{"id":145304,"date":"2015-09-09T14:32:53","date_gmt":"2015-09-09T18:32:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/shopping-in-spanish\/"},"modified":"2025-01-30T20:45:10","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T01:45:10","slug":"shopping-in-spanish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/shopping-in-spanish\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Spanish Shopping Vocabulary"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What you want, the Spanish-speaking world has got it.\u00a0But money won&#8217;t get you everything you&#8217;ve been dreaming of\u2014you need the right words and phrases to get you to the right shops (and to get you the right prices), such as <em>mercado\u00a0<\/em>(market) and <em>\u00bfCu\u00e1nto cuesta?\u00a0<\/em>(How much is it?).<\/p>\n<p>Until you learn how to shop in Spanish like the locals do, you may find yourself getting treated (and priced) as a tourist, so read on to find out more. You can also have a look at this story-based lesson from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@FluentUSpanish\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">our YouTube channel<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><lite-youtube videoid=\"4LrfBKIttjg\"><\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n<p>[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2><em>Ir de compras <\/em>\u2014 Going shopping<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/happy-woman-stepping-out-of-a-shop-into-the-street-with-shopping-bags.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-123420\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/happy-woman-stepping-out-of-a-shop-into-the-street-with-shopping-bags.jpg\" alt=\"happy-woman-stepping-out-of-a-shop-into-the-street-with-shopping-bags\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Ready to go shopping in Spanish? Let&#8217;s begin!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>entrada <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 entrance<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>salida <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 exit<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>horario de atenci\u00f3n <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 business hours<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>abierto <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 open<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>cerrado <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 closed<br \/>\nYou might notice a sign saying something like <em><strong>cerrado al mediod\u00eda<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(closed at noon).<strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>They may not mean exactly at noon, but the idea is that the store will be shut down for a lunch hour.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>feriado <\/strong><\/em>(Latin America), <em><strong> festivo <\/strong><\/em>(Spain) <em><strong>\/puente <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 holiday\/long weekend<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And just so you don&#8217;t make a fool of yourself by angrily forcing\u00a0the doors in the wrong direction:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>empuje <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 push<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>jale<\/strong><\/em> (Latin America),<em><strong> tire<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(Latin America\/Spain) \u2014 pull<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><em>Las tiendas <\/em>\u2014 The shops<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/picture-of-fresh-fruit-for-sale-in-plastic-cups-at-a-market-in-spain.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-120276\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/picture-of-fresh-fruit-for-sale-in-plastic-cups-at-a-market-in-spain.jpg\" alt=\"picture-of-fresh-fruit-for-sale-in-plastic-cups-at-a-market-in-spain\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Need to know where to buy things? You&#8217;ll need to ask for the right type of store.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>local <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 storefront<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>tienda <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 shop\/store\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>tiendita<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 literally &#8220;little shop,&#8221; usually means &#8220;convenience store&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>boutique <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 boutique<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>almac\u00e9n <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 storehouse, large shopping depot<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>mercado <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 market<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>supermercado <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 supermarket<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>mercado artesanal\/ feria artesanal <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 artisanal market<em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em>This is going to be the place for souvenirs (<em><strong>recuerdos<\/strong><\/em>) that have been handcrafted\u00a0(<strong><em>hechos a mano<\/em><\/strong>)<strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><i><strong>ferreter\u00eda <\/strong><\/i>\u2014 hardware store<\/li>\n<li><em><b><strong>centro <\/strong><b>comercial<\/b> <\/b><\/em>\u2014 mall<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>centro de compras <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 shopping center<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>agencia de viajes <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 travel agency<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>cafeter\u00eda <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 caf\u00e9, buffet, snack