Surviving a Trip to the Store: Spanish Vocabulary for Shopping
Be Prepared For Your Shopping Expedition
Some general advice before you set out on your shopping spree: Credit cards are accepted in most shops and supermarkets, but not in most markets and some mom and pop shops. Be prepared to show photo ID if you use your credit card.
Spain uses the metric system for quantities; shoe and clothes sizes are also different. You might want to print out and carry conversion charts. The currency symbol is €.
Food shopping
Instead of heading for the closest supermarket in Spain or other countries, try shopping in smaller shops. The wares are fresher, the service is better, and you get to have more fun practicing your Spanish. Here are some of the words you’ll want to know:
Store Names and Other Shopping Words
la panadería - bakery
la pastelería - pastry shop
la carnicería - butcher shop
la pescadería - fishmonger
supermercado - supermarket
carrito - shopping cart
el cajero/la cajera - male/female cashier
la taquilla - the checkout stand
cortemelo por favor - Would you please slice it for me?
una loncha de… - a slice of…
medio kilo de… - approximately one pound of…
sin hueso - deboned
troceado - chopped
una lata - a can
un jarro - a jar
una botella - a bottle
congelado - frozen
fresco - fresh
Words for Food
una barra de pan - loaf of bread similar to a baguette
el panecillo - roll
el borracho - a regional specialty: brandy soaked cakes (Careful! This word can also be used to describe a drunk person!)
el cabello de angel - a sweet made from various types of squash and other gourds/fruits
la ensaimada - another regional specialty, a spiral pastry dusted with sugar
la empanada - pastry filled with meat or cheese
la pechuga de pollo - chicken breast
la ternera - beef (or sometimes simply carne)
el cerdo - pork
el cordero - lamb
el conejo - rabbit (frequently eaten in Spain)
el higado - liver
la lengua - tongue
la carne picada - minced meat
una chuleta de cerdo - a porkchop
chorizo - spicy pork sausage
sobrasada - a raw, cured sausage
jamón serrano - dry-cured ham, a favorite Spanish specialty. Pata negra is considered the very best.
jamón cocido - sweet ham
mariscos - seafood
salmón - salmon
carabinieros - king prawns
langostinos - prawns
merluza - hake (fish, related to cod)
trucha - trout
ahumado - smoked
lobogante or langosta - lobster
mejillones - mussels
sardinas - sardines
vegetales - vegetables
las verduras or la hortaliza - greens
legumbres - legumes
fruta - fruit
aceite de oliva - olive oil
la naranja - orange
el plátano - banana or plantain
la piña - pineapple
las uvas - grapes
la manzana - apple
la zanahoria - carrot
patatas or papas - potatoes
las habas - white beans
las lentejas - lentils
la cebolla - onion
el pepino - cucumber
el perejil - parsely
el ajo - garlic
la leche - milk
el azúcar - sugar
la mantequilla - butter
el queso - cheese
queso manchego - a regional specialty, a firm cheese made of goat’s milk.
Spanish Vocabulary for Clothes Shopping
la mercería - a haberdashery
las medias - pantyhose
los calconcillos - underpants
el vestido - dress
el pantalón or los pantalones - trousers, pants
la falda - skirt
el jersey - sweater
el traje - suit
los zapatos - shoes
las sandalias - sandals
las chanclas - flip-flops
las botas - boots
Qué número gasta? - What size are you?
Tiene una talla más grande? - Do you have a larger size?
la talla - size
me aprieta - it’s too tight
me sobra - it’a too wide
no me gusta el color - I don’t like the color
el cambiador - changing room
Tiene algo más barato? - do you have something cheaper?
la cremallera - zipper
la rebeca - cardigan
los guantes - gloves
la bufanda - scarf
el abrigo - overcoat
Cuánto es? - How much does it cost?
demasiado caro - too expensive
las rebajas - sales