Shopping English: Vocabulary and Useful Expressions
Shopping Vocabulary in English: 100+ Useful Words and Phrases for Everyday Shopping
Shopping is an important part of everyday life. Whether you are shopping for clothes, food, shoes, electronics, or gifts, you need useful English vocabulary to communicate clearly.
If you are learning English, knowing shopping vocabulary in English can help you speak with shop assistants, ask about prices, find products, try on clothes, pay for your shopping, and deal with common situations in stores.
In this lesson, you will learn useful shopping words, expressions, questions, and phrases in English with simple examples. This shopping vocabulary is suitable for beginners, intermediate English learners, ESL students, and anyone who wants to improve their everyday English.
What Is Shopping Vocabulary?
Shopping vocabulary includes the words and expressions we use when we buy or sell products and services.
For example:
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shop – a place where you buy things
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customer – a person who buys something
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cashier – a person who takes your payment
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price – the amount of money something costs
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discount – a reduction in price
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receipt – a piece of paper showing what you bought and paid for
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size – how big or small something is
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cash – money in the form of notes and coins
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credit card – a card used to pay for things
Learning these words will make shopping in English much easier.
Basic Shopping Vocabulary in English
Here are some of the most common shopping words you should know.
| English Word | Simple Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Shop | A place where you buy things | I went to the shop. |
| Store | Another word for shop | This store is very big. |
| Customer | A person who buys something | The customer is waiting. |
| Shop assistant | A person who helps customers | The shop assistant helped me. |
| Cashier | A person who takes payment | The cashier gave me my receipt. |
| Price | The amount something costs | What is the price? |
| Product | Something that is sold | This is a popular product. |
| Item | One thing that you buy | I bought three items. |
| Money | Something used to pay | I don’t have enough money. |
| Receipt | Paper showing your purchase | Can I have the receipt, please? |
| Bag | Something used to carry purchases | Can I have a bag? |
| Basket | A container for carrying products | I put the apples in the basket. |
| Trolley | A large cart used for shopping | I need a shopping trolley. |
| Queue | A line of people waiting | There is a long queue. |
| Customer service | Help provided to customers | Please contact customer service. |
Shopping Vocabulary for Clothes
When you go shopping for clothes, you need special vocabulary to talk about size, color, style, and material.
Common Clothes Shopping Words
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shirt
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T-shirt
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trousers
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jeans
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jacket
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coat
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dress
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skirt
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shoes
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socks
-
hat
-
sweater
-
hoodie
-
belt
-
scarf
Size Vocabulary
You may see these sizes in clothing stores:
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XS – extra small
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S – small
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M – medium
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L – large
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XL – extra large
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XXL – double extra large
Examples
Do you have this shirt in a larger size?
Do you have this dress in medium?
I need a small size.
This jacket is too big for me.
These trousers are too tight.
Do you have this in another color?
Useful English Phrases for Shopping
Knowing individual words is useful, but learning complete expressions will help you speak more naturally.
Asking About a Product
You can use these questions when you need information.
How much is this?
How much does this cost?
Do you have this in black?
Do you have a larger size?
Do you have a smaller size?
Is this available in medium?
Where can I find the shoes?
Can you help me, please?
Can I see that one?
Can I try this on?
How to Ask About the Price
One of the most important shopping questions is asking about the price.
You can say:
How much is this?
Example:
How much is this jacket?
You can also say:
How much does it cost?
Example:
How much does this phone cost?
For plural nouns, use:
How much are these?
Example:
How much are these shoes?
Useful Expressions
It’s $20.
It costs $50.
They’re $30.
That’s quite expensive.
That’s cheap.
It’s a good price.
It’s too expensive for me.
Shopping Vocabulary: Cheap, Expensive, and Affordable
These adjectives are very useful when talking about prices.
Cheap
Something costs little money.
This shirt is cheap.
Expensive
Something costs a lot of money.
This watch is very expensive.
Affordable
Something is reasonably priced.
This phone is affordable.
Reasonable
The price is acceptable.
The price is reasonable.
Overpriced
Something costs more than you think it should.
I think this jacket is overpriced.
On sale
The price has been reduced.
These shoes are on sale.
Discounts and Special Offers
Stores often offer discounts to customers.
Here are some useful words:
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discount
-
sale
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special offer
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promotion
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deal
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reduced price
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half price
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buy one, get one free
Examples
Is this on sale?
Is there a discount?
Do you have any special offers?
Can I get a discount?
Everything is 20% off.
