Whether you live in a Spanish speaking country or just spending your summer holiday there, you’ll indeed have to go shopping at least once in a while.
Be it simple groceries or hiking provisions, a beer or a glass of wine, cheap souvenirs, or local handicrafts; you’ll need to know how to ask about the price, complain if something is too expensive, or request a discount.
Bargaining is part of Latin American culture. Not in big stores or supermarkets, of course. But when you buy fresh fruit and vegetables at a local street market or get the last couple of souvenirs from a small artisan store, go for it!
A piece of advice: Latin Americans are as friendly and hospitable as it gets, but they are also known for often taking advantage of the naíve gringo (gringo is a term they use for foreign-looking – blue-eyed and blond-haired – tourists). So beware, check the local prices well and keep your wallet close to you.
11 Essential Phrases and Words for Shopping in Spanish
If you were only to know a few basic shopping vocabularies in Spanish, this is your must-know list:
- 🇪🇸 ¿Cuánto cuesta? – 🇬🇧 how much is it?
- 🇪🇸 Solo estoy mirando. – 🇬🇧 I’m just looking.
- 🇪🇸 Quiero comprar… – 🇬🇧 I want to buy…
- 🇪🇸 Me lo llevo – 🇬🇧 I’ll take it.
- 🇪🇸 ¡Es muy caro! – 🇬🇧 It’s very expensive!
- 🇪🇸 el precio – 🇬🇧 the price
- 🇪🇸 una tienda – 🇬🇧 a store, a shop
- 🇪🇸 un descuento – 🇬🇧 a discount
- 🇪🇸 una oferta – 🇬🇧 an offer
- 🇪🇸 solo efectivo – 🇬🇧 cash only
- 🇪🇸 el vuelto – 🇬🇧 the change
Asking about Price in Spanish
Knowing how to ask about the price is one of the basic shopping skills. It will help you avoid misunderstanding and surprises when you see the bill or the receipt.
Below you will find a selection of different ways you can ask about the price in Spanish.
🇪🇸
A: ¿Cuánto es?
B: Son 5 euros.
🇬🇧
A: How much is it?
B: It’s 5 euros.
🇪🇸
A: ¿Cuánto cuesta una cerveza?
B: La pequeña cuesta 5 mil pesos y la grande 10 mil.
🇬🇧
A: How much does a beer cost?
B: The small one costs 5 thousand pesos, and the big one ten thousand.
🇪🇸
A: ¿A cómo está el kilo de naranjas?
B: A 3 euros con quince centavos.
🇬🇧
A: How much for a kilogram of oranges?
B: 3 euros and 15 cents.
🇪🇸
A: ¿Cuánto le debo?
B: Cinco mil quinientos diez pesos. Tiene moneda de 10?
A: Si, aquí está.
🇬🇧
A: How much do I owe you?
B: 5510 pesos. Do you have a 10-peso coin?
A: Yes, here you are.
🇪🇸
A:¿Tiene vuelto de 20 euro?
B: Lamentablemente casi no me queda sencillo.
🇬🇧
A: Can you break a 20 euro bill/note?
B: Unfortunately, I hardly have any small cash left.
In case you forget all the more complex questions, remember that a simple question word “¿quánto? – how much?” can take you a long way.
Make sure to get all your Spanish question words straight. They are crucial every time you need to ask the locals for something.
Names of Stores in Spanish
Depending on what it is that you want to shop for, you’ll need a different type of store. I’ve listed the most important ones below:
- 🇪🇸 un supermercado – 🇬🇧 a supermarket
- 🇪🇸 una tienda de abarrotes – 🇬🇧 a grocery store
- 🇪🇸 una panadería – 🇬🇧 a bakery
- 🇪🇸 una verdulería– 🇬🇧 a greengrocer’s
- 🇪🇸 una carnicería– 🇬🇧 a butcher’s
- 🇪🇸 una pescadería – 🇬🇧 a fish store
- 🇪🇸 una zapatería– 🇬🇧 a shoe store
- 🇪🇸 una librería– 🇬🇧 a bookstore (don’t confuse with a library, which is una biblioteca)
- 🇪🇸 una florería– 🇬🇧 a flower shop
- 🇪🇸 una joyería– 🇬🇧 a jewelry store
- 🇪🇸 una multitienda– 🇬🇧 a department store
- 🇪🇸 una tienda de mascotas – 🇬🇧 a pet store
- 🇪🇸 una tienda de regalos – 🇬🇧 a gift store
- 🇪🇸 una farmacia– 🇬🇧 a pharmacy / a drugstore
- 🇪🇸 una feria – 🇬🇧 a street market
- 🇪🇸 un centro comercial / un mall – 🇬🇧 a shopping center / a mall
As you can see, many store names in Spanish are based on the name of the product they specialize in plus the “ía” ending.
