Beginner A2How To Go Shopping In Spanish
A brief guide to stores, money and more in Spanish.
By Thomas Moore Devlin
Key Takeaways
Learn essential shopping verbs and basics in Spanish, including how to say to buy (comprar), to pay (pagar), to cost (costar), and more.
Get names of common stores and places, from el supermercado ("supermarket") to la panadería ("bakery").
Review money and payment vocabulary, like el dinero ("money"), en efectivo ("cash"), la tarjeta de débito ("debit card"), and others.
Practice useful phrases for real situations: asking where to buy items, paying by card or cash, finding an ATM, and reacting to prices (e.g., ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito? and Esto es demasiado caro.).
Whether you’re planning to go on a spending spree in the boutiques of Madrid or just need to pick up some groceries in Buenos Aires, learning how to go shopping in Spanish is important. In addition to introducing yourself and ordering food, it’s probably one of the first things you might want to learn, especially if you’re planning a vacation.
To get you started, we compiled the most common verbs and phrases for shopping in Spanish, from the very basics to what the specialty stores are called. Plus, we added a section on talking about money at the end, because we know dealing with a new currency is stressful enough without the language element added. And once you’ve mastered this topic, you can go on to conquer the rest of Spanish.
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The Most Important Vocabulary To Go Shopping In Spanish
to go shopping — hacer la compra [ah-SER lah KOM-prah]
the shopping cart / the shopping trolley — el carrito [el kah-REE-toh]
the checkout — la caja [lah KAH-hah]
to buy — comprar [kohm-PRAR]
to sell — vender [ven-DER]
to take — coger [koh-HEHR]
to cost — costar [kohs-TAR]
to pay — pagar [pah-GAR]
expensive — caro [KAH-roh]
cheap — barato [bah-RAH-toh]
to browse — rebuscar [reh-boos-KAR]
second-hand — de segunda mano [deh seh-GOON-dah MAH-noh]
the guarantee — la garantía [lah gah-rahn-TEE-ah]
the discount — el descuento [el dehs-KWEN-toh]
the purchase — la compra [lah KOM-prah]
the special offer — la oferta especial [lah oh-FER-tah es-peh-SYAL]
to return — devolver [deh-vohl-VER]
What Are Stores Called In Spanish?
the store — la tienda [lah TYEN-dah]
the bakery — la panadería [lah pah-nah-deh-REE-ah]
the supermarket — el supermercado [el soo-per-mehr-KAH-doh]
the market — el mercado [el mehr-KAH-doh]
the butcher’s shop — la carnicería [lah kar-nee-seh-REE-ah]
the clothing store — la tienda de ropa [lah TYEN-dah deh ROH-pah]
the shopping center — el centro comercial [el SEN-troh koh-mehr-SYAHL]
the main street — la calle principal [lah KAH-yeh prin-see-PAL]
the paper store — la papelería [lah pah-peh-leh-REE-ah]
the hardware store — la ferretería [lah feh-rreh-teh-REE-ah]
the florist — la floristería [lah floh-ree-steh-REE-ah]
the department store — el gran almacén [el grahn al-mah-SEN]
the newsstand — el quiosco de prensa [el KEE-ohs-koh deh PREHN-sah]
the pet shop — la tienda de mascotas [lah TYEN-dah deh mahs-KO-tahs]
the book shop — la librería [lah lee-breh-REE-ah]
the pharmacy — la farmacia [lah fahr-MAH-syah]
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Talking About Money In The Spanish Language
the money — el dinero [el dee-NEH-roh]
the bank — el banco [el BAHN-koh]
the coin — la moneda [lah moh-NEH-dah]
the note — el billete [el bee-YEH-teh]
cash — en efectivo [en eh-fehk-TEE-voh]
the ATM — el cajero automático [el kah-HEH-roh ow-toh-MAH-tee-koh]
the debit card — la tarjeta de débito [lah tar-HEH-tah deh DEH-bee-toh]
the cashier — el cajero, la cajera [el kah-HEH-roh, lah kah-HEH-rah]
the check — el cheque [el CHEH-keh]
Phrases For The Shopping Mall In Spanish
Where can I buy stamps? — ¿Dónde puedo comprar sellos?
Do you sell newspapers? — ¿Venden periódicos?
I’ll pay cash. — Pago en efectivo.
I’m looking for postcards. — Busco postales.
Can I pay with credit card? — ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito?
This is too expensive. — Esto es demasiado caro.
Where is the nearest ATM? — ¿Dónde se encuentra el próximo cajero automático?
I use my wife’s credit card for the shopping! — ¡Uso la tarjeta de crédito de mi mujer para hacer la compra!
That makes four euros and seventy cents. — Son cuatro euros con setenta.
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Thomas Moore Devlin
Thomas is the editorial lead, and he has been at Babbel for over six years. He studied linguistics in college, and also has a background in English literature. He now lives in Berlin, where he spends most of his free time walking around and reading an unhealthy number of books.
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