bar<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>carnicer\u00eda <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 butcher<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>licorer\u00eda <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 liquor store<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>panader\u00eda <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 bakery<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>pasteler\u00eda <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 pastry\/cake shop<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>fruter\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 fruit shop<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>pescader\u00eda <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 fish stand<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>peluquer\u00eda <\/strong>\u2014 <\/em>hair salon<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>farmacia <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 pharmacy<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>florister\u00eda \/ florer\u00eda <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 flower shop<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>gasolinera <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 gas station<em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em>Store this word in your brain while traveling Latin America, as this is often a good place to go for bathrooms, ATMs and making change for large bills.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>joyer\u00eda <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 jewelry store<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>jugueter\u00eda <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 toy store<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>librer\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 book store<em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em>This <a title=\"20 Surprising Spanish-English False Friends Everyone Falls For\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/spanish\/blog\/spanish-english-false-friends-cognates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">false friend<\/a>\u00a0sounds like &#8220;library,&#8221; but a library is actually a\u00a0<strong><em>biblioteca<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><em>papeler\u00eda <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 paper\/office supply store<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>tienda de ropa <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 clothing store<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>tienda de deportes <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 sports store<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>tienda de m\u00fasica <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 music store<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>zapater\u00eda <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 shoe store<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><em>\u00bfD\u00f3nde comprar? <\/em>\u2014 Where to buy?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/picture-of-a-man-and-woman-in-a-busy-street-smiling-with-shopping-bags.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-120274\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/picture-of-a-man-and-woman-in-a-busy-street-smiling-with-shopping-bags.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you only know what you want to buy, but you don&#8217;t know where it might be, ask either of the following questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>\u00bfConoce un lugar donde realizan &#8230; ?<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Do you know a place where they make\/do\/perform &#8230; ?<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>\u00bfC<em>onoce un lugar donde venden &#8230; ?<\/em> <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 Do you know where they sell &#8230; ?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now, if you want some local opinions to factor into your decision-making, strike up a conversation with somebody and ask:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong><strong>\u00bfC<\/strong><strong>onoce alg\u00fan &#8230; por aqu\u00ed cerca?<\/strong> <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 Do you know of a &#8230; around here?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can even get more specific and explain what kinds of qualities you hope for this place to have, using a question like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>\u00bf<strong><em>D\u00f3nde queda la tienda de ropa m\u00e1s (cercana \/ econ\u00f3mica \/ ch\u00e9vere)?<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 Where is the (closest\/cheapest\/coolest) clothing store?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All you have to do is insert another kind of store aside from <b><i>tienda de ropa\u00a0<\/i><\/b>and you&#8217;ll be ready to ask about anything.<\/p>\n<p>When you&#8217;re faced with a couple of good options but don&#8217;t know which one might be best, ask somebody:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>\u00bfCu\u00e1l me recomienda? <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 Which one do you recommend to me?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><em>Cositas <\/em>\u2014 Little things<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/assorted-souvenirs-colorful-plates-and-mugs-from-mexico.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-104098\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/assorted-souvenirs-colorful-plates-and-mugs-from-mexico.jpg\" alt=\"assorted-souvenirs-colorful-plates-and-mugs-from-mexico\" width=\"800\" height=\"586\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;re going to want to be able to say all kinds of things. If you&#8217;re looking for\u00a0<a title=\"Spanish Food Vocabulary: 83 Delicious Cooking Terms for the Kitchen\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/spanish-food-words\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">food<\/a> and <a title=\"Spanish Restaurant Vocabulary: 89 Words and Phrases You Should Know\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/spanish\/blog\/spanish-restaurant-vocabulary-words-phrases\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">restaurant<\/a>\u00a0vocabulary, we&#8217;ve already got you covered. Soccer equipment? <a title=\"The Ultimate Spanish Vocabulary Guide For Football \/ Soccer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/spanish\/blog\/spanish-vocabulary-words-football-soccer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Covered<\/a>. Here, I&#8217;ll explore artisanal and textile items, since this is a lot of what you&#8217;ll encounter at street markets.