🇪🇸 pescado– 🇬🇧 fish
🇪🇸 pescadería -🇬🇧 fish store
🇪🇸 flor – 🇬🇧 flower
🇪🇸 florería – 🇬🇧 flower shop
and so on, and so forth.
To ask where certain stores are, you’ll have to review another essential skill: Spanish directions. Without them, how can you understand and follow other people’s indications?
Hopefully, these few mini-dialogues help refresh your memory:
🇪🇸
A: ¿Hay un supermercado cerca?
B: Si, a unas cinco cuadras más arriba.
🇬🇧
A: Is there a supermarket close to here?
B: Yes, about 5 blocks up the street.
🇪🇸
A: ¿Dónde hay una farmacia, por favor?
B: Camine hasta los semáforos y despúes doble a la izquierda.
🇬🇧
A: Where’s a pharmacy, please?
B: Walk until the traffic lights and then turn left.
🇪🇸
A: Señor, ¿dónde queda la panadería más cercana?
B: Si bien recuerdo hay una en la calle Rosario un poco más allá.
🇬🇧
A: Where is the nearest bakery, sir?
B: If I remember correctly, there is one on the Rosario street a little further.
🇪🇸
A: Estoy buscando una buena zapatería.
B: Hmmm, creo que va a tener que ir al centro comercial. Por acá no hay ninguna.
🇬🇧
A: I’m looking for a good shoe store.
B: Hmmm, I’m afraid you’ll have to go to the shopping mall. There is none nearby.
🇪🇸 Test Your Spanish Knowledge 🇪🇸
Another useful vocabulary group related to stores and shopping in Spanish is telling the time and naming days of the week. They will help you ask about and understand the opening hours and timetables.
🇪🇸 ¿A qué hora abre el centro comercial?
🇬🇧 What time does the shopping center open?
🇪🇸 Lo siento, la librería cierra a las seis y media.
🇬🇧 Sorry, the bookstore closes at 6:30 PM.
🇪🇸 Nuestra verdulería abre de 8AM a 4PM.
🇬🇧 Our greengrocer is open from 8 AM to 4 PM.
🇪🇸 ¿Qué días de la semana está abierta la feria?
🇬🇧 What days of the week is the street market open?
Shopping in a Supermarket
Grocery shopping is something you most definitely can’t do without even if you live or stay abroad. After all, we all need to eat, don’t we?
Supermarkets and other self-service stores are a lifesaver for those who feel shy about their Spanish speaking skills. Yet, a minimum conversation and shopping vocabulary are required even there.
Have a look:
- 🇪🇸 un carrito – 🇬🇧 a shopping cart / a trolley
- 🇪🇸 un canasto – 🇬🇧 a basket
- 🇪🇸 una caja– 🇬🇧 a cash counter
- 🇪🇸 un cajero / una cajera – 🇬🇧 a cashier (masculine and feminine)
- 🇪🇸 el supervisor – 🇬🇧 the supervisor
- 🇪🇸 una fila / una cola – 🇬🇧 a line / a queue
- 🇪🇸 un pasillo – 🇬🇧 an aisle
- 🇪🇸 lactéos – 🇬🇧 dairy
- 🇪🇸 confites- 🇬🇧 sweets, candy
- 🇪🇸 los electrodomésticos – 🇬🇧 home appliances (a toaster, a microwave oven and such)
- 🇪🇸 vestuario – 🇬🇧 clothes
- 🇪🇸 los congelados – 🇬🇧 rozen products
- 🇪🇸 una bolsa – 🇬🇧 a bag
- 🇪🇸 una boleta / un comprobante / un recibo – 🇬🇧 a receipt
- 🇪🇸 una factura – 🇬🇧 an invoice
- 🇪🇸 servicio al cliente – 🇬🇧 customer service
- 🇪🇸 un empaquetador – 🇬🇧 a supermarket packer
The person described at the bottom of the list, empaquetador, is someone who helps you pack your groceries for some small change. They are usually college students who try to earn a few extra coins on weekends or whenever they don’t have classes.