This product has a reduced price.
Buy one and get one free.
What Does “20% Off” Mean?
When a store says 20% off, it means the original price has been reduced by 20%.
For example:
A jacket costs $100.
With a 20% discount, you pay $80.
Useful expressions include:
20% off
50% off
Half price
Reduced by 30%
Example:
These shoes are 50% off today.
Shopping Vocabulary for Trying on Clothes
When shopping for clothes, you may want to try something before buying it.
The most important expression is:
Can I try this on?
A shop assistant may say:
Sure. The fitting room is over there.
Important Vocabulary
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fitting room – a room where you try on clothes
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try on – put on clothes to see if they fit
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fit – be the right size
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too tight – not wide enough
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too loose – not tight enough
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too long – longer than necessary
-
too short – shorter than necessary
Examples
Can I try this on?
Where is the fitting room?
This shirt doesn’t fit me.
These jeans are too tight.
This jacket fits perfectly.
The trousers are too long.
Shopping Vocabulary: Colors and Materials
When buying clothes, customers often ask about colors and materials.
Common Colors
-
black
-
white
-
red
-
blue
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green
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yellow
-
brown
-
orange
-
pink
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purple
-
grey
Common Materials
-
cotton
-
leather
-
wool
-
silk
-
denim
-
polyester
Examples
Do you have this in blue?
Is this shirt made of cotton?
Is this jacket real leather?
I prefer black clothes.
Do you have another color?
Shopping Vocabulary for Food
Shopping for food requires another group of useful words.
Common Food Shopping Words
-
bread
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milk
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cheese
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eggs
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rice
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meat
-
chicken
-
fish
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vegetables
-
fruit
-
water
-
juice
-
sugar
-
flour
-
oil
You may also hear:
fresh
Are these vegetables fresh?
frozen
Where is the frozen food?
organic
Do you sell organic vegetables?
expired
This product has expired.
ingredients
What are the ingredients?
Useful Supermarket Vocabulary
Here are some common words you can use in a supermarket.
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aisle – a passage between shelves
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shelf – a place where products are displayed
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shopping basket
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shopping trolley/cart
-
checkout – the place where you pay
-
cashier
-
barcode
-
receipt
-
bag
-
discount
-
price tag
Example
Where can I find the milk?
It’s in aisle five.
Another example:
Where is the checkout?
It’s over there.
Shopping Vocabulary for Payment
After choosing your products, you need to pay.
Here are useful payment words:
-
cash
-
credit card
-
debit card
-
bank card
-
contactless payment
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PIN
-
cashier
-
checkout
-
receipt
-
change
Useful Expressions
Can I pay by card?
Can I pay in cash?
Do you accept credit cards?
Can I pay contactless?
Can I have a receipt, please?
Keep the change.
What Does “Keep the Change” Mean?
When you pay with cash and the cashier gives you money back, this money is called change.
For example:
You buy a shirt for $18.
You give the cashier $20.
The cashier gives you $2.
The $2 is your change.
If you don’t want the money back, you can say:
Keep the change.
Returning Something to a Store
Sometimes you buy something and later decide that you want to return it.
Here are useful expressions:
I’d like to return this.
Can I return this item?
I’d like a refund, please.
Can I exchange this?
I bought this yesterday.
It doesn’t fit me.
It’s damaged.
I have the receipt.
Important Vocabulary
refund – money given back after returning something
exchange – replacing one product with another
return – taking something back to the store
damaged – broken or not in good condition
receipt – proof of purchase
Example:
I’d like to return this shirt because it doesn’t fit me.
Shopping Conversation in English
Here is a simple conversation between a customer and a shop assistant.
Shop Assistant: Hello. Can I help you?
Customer: Yes, please. I’m looking for a jacket.
Shop Assistant: What size do you need?
Customer: I need a medium.
Shop Assistant: What color would you like?
Customer: I’d like a black one.
Shop Assistant: Here you are.
Customer: Can I try it on?
Shop Assistant: Of course. The fitting room is over there.
Customer: Thank you.
Shop Assistant: How does it fit?
Customer: It fits perfectly. How much is it?
Shop Assistant: It’s $60.
Customer: Is it on sale?
Shop Assistant: Yes. It’s 20% off today.
Customer: Great! I’ll take it.
Shop Assistant: How would you like to pay?
Customer: Can I pay by card?
Shop Assistant: Yes, of course.
Customer: Thank you.
Shop Assistant: You’re welcome.