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>artesan\u00edas <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 artisanal goods\/crafts<\/li>\n<li><strong><em><strong><em>artesano\/artesana <\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong>\u2014 craftsman \/ craftswoman<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>proyecto comunitario <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 community project<strong><em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/strong>Crafting artisanal\u00a0goods is often a community endeavor, so you&#8217;ll want to ask about who&#8217;s behind the items you&#8217;re buying. Always support local endeavors when possible!<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>cooperativa <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 cooperative<em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em>This is a good term to hear in the artisanal\u00a0market, as goods crafted, distributed and sold by a\u00a0<strong><em>cooperativa\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>are benefiting a community group. Community cooperatives are required to receive Fair Trade certification.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Comercio Justo <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 Fair Trade<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>org\u00e1nico<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 organic<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>del monte \/ del bosque \/  de la monta\u00f1a <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 from the hills \/ from the forest \/ from the mountains<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>de la selva\/jungla <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 from the jungle<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>del mar\/de la playa <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 from the sea \/ from the beach<\/li>\n<li><em><strong><strong>t<\/strong><strong>odo natural<\/strong> <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 all natural\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>hecho a mano\/hecha a mano <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 handmade<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>casero\/casera <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 homemade<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>tallado\/tallada <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 carved<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>cosido\/cosida <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 sewn<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>tejido\/tejida <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 knitted<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>cer\u00e1mica <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 ceramic<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>porcelana<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 porcelain<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>fibras <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 fibers<\/li>\n<li><em><strong><strong>diente<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>de<\/strong> <strong>tibur\u00f3n<\/strong>\/de tigre\/de tigrillo <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 shark&#8217;s\/tiger&#8217;s\/large cat&#8217;s tooth<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>u\u00f1a\/garra <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 claw<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>concha <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 seashell<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>semilla <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 seed<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>tinte <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 dye<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><em>Textiles<\/em> \u2014 Textiles<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/close-up-photo-of-a-selection-of-fabrics.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-116907\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/close-up-photo-of-a-selection-of-fabrics.jpg\" alt=\"close-up-photo-of-a-selection-of-fabrics\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Before you even start discussing prices, pin down what it is you&#8217;re buying.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em><em>\u00bfQu\u00e9<\/em><em> material es?<\/em><\/em> <\/strong>\u2014 What material is this?) or<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>\u00bfQu\u00e9 tipo de tela es? <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 What type of fabric is this?) <br \/>\nAlways double-check the tags\u2014I once bought a 100% llama scarf with a big ol&#8217; tag that plainly stated &#8220;30% llama.&#8221; Boo, such easily-preventable disappointment. You could even ask directly, <em><strong>\u00bfQu\u00e9 porcentaje de lana de llama tiene?<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>(What percentage of llama wool is this?).