What are some basic shopping phrases in Spanish that you might need in a supermarket?
Here are a few suggestions:
🇪🇸 Necesito un carrito.
🇬🇧 I need a shopping cart.
🇪🇸 ¿Tienen más canastos?
🇬🇧 Do you have more baskets?
🇪🇸 ¿En qué pasillo están los lácteos?
🇬🇧 What aisle is dairy in?
🇪🇸 ¿Dónde encuentro papel aluminio?
🇬🇧 Where do I find tin foil?
🇪🇸 No alcanzo la repisa de más arriba.
🇬🇧 I can’t reach the top shelf.
🇪🇸 ¿Cuánto cuestan las bolsas de papel?
🇬🇧 How much are the paper bags?
🇪🇸 Hay un error en mi recibo.
🇬🇧 There is a mistake in my receipt.
🇪🇸 Quiero hablar con el supervisor, por favor.
🇬🇧 I’d like to talk to the supervisor, please.
🇪🇸 ¿Tienen empaquetadores?
🇬🇧 Do you have packers?
🇪🇸 ¿Dónde queda el servicio al cliente?
🇬🇧 Where’s customer service?
🇪🇸 ¿Tienen papel de regalo?
🇬🇧 Do you have wrapping paper?
And what can you get asked in a supermarket? Get ready and practice your reply:
🇪🇸
A: ¿Cómo paga?
B: Con tarjeta de crédito / en efectivo.
🇬🇧
A: How are you paying?
B: With a credit card / in cash.
🇪🇸
A: ¿Le gustaría donar parte de su vuelo?
B: Claro, 50 pesos.
🇬🇧
A: Would you like to donate part of your change?
B: Sure, 50 pesos.
🇪🇸
A: ¿Le ayudo a embolsar las cosas?
B: Si, muchas gracias.
🇬🇧
A: Can I help you to bag the things?
B: Yes, thanks a lot.
How to Shop for Souvenirs in Spanish
Being a tourist in a Spanish speaking country, you’ll probably want to take some souvenirs home with you. Something special for your close family – local handicraft jewelry, clothes or accessories, or a jar of handmade jam perhaps, and a few cheap knick-knacks for your workmates.
- 🇪🇸 un recuerdo- 🇬🇧 a souvenir
- 🇪🇸 un regalo– 🇬🇧 a gift
- 🇪🇸 artesanía– 🇬🇧 handicraft
- 🇪🇸 una feria de artesanía – 🇬🇧 an artisan market
- 🇪🇸 un llavero – 🇬🇧 a key ring
- 🇪🇸 un imán – 🇬🇧 a magnet
- 🇪🇸 una postal- 🇬🇧 a postcard
- 🇪🇸 hecho a mano – 🇬🇧 handmade
- 🇪🇸 casero – 🇬🇧 homemade
- 🇪🇸 100 % de lana – 🇬🇧 100% wool
- 🇪🇸 de madera – 🇬🇧 wooden
- 🇪🇸 de plata – 🇬🇧 silver
- 🇪🇸 de oro – 🇬🇧 gold
- 🇪🇸 vestimenta típica – 🇬🇧 typical outfit
- 🇪🇸 música folklorica – 🇬🇧 folk music
The souvenir vocabulary from this list and the sample sentences below will surely come in handy.
🇪🇸 Busco un bonito recuerdo para mis hijos.
🇬🇧 I am looking for a nice souvenir for my children.
🇪🇸 ¿Cuánto cuestan los llaveros?