30 Useful Shopping Sentences in English
Here are 30 everyday English sentences that you can memorize and use when shopping.
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Can you help me, please?
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I’m looking for a shirt.
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How much is this?
-
How much does this cost?
-
Do you have this in black?
-
Do you have a larger size?
-
Do you have a smaller size?
-
Can I try this on?
-
Where is the fitting room?
-
This doesn’t fit me.
-
It’s too small.
-
It’s too big.
-
It’s too expensive.
-
That’s a good price.
-
Is this on sale?
-
Is there a discount?
-
Do you have any special offers?
-
I’ll take it.
-
I’ll think about it.
-
I’m just looking, thank you.
-
Can I pay by card?
-
Can I pay in cash?
-
Can I have a receipt, please?
-
Where is the checkout?
-
Do you have this in another color?
-
I’d like to return this.
-
I’d like a refund.
-
Can I exchange this?
-
Do you have anything cheaper?
-
Thank you for your help.
“I’m Just Looking” – An Important Shopping Expression
When a shop assistant asks:
Can I help you?
If you don’t need help and only want to look at the products, you can say:
I’m just looking, thank you.
This is a very natural expression in everyday English.
You can also say:
I’m just browsing, thank you.
“Browsing” means looking at different products without necessarily planning to buy something.
Shopping Vocabulary: Online Shopping
Today, many people shop online, so it is also important to learn online shopping vocabulary.
Common Online Shopping Words
-
website
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online store
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product
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search
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shopping cart
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checkout
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order
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payment
-
delivery
-
shipping
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tracking number
-
customer service
-
review
-
rating
-
seller
-
buyer
-
discount code
-
coupon
-
return
-
refund
Examples
I found this product online.
I added it to my shopping cart.
I’m ready to check out.
How much is the shipping?
When will my order arrive?
Can I track my order?
I want to cancel my order.
I’d like to return the product.
Shopping Vocabulary: Important Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are very common in everyday English.
Try on
To put clothes on to see if they fit.
Can I try on this jacket?
Pay for
To give money for something.
I need to pay for these shoes.
Look for
To search for something.
I’m looking for a new phone.
Pick up
To take or collect something.
I need to pick up my order.
Check out
To finish shopping and pay.
I’m ready to check out.
Take back
To return something.
I need to take this shirt back.
Try out
To test something.
Can I try out this computer?
Common Shopping Mistakes English Learners Make
There are some common mistakes that English learners should avoid.
Incorrect:
How much costs this?
Correct:
How much does this cost?
Incorrect:
How much is these shoes?
Correct:
How much are these shoes?
Incorrect:
I want to try this.
When talking about clothes, a more natural expression is:
I want to try this on.
Incorrect:
I want return this.
Correct:
I want to return this.
Shopping Vocabulary Quiz
Complete the sentences with the correct word.
-
How much ______ this jacket cost?
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Can I try this ______?
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Do you have this in a larger ______?
-
Can I pay ______ card?
-
Can I have a ______, please?
-
Is this ______ sale?
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I’d like a ______ because the product is damaged.
-
Where is the fitting ______?
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I’m just ______, thank you.
-
This shirt is too ______ for me.
Answers
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does
-
on
-
size
-
by
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receipt
-
on
-
refund
-
room
-
looking
-
expensive
Final Tips for Learning Shopping Vocabulary
The best way to learn shopping vocabulary is not simply to memorize long lists of words. Try to learn words in complete sentences.
For example, don’t only learn:
discount
Learn:
Is there a discount?
Don’t only learn:
receipt
Learn:
Can I have a receipt, please?
Don’t only learn:
size
Learn:
Do you have this in my size?
Learning vocabulary in context makes it easier to remember and use in real conversations.
Try to practice these sentences aloud every day. Imagine that you are in a clothing store, supermarket, shopping mall, or online store and practice the conversation.
The more you practice shopping vocabulary in English, the more confident you will become when speaking English in real-life situations.
Conclusion
Shopping is one of the most useful everyday situations for English learners. By learning common shopping vocabulary, shopping phrases, questions, payment expressions, clothing vocabulary, supermarket words, and online shopping terms, you can communicate more naturally and confidently.
Start with the most important expressions:
How much is this?
Do you have this in another size?
Can I try this on?
Is this on sale?
Can I pay by card?
Can I have a receipt, please?
I’d like to return this.
Practice these expressions regularly, and you will be able to handle many common shopping situations in English.
Keep learning, keep practicing, and use English in real-life situations!