — Price

54. Ценник — Price tag

55. Чек — Receipt/check

56. Размер — Size

57. Маленький — Small

58. Средний — Medium

59. Большой — Large

60. Очень большой — Extra large

Now that you know how to go shopping in Russian, maybe you should treat yourself to a little shopping spree. After all, it’s for your Russian education!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)