🇬🇧 How much are the keyrings?
🇪🇸 Quiero cinco imanes diferentes.
I want five different magnets.
🇪🇸 ¿Qué es esto?
🇬🇧 What is this?
🇪🇸 ¿De qué está hecho?
🇬🇧 What is it made of?
🇪🇸 ¿Para qué sirve?
🇬🇧 What do you use it for?
🇪🇸 ¿Qué piedra es?
🇬🇧 What stone is it? (talking about jewelry)
🇪🇸 ¿Está hecho a mano?
🇬🇧 Is it handmade?
🇪🇸 ¿Es comestible?
🇬🇧 Is it eatable?
🇪🇸 ¿Tiene alcohol?
🇬🇧Does it have a lcohol?
🇪🇸 ¿Cómo funciona?
🇬🇧 How does it work?
🇪🇸 ¿Aceptan tarjetas?
🇬🇧 Do you accept cards?
🇪🇸 ¿Puedo pagar en dólares?
🇬🇧 Can I pay in dollars?
🇪🇸 ¿Cuál es la tasa de cambio?
🇬🇧 What’s the exchange rate?
🇪🇸 OK, me lo llevo.
🇬🇧 OK, I’ll take it.
🇪🇸 ¿Me lo puede envolver para regalo?
🇬🇧 Can you gift-wrap it?
🇪🇸 ¿Me lo puede guardar hasta mañana?
🇬🇧 Can you put it aside for me by tomorrow?
Buying Groceries in Spanish
What if there is no supermarket at sight and you are hungry and in desperate need of groceries? You’ll have to brave up and stand face to face with a grocer around the corner.
Shopping in Spanish – show time!
First of all, make sure to learn the names of the products you need:
- 🇪🇸 leche entera – 🇬🇧 whole milk
- 🇪🇸 leche semidescremada – 🇬🇧 semi-skimmed milk
- 🇪🇸 leche descremada – 🇬🇧 nonfat / skimmed milk
- 🇪🇸 pan – 🇬🇧 bread
- 🇪🇸 pan integral – 🇬🇧 wholemeal bread
- 🇪🇸 queso – 🇬🇧 cheese
- 🇪🇸 huevos – 🇬🇧 eggs
- 🇪🇸 jamón – 🇬🇧 ham
- 🇪🇸 yogur – 🇬🇧 yoghurt
- 🇪🇸 mantequilla – 🇬🇧 butter
- 🇪🇸 crema / nata – 🇬🇧 cream
- 🇪🇸 una lata de atún – 🇬🇧 a can of tuna
- 🇪🇸 una caja de cereales – 🇬🇧 a box of cereals
- 🇪🇸 mermelada – 🇬🇧 jam
- 🇪🇸 helado – 🇬🇧 icecream
- 🇪🇸 sal – 🇬🇧 salt
- 🇪🇸 arroz – 🇬🇧 rice
- 🇪🇸 tallarines / fideos – 🇬🇧 pasta
- 🇪🇸 cerveza – 🇬🇧 beer
- 🇪🇸 refresco, gaseosa bebida – 🇬🇧 soda
- 🇪🇸 agua mineral – 🇬🇧 mineral water
- 🇪🇸 con gas – 🇬🇧 sparkling
- 🇪🇸 sin gas – 🇬🇧 still, flat (about water)
- 🇪🇸 vino – 🇬🇧 wine
- 🇪🇸 arroz – 🇬🇧 rice
- 🇪🇸 sin lactosa – 🇬🇧 lactose-free
- 🇪🇸 sin gluten – 🇬🇧 gluten-free
I am also adding a bunch of useful questions and basic requests. If you are a native-English speaker, bear in mind that Spanish speaking countries use the metric system. Milk and juice are usually sold by the liter and flour, sugar, rice, and such – by the kilogram.
🇪🇸 ¿Tiene pan integral?
🇬🇧 Do you have wholemeal bread?
🇪🇸 ¿Cuánto cuesta una botella de Malbec?
🇬🇧 How much is a bottle of Malbec (wine)?