<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>tela <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 fabric<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>algod\u00f3n <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 cotton<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>cuero <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 leather<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>franela <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 flannel<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>lana <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 wool<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>licra<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 lycra<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>terciopelo <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 velvet<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>de alpaca <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 from alpaca<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>de oveja <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 from sheep<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><em>C\u00f3mo pedir <\/em>\u2014 How to ask<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/picture-of-a-man-and-woman-looking-at-a-product-while-talking-to-a-store-clerk.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-123561\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/picture-of-a-man-and-woman-looking-at-a-product-while-talking-to-a-store-clerk.jpg\" alt=\"picture-of-a-man-and-woman-looking-at-a-product-while-talking-to-a-store-clerk\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Should you be super polite? I mean, that saleslady seems really, really nice.\u00a0Asking for things can be a challenge for Spanish learners. With older people, you can always choose to err on the side of caution, use polite grammar (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/tu-and-usted\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">third\u00a0person<\/a>) and phrases. Check out the following polite phrases to use during interactions with vendors:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Quisiera uno de esos, por favor. <\/em><\/strong><em>\u2014 <\/em>I would like one of those, please.<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Muchas gracias, se\u00f1or<\/em><em>\/<\/em><em>se\u00f1ora. <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 Thank you very much, sir\/ma&#8217;am.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can also use <strong><em>do\u00f1a\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>when speaking to elderly women, to show ever greater respect. In more casual encounters, you&#8217;re generally free to use less formal language. In fact, I&#8217;d encourage less formal language in the interest of sounding more local. Here are some typical informal phrases for shopping situations:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>\u00bfMe pasas eso, por favor? <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 Can you pass me that, please?<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Dame uno, por favor. <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 Give me one, please.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now, here are some ways to explain to people what you like and dislike. This will help them figure out which items you do and don&#8217;t have an interest in.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Quiero este\/esta. <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 I want this [one]<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Quiero ese\/esa. <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 I want that [one]<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Este\/Esta no me gusta tanto. <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 I don&#8217;t like this one so much<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>\u00a1Me encanta este\/esta!\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u2014 I really like\/love this one!<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Me gustan aquellos\/aquellas de all\u00e1. <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 I like those over there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can&#8217;t always get what you want. Sometimes stores run out of what you&#8217;re looking for! Here&#8217;s what you might hear when you&#8217;re out of luck:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>Se acab\u00f3. <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 We ran out of that.<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Ya no tenemos. <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 We don&#8217;t have that anymore.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><em>Calidad<\/em> \u2014 Quality<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/picture-of-a-shop-assistant-and-a-customer-holding-a-purple-blouse-to-see-the-quality-of-the-fabric.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-119349\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/picture-of-a-shop-assistant-and-a-customer-holding-a-purple-blouse-to-see-the-quality-of-the-fabric.jpg\" alt=\"picture-of-a-shop-assistant-and-a-customer-holding-a-purple-blouse-to-see-the-quality-of-the-fabric\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>My perfectionist Ecuadorian fianc\u00e9 has repeatedly taught me the most critical lesson in buying anything, anywhere. The goal is to find <em><strong>Los Tres B<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>(The Three B&#8217;s)<em>: <strong>bueno, bonito y barato\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>(good, nice and cheap). Repeat that to yourself\u2014let it become your new\u00a0mantra when shopping in Spanish.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some words you&#8217;ll need to talk about the quality of an item:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>barato <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 cheap<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>bonito <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 pretty, nice<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>econ\u00f3mico <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 affordable<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>elegante <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 elegant<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>feo <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 ugly<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>hermoso <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 beautiful<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>lujoso <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 luxurious<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When you&#8217;re leaving it up to the shopkeeper to choose your items for you, you&#8217;ll want to make sure they know you&#8217;re paying attention:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><i>Deme los m\u00e1s bonitos\/maduros\/jugositos, por favor. <\/i><\/b>\u2014 Give me the prettiest\/ripest\/juiciest ones please.