🎯 The Situation

You need to buy things at the supermarket, a clothing store, or the market. Knowing a few German phrases will make it much easier to ask for prices, request products, and pay.

📋 Phrase Table

Asking for Prices & Requesting

German	Pronunciation (IPA)	English
Was kostet das?	/vas ˈkɔstət das/	How much is this?
Wie viel kostet das?	/viː fiːl ˈkɔstət das/	How much is this?
Ich möchte ...	/ɪç ˈmœçtə/	I would like ...
Haben Sie ...?	/ˈhaːbn̩ ziː/	Do you have ...?
Ich suche ...	/ɪç ˈzuːxə/	I'm looking for ...
Gibt es das in Größe ...?	/ɡiːpt ɛs das ɪn ˈɡʁøːsə/	Do you have this in size ...?

Buying & Paying

German	Pronunciation (IPA)	English
Ich nehme das	/ɪç ˈneːmə das/	I'll take this
Das ist zu teuer	/das ɪst t͡suː ˈtɔɪ̯ɐ/	This is too expensive
Gibt es das billiger?	/ɡiːpt ɛs das ˈbɪlɪɡɐ/	Is there a cheaper one?
Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?	/kan ɪç mɪt ˈkaʁtə ˈt͡saːlən/	Can I pay by card?
Nur bar	/nuːɐ̯ baːɐ̯/	Cash only
Die Quittung bitte	/diː ˈkvɪtʊŋ ˈbɪtə/	The receipt, please
Eine Tüte bitte	/ˈaɪ̯nə ˈtyːtə ˈbɪtə/	A bag, please

Useful Vocabulary

German	Pronunciation (IPA)	English
der Supermarkt	/deːɐ̯ ˈzuːpɐˌmaʁkt/	supermarket
die Bäckerei	/diː ˌbɛkəˈʁaɪ̯/	bakery
der Markt	/deːɐ̯ maʁkt/	market
das Angebot	/das ˈanɡəˌboːt/	sale item
billig	/ˈbɪlɪç/	cheap
teuer	/ˈtɔɪ̯ɐ/	expensive

💬 Sample Dialogues

Dialogue 1: At the Supermarket

You: Entschuldigung, haben Sie Sojasauce? (Excuse me, do you have soy sauce?)

Staff: Ja, in Gang drei. (Yes, in aisle 3.)

You: Danke! Was kostet das? (Thanks! How much is this?)

Staff: Zwei Euro neunzig. (2 euros 90.)

You: Ich nehme das. Kann ich mit Karte zahlen? (I'll take this. Can I pay by card?)

Staff: Ja, kein Problem. (Yes, no problem.)

Dialogue 2: At the Clothing Store

You: Ich suche eine Jacke. (I'm looking for a jacket.)

Staff: Welche Größe? (Which size?)

You: Größe M, bitte. (Size M, please.)

Staff: Hier, bitte. Das kostet neunzehn Euro. (Here you go. It costs 19 euros.)

You: Das ist gut. Ich nehme das. (That's good. I'll take this.)

ℹ️ 📌 Quick Memory Tips

"Was kostet das?" — the shopping magic phrase. Learn this one first!
"Ich möchte" /ɪç ˈmœçtə/ = I would like — much more polite than "Ich will".
Common German supermarkets: Aldi, Lidl (cheap), Rewe, Edeka (mid-range), Bio (organic).
Many small shops in Germany only accept cash (nur bar). Always carry some cash!
At German supermarkets, you have to bag your own items and usually have to pay for the bag (Tüte).

ℹ️ 🔗 Next Step

Done shopping? Next, learn how to order food at a restaurant in the lesson Restaurants & Cafés.

Want to learn more shopping vocabulary? Check out the A1 Vocabulary - Shopping section in the A1 program.