🇪🇸 Quiero un litro de leche entera y un kilo de harina, por favor.
🇬🇧 I’d like a liter of whole milk and a kilogram of bread, please.
🇪🇸 ¿Le queda helado de vainilla?
🇬🇧 Do you have any vanilla ice cream left?
🇪🇸 Cinco láminas de queso, por favor.
🇬🇧 Five slices of cheese, please.
🇪🇸
A: ¿Algo más?
B: No, eso es todo, gracias.
🇬🇧
A: Anything else?
B: No, it’s all, thanks.
In case you wonder what the most common containers are in Spanish, these are:
- 🇪🇸 un paquete (de galletas) – 🇬🇧 a pack (of cookies)
- 🇪🇸 una bolsa (de azúcar) – 🇬🇧 a bag (of sugar)
- 🇪🇸 una botella (de jugo) – 🇬🇧 a bottle (of juice)
- 🇪🇸 una lata (de cerveza)- 🇬🇧 a can (of beer)
- 🇪🇸 una barra (de mantequilla) – 🇬🇧 a bar (of butter)
- 🇪🇸 una caja (de leche) – 🇬🇧 a carton (of milk)
- 🇪🇸 un frasco (de mermelada) – 🇬🇧 a jar (of jam)
- 🇪🇸 un sobre (de cilantro seco) – 🇬🇧 an sachet (of dried coriander)
Shopping for Fruit and Vegetables in Spanish – relevant vocabulary
On your way back from the grocery store, you might want to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables. If you are looking for good quality and affordable prices (or “las tres B” as they say in Spanish) – Bueno, Bonito y Barato – which translates as Good, Pretty and Cheap), I suggest you consider street markets. They are very popular in Latin America and quite easy to find.
- 🇪🇸 una manzana- 🇬🇧 an apple
- 🇪🇸 una pera – 🇬🇧 a pear
- 🇪🇸 uvas – 🇬🇧 grapes
- 🇪🇸 una fresa – 🇬🇧 a strawberry
- 🇪🇸 una frambuesa – 🇬🇧 a raspberry
- 🇪🇸 una piña – 🇬🇧 a pineapple
- 🇪🇸 un plátano / una banana – 🇬🇧 a banana
- 🇪🇸 una ciruela – 🇬🇧 a plum
- 🇪🇸 un melocotón / un durazno – 🇬🇧 a peach
- 🇪🇸 un limón- 🇬🇧 a lemon
- 🇪🇸 una lechuga- 🇬🇧 a lettuce
- 🇪🇸 un tomate – 🇬🇧 a tomato
- 🇪🇸 un aguacate/ una palta – 🇬🇧 an avocado
- 🇪🇸 una zanahoria – 🇬🇧 a carrot
- 🇪🇸 un repollo / una col – 🇬🇧 a cabbage
- 🇪🇸 una cebolla – 🇬🇧 an onion
- 🇪🇸 un ajo – 🇬🇧 garlic
- 🇪🇸 un brócoli – 🇬🇧 a broccoli
- 🇪🇸 una coliflor – 🇬🇧 a cauliflower
- 🇪🇸 perejil – 🇬🇧 parsley
🇪🇸 Un kilo de manzanas, por favor.
🇬🇧 A kilogram of apples, please.
🇪🇸 ¿Están maduras las peras?
🇬🇧 Are the pears ripe?
🇪🇸 ¿Está fresca la lechuga?
Is the lettuce fresh?
🇪🇸 Un manojo de perejil y cuatro cabezas de ajo, por favor.
🇬🇧 A bunch of parsley and cuatro heads of garlic, please
🇪🇸 ¿Cu ánto pesa este racimo de uvas, por favor?
🇬🇧 How much does this bunch of grapes weigh, please?
🇪🇸 ¿Tiene algunas hierbas frescas?
🇬🇧 Do you have any fresh herbs?
🇪🇸 Estas frambuesas no se ven muy bien. ¿Me las puede cambiar por otras?
🇬🇧 These raspberries don’t look too well. Can you change them for others?