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you get a damaged or lower quality item (for example, one egg out of a dozen is broken), pass it to the shopkeeper and say:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>C\u00e1mbieme este, por favor.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Change this one for me, please.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><em>Tama\u00f1os y tallas <\/em>\u2014 Sizes<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/two-women-shopping-holding-up-a-blue-long-sleeve-t-shirt.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-116897\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/two-women-shopping-holding-up-a-blue-long-sleeve-t-shirt.jpg\" alt=\"two-women-shopping-holding-up-a-blue-long-sleeve-t-shirt\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Have you figured out the difference between a <strong><em>tama\u00f1o<\/em> <\/strong>and a <strong><em>talla<\/em> <\/strong>yet? They both mean size, but refer to different types of objects. This is a sneaky one. Basically,\u00a0<em>talla\u00a0<\/em>is for clothes and shoes while\u00a0<em>tama\u00f1o\u00a0<\/em>is for everything else.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>\u00bfCu\u00e1l es la talla de su camisa? <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 What&#8217;s your shirt size?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>\u00bfQu\u00e9 talla de pantal\u00f3n lleva usted? <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 What pants size do you wear?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em><em><strong>\u00bfQu\u00e9 <\/strong><\/em><strong><em><strong>n\u00fa<\/strong>mero\/talla de zapatos lleva usted?<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 What shoe size do you wear?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While we&#8217;re on the topic of sizes, be sure to translate your sizes into European sizes before you start shopping, or you&#8217;ll have to go through some trial and error to figure out what fits. You&#8217;ll probably end up trying on a bunch of stuff anyway, because clothes and shoes are cut a bit differently in different parts of the world. In Latin America, shoes are often smaller and narrower, and pants are often cut for shorter legs.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>talla peque\u00f1a\/mediana\/grande <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 small\/medium\/large size<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>me queda bien <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 it fits me\/it suits me well<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>no me queda (bien) <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 it doesn&#8217;t fit me\/it doesn&#8217;t suit me well<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>me queda muy grande <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 it&#8217;s too big on me<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>suelto\/suelta <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 loose<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>apretado\/apretada <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 tight<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>me aprieta aqu\u00ed<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 it&#8217;s too tight here<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>\u00bfPuedo prob\u00e1rmelo? \/ \u00bfPuedo prob\u00e1rmela? <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 Can I try it\u00a0on?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><em>Hablar del precio <\/em>\u2014 Talking about prices<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/picture-of-a-woman-smiling-at-a-shop-keeper-while-buying-fruit-and-vegetables.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-119351\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/picture-of-a-woman-smiling-at-a-shop-keeper-while-buying-fruit-and-vegetables.jpg\" alt=\"picture-of-a-woman-smiling-at-a-shop-keeper-while-buying-fruit-and-vegetables\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em style=\"font-weight: bold\">\u00bfCu\u00e1nto cuesta? \/ \u00bfCu\u00e1nto vale? <\/em>\/ <strong><em>\u00bfA cu\u00e1nto est\u00e1?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u2014 How much is this\/that?<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>\u00bfCu\u00e1l es el precio m\u00e1s bajo que me puede dar? <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 What&#8217;s the lowest price you can give me?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Making the actual purchase can often become a bit of a fiasco in small shops and markets. Unless the place is well-equipped for a high volume of shoppers or tourists, chances are good that absolutely nobody will have change.<\/p>\n<p>Once you have agreed on a fair price and are ready to pay, you can ask the shopkeeper, <strong><em>\u00bfMe puede cambiar un billete de 20? <\/em><\/strong>(Can you give me change for a 20?) If you get a sigh or an exasperated head shake, then you know you&#8217;re about to go on a journey to acquire change.<\/p>\n<p>The person making the sale usually assumes the responsibility of seeking out change from their friends and acquaintances nearby. They&#8217;ll be walking around asking <strong><em> \u00bfTiene cambio? \/ \u00bfTiene suelto? <\/em><\/strong>(Do you have any change?) or <strong><em>Pr\u00e9steme monedas<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>(Loan me some change!)<\/p>\n<h2><em>Regateo <\/em>\u2014 Bargaining<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/picture-of-a-vendor-and-a-customer-shaking-hands-at-a-market.