Visits to local stores and markets are the best listening comprehension practice you could get. When I first came to Chile, I absolutely dreaded talking to real people, and at first, I wouldn’t understand a single word they said. However, with some patience and persistence, I got better and better at no time.
Clothes and Accessories and How to Shop for Them in Spanish
Here’s a treat for my female readers. Shopping for clothes is a guilty pleasure most of us share, isn’t it? I know that there are men who also enjoy visits to clothing stores. Unfortunately, my husband isn’t one of them.
- 🇪🇸 una falda- 🇬🇧 a skirt
- 🇪🇸 una camisa – 🇬🇧 a shirt
- 🇪🇸 un vestido – 🇬🇧 a dress
- 🇪🇸 pantalones – 🇬🇧 pants
- 🇪🇸 camiseta / polera / remera – 🇬🇧 a T-shirt
- 🇪🇸 una blusa – 🇬🇧 a blouse
- 🇪🇸 un abrigo – 🇬🇧 coat
- 🇪🇸 un impermeable – 🇬🇧 a raincoat
- 🇪🇸 una chaqueta – 🇬🇧 a jacket
- 🇪🇸 un suéter / un jersey / un chaleco – 🇬🇧 a sweater
- 🇪🇸 una sudadera / un polerón- 🇬🇧 a sweatshirt
- 🇪🇸 un buzo – 🇬🇧 a tracksuit
- 🇪🇸 zapatos – 🇬🇧 shoes
- 🇪🇸 zapatillas – 🇬🇧 sneakers / trainers
- 🇪🇸 chalas / sandalias – 🇬🇧 sandals
- 🇪🇸 chanclas / havaianas – 🇬🇧 flip-flops
- 🇪🇸 un traje de baño – 🇬🇧 a swimsuit
- 🇪🇸 un bolso – 🇬🇧 a bag
- 🇪🇸 una mochila – 🇬🇧 a backpack
- 🇪🇸 una cartera de cuero – 🇬🇧 a leather handbag
- 🇪🇸 un cinturón – 🇬🇧 a belt
- 🇪🇸 gafas de sol / lentes de sol – 🇬🇧 sunglasses
- 🇪🇸 un sombrero – 🇬🇧 a hat
- 🇪🇸 una gorra – 🇬🇧 a cap
- 🇪🇸 una bufanda – 🇬🇧 a scarf
- 🇪🇸 guantes – 🇬🇧 gloves
- 🇪🇸 calcetines – 🇬🇧 socks
Specific clothes vocabulary might vary from country to country. You’ll most likely notice quite big differences between Latin Spanish and Spanish from Spain.
What are the phrases that you, as a customer, will most likely need when shopping for clothes? Below you’ll find quite a few of them:
🇪🇸 Necesito una talla más grande / más pequeña, por favor.
🇬🇧 I need a larger / smaller size, please.
🇪🇸 ¿Lo / la tiene en la talla 8?
🇬🇧 Do you have it in size 8? – depending on if the item of clothing is masculine or feminine in Spanish, you will use lo or la.
🇪🇸 ¿Lo / la tiene en otro color?
🇬🇧 Do you have it a different color?
🇪🇸 Busco una blusa blanca de manga corta.
🇬🇧 I’m looking for a short-sleeved white blouse.
🇪🇸 ¿Este chaleco es de lana?
🇬🇧 Is this sweater made of wool?
🇪🇸 Esta tela no parece ser de buena calidad.
🇬🇧 This fabric doesn’t seem to be of good quality.
🇪🇸 ¿Dónde están los probadores?
🇬🇧 Where are the fitting rooms?
🇪🇸 ¿Dónde encuentro ropa deportiva?
🇬🇧 Where do I find the sportswear section?
🇪🇸 Me lo / la quiero probar.
🇬🇧 I’d like to try it on. – again, the choice between lo and la will depend on the grammatical gender of the garment
🇪🇸 ¿Cómo me queda?
🇬🇧 How does it look on me?
🇪🇸 Me queda un poco apretado/a.
🇬🇧 It looks a little too tight.
🇪🇸 Te queda demasiado suelto.
🇬🇧 It looks too loose on you.
🇪🇸 Las rayas no me favorecen.
🇬🇧 Stripes don’t look flattering on me.
🇪🇸 Busco zapatos cómodos, sin tacones.
🇬🇧 I’m looking for comfortable, flat shoes. ( literally: without heels)
🇪🇸 ¿Tiene un cinturón que combine con esta cartera?
🇬🇧 Do you have a belt that matches this handbag?
🇪🇸 ¿Aceptan devoluciones?
🇬🇧 Do you allow refunds (for returned clothes)?
🇪🇸 Vengo a hacer un cambio, por favor.
🇬🇧 I’m coming to exchange the product.
And these are some of the things you might hear from the shop assistant:
🇪🇸 ¿Le puedo ayudar en algo?
🇬🇧 Do you need any help?
🇪🇸 ¿Qué talla necesita?
🇬🇧 What size do you need?
🇪🇸 ¿Se lo/la quiere probar?
🇬🇧 Do you want to try it on?
🇪🇸 ¿Cuántas prendas tiene?
🇬🇧 How many garments do you have?
🇪🇸 Los cambios solamente con boleta / recibo.
🇬🇧 We only allow exchange with receipt.
🇪🇸 Estos zapatos tienen 3 meses de garantía.
🇬🇧 These shoes have a 3-month warranty.
How to bargain in Spanish
It might not be a part of your culture, but you can definitely give bargaining a try in Spanish speaking countries. Of course, as long as you know where and with whom.
Shopping for souvenirs at an artisan market? Yes.
Buying books in a book-store? Definitely not. Unless it is a small one, you are being attended by its owner, paying cash, and making a big purchase.
Interested in putting your price negotiation skills to practice? Here are your basics:
- 🇪🇸 regatear – 🇬🇧 to bargain
- 🇪🇸 una ganga – 🇬🇧 a bargain
- 🇪🇸 un descuento / una rebaja – 🇬🇧 a discount
- 🇪🇸 una liquidación – 🇬🇧 a sale
- 🇪🇸 rebajar el precio – 🇬🇧 to lower the price
- 🇪🇸 barato – 🇬🇧 cheap
- 🇪🇸 caro – 🇬🇧 expensive
- 🇪🇸 un robo – 🇬🇧 a steal
🇪🇸 ¿Me da un descuento si pago en efectivo?
🇬🇧 Can you give me a discount if I pay in cash?
🇪🇸 ¿Me puede hacer algún descuento si compro varios?
🇬🇧 Can you offer a discount if I buy several (of a certain product)?
🇪🇸 Es demasiado caro.
🇬🇧 It is too expensive.
🇪🇸 ¿Cuál es su mejor precio?
🇬🇧 What’s your best price?
🇪🇸 ¡Es un robo!
🇬🇧 It’s a steal!
🇪🇸 Me está cobrando demasiado.
🇬🇧 You’re charging me too much.
🇪🇸 ¿En cuanto me lo deja todo?
🇬🇧 How much if I take all these things?
🇪🇸 Lo vimos mucho más barato en la otra tienda.
🇬🇧 We saw it much cheaper in the other store.
🇪🇸 ¿Este producto está en liquidación?
🇬🇧 Is this product on sale?
🇪🇸 Hay un error. Debería estar con 20 por ciento de descuento.
🇬🇧 There is a mistake. It should be 20% off.
🇪🇸 Lo siento, este producto no tiene descuento.
🇬🇧 Sorry, this product doesn’t have any discount.
🇪🇸 Uno por tres dólares y cuatro en diez.
🇬🇧 One for three dollars and four for ten.
🇪🇸 No lo encontrará más barato.
🇬🇧 You won’t find it any cheaper.
🇪🇸 Le ofrezco un 5% de descuento si paga en efectivo.
🇬🇧 I can offer 5% off if you pay in cash.
🇪🇸 Lo siento, es la mejor oferta que le puedo dar.
🇬🇧 Sorry, it’s the best price I can offer.
Have you noticed how these same bargaining phrases can be successfully used in a Business Spanish context as well?
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Thanks for reading! If you stayed with me until the end of this post, I officially declared you trained to shop in Spanish.