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-123588\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/picture-of-a-vendor-and-a-customer-shaking-hands-at-a-market.jpg\" alt=\"picture-of-a-vendor-and-a-customer-shaking-hands-at-a-market\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Regateo<\/em> (bargaining) is part of culture in Latin America.<\/strong>\u00a0Even with their own countrymen, they&#8217;ll try to get the best possible price. You should never expect your money to leave your hand without a small debate first. This is normal and natural, and people don&#8217;t take offense when you try to low-ball them. It&#8217;s just part of the process of buying anything.<\/p>\n<p><strong>*Warning: <\/strong>Don&#8217;t try bargaining at more formal establishments like supermarkets and department stores, only at smaller marketplaces and with individual salespeople.<\/p>\n<p>You want to sound like a true local as you shop? Then whip out these phrases to show that you really know what you&#8217;re doing and that you mean business.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Getting a discount<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>First off, there&#8217;s one thing that any good shopkeeper will gladly do for you: <strong>Give you a package deal for buying more things.<\/strong> So whether you&#8217;re with your friends or alone buying multiple items, make sure as many purchases as possible happen in the same place.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>\u00bfMe puede hacer un descuento si compro &#8230; ? <\/em><\/strong><em>\u2014 <\/em>Can you give me a discount if I buy &#8230; ?<br \/>\nIn the blank space, insert all the items that you want to buy. Make it sound casual, like you suddenly decided to buy two more things to save money. Once you get the inevitable, <em><strong>s\u00ed, <\/strong><\/em>then you can name your price.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Dame 3 por 20. <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 Give me three for $20.<br \/>\nLet&#8217;s say you and your two friends each want to buy a lovely scarf from this particular cart. The man has already told you that each one costs $10. Outrageous! You can do better than that. Look at him confidently say this. Don&#8217;t frame this as a question. You&#8217;re still paying well\u2014about $7 per scarf. He&#8217;ll probably agree to this price right away\u2014he knows that somebody else might have tried for even lower.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Pero all\u00e1 cuesta $12.<\/strong><strong>\/<\/strong><strong>La se\u00f1ora de all\u00e1 me lo dej\u00f3 en $12.<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u2014 Over there it costs $12.\/The lady over there would give it to me for $12.<br \/>\nYou want to buy a gorgeous, handcrafted necklace. Another vendor had a similar necklace for $14 over there. But this joker is asking almost twice the usual price\u2014$22! Are you just going to take that? No, you&#8217;re going to handle this like a local. Let him know that you&#8217;re asking around and comparing prices. You know the prices. You might either get a string of comments saying how much better this necklace is compared to the other one. Or you might get another price that&#8217;s in the ballpark.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Lowering the price even more<\/h3>\n<p>Let&#8217;s say after all this the seller decides to lower the price and says, <em><strong>Okay, te lo dejo en $15.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>(Okay, I&#8217;ll give it to you for $15.)<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few phrases you could try out now to get him\u00a0down to the absolute lowest possible price:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>\u00bfCu\u00e1l es el precio final <\/strong><\/em><strong>final<\/strong><em><strong>? <\/strong><\/em><em>\u2014 <\/em>What&#8217;s your final\u00a0<em>final <\/em>price?<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Bah, \u00a1d\u00e9jamelo en $12 y me lo llevo! <\/strong><\/em><em>\u2014 <\/em>Leave me at $12 and I&#8217;ll take it now!<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>\u00bfC\u00f3mo nos arreglamos? <\/strong><\/em><em>\u2014 <\/em>How do we fix this?<br \/>\nThis one says: &#8220;I&#8217;m a nice guy who wants to find a solution together. We both know there are better prices for this out there, but I want to buy it from you.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>\u00a1Ya para llev\u00e1rmelo ahorita! Para no volver&#8230; <\/strong><\/em><em>\u2014 <\/em>Alright already, let me walk away with this now! So I don&#8217;t have to come back&#8230;<br \/>\nThis sounds more like, &#8220;C&#8217;mon, we both know we&#8217;re just playing the game here. Give me a good price and let&#8217;s be done with it.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>\u00bfCu\u00e1nto es lo \u00faltimo para llev\u00e1rmelo ahorita? <\/strong><\/em><em>\u2014 <\/em>What&#8217;s the lowest price if I buy it on the spot?<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Tome, tome <\/strong><\/em><em>\u2014 <\/em>C&#8217;mon, take my money already.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A great way to learn these terms and more about bargaining and Spanish culture is by watching authentic Spanish videos. You can do this on YouTube or your favorite streaming program, or you can turn to a learning platform like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/spanish\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FluentU<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n<p>You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/fluentu-learn-language-videos\/id917892175\">the iOS app<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.fluentflix.fluentu&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=US\">Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><i><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\r\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/NativeAd-Spanish.jpg\" alt=\"FluentU Ad\" \/>\r\n  <p style=\"text-align: center\">\r\n    <button class=\"btn-blue\" style=\"border: none;font-size: 18px;text-align: center;padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem;cursor: pointer\">\r\n      Try FluentU for FREE!\r\n    <\/button>\r\n  <\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n\n<p>Whichever way you choose, immerse yourself in the language as natives use it and you&#8217;ll be able to pick up more words and phrases to use the next time you\u2019re bargaining and shopping in Spanish.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Reasoning with the seller<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Buying souvenirs and decorations is one thing. Now let&#8217;s say you&#8217;re at the produce market just trying to buy some delectable tropical fruits. You&#8217;ve seen prices elsewhere, and you&#8217;re hearing the locals pay cheaper. Or perhaps you&#8217;ve been living in this town for months now and are annoyed that people still can&#8217;t give you good prices for your daily items. Here are a few of my favorite go-to phrases for handling this situation:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>\u00a1Vivo aqu\u00ed y gano un sueldo ecuatoriano! <\/strong><\/em><em>\u2014 <\/em>I live here and earn an Ecuadorian salary!<br \/>\nOf course, insert the country you&#8217;re bargaining in. When I was making a few hundred bucks a month (giving me about $100 for food monthly), I wasn&#8217;t ready to fork over an extra dollar for anything. If you feel that pain, you&#8217;ll come to love this phrase.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Amigo, yo s\u00e9 c\u00f3mo son los precios. <\/strong><\/em><em>\u2014 <\/em>Hey buddy, I know how the prices are.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Pero la semana pasada usted me lo dej\u00f3 en &#8230; <\/strong><\/em><em>\u2014 <\/em>But last week you gave it to me for [price].<br \/>\nSometimes prices of things in the markets fluctuate when there&#8217;s a poor crop or when the seasons change. By using this phrase, you&#8217;re saying that you know the price (even insinuating that this person gave you the right price once before) and you&#8217;re wondering what happened. You might get a real answer, or you might get the appropriately lowered price.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>When shopping in Spanish, don&#8217;t forget to end every transaction with a <em><strong>Muchas gracias<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/thank-you-in-spanish\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">thanks so much<\/a>) or a <strong><em>muy amable\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(thanks\/you&#8217;re very kind).<\/p>\n<p>Soon, you&#8217;ll be negotiating with the best of &#8217;em!<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>And One More Thing\u2026<\/h2>\r\n<p>\r\nIf you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and <strong><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> will then love FluentU<\/a>.<\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\nOther sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You\u2019ll learn Spanish as it\u2019s actually spoken by real people.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1234 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/Spanish-1.jpg\" alt=\"learn-spanish-with-videos\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\n<strong>FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don\u2019t know, you can add it to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-19339\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/Spanish-2.png\" alt=\"learn-spanish-with-interactive-subtitled-videos\" width=\"320\" height=\"569\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nReview a complete interactive transcript under the <strong>Dialogue<\/strong> tab, and find words and phrases listed under <strong>Vocab<\/strong>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1235 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/Spanish-3.jpg\" alt=\"learn-spanish-with-songs\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nLearn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU\u2019s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you\u2019re on.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1236 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/Spanish-4.jpg\" alt=\"learn-spanish-with-music-videos\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nThe best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you\u2019re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it\u2019s time to review what you\u2019ve learned.<strong> Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they\u2019re learning with the same video.<\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nStart using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What you want, the Spanish-speaking world has got it.\u00a0But money won&#8217;t get you everything you&#8217;ve been dreaming of\u2014you need the right words and phrases to get you to the right&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":248379,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"Common Spanish Shopping Vocabulary | FluentU Spanish Blog","description":"Want to start shopping in Spanish? If you're heading to a Spanish-speaking country and want to impress the locals by asking about products and prices, as well as try bargaining for a lower price, this guide has you covered. Click here to find 150+ essential Spanish words and phrases to shop like a local!"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[590,593],"tags":[],"coauthors":[27],"class_list":["post-145304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spanish","category-spanish-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=145304"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":249502,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145304\/revisions\/249502"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=145304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=145304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=145304"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=145304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}