Clothes Shopping

Clothes Shopping - Comprando Ropa

Expanding Vocabulary

  • Vocabulary Expansion: Make sure to learn the Spanish words for different types of clothing (ex. trousers are ‘pantalones’, dress is ‘vestido’). Also learn words for colours (blue is ‘azul’, red is ‘rojo’), sizes (large is ‘grande’, small is ‘pequeño’ etc.), and phrases for trying clothes on or asking for a different size.

Verb Usage

  • Using Verbs: Practice using verbs that you will typically use while clothes shopping such as comprar (to buy), probar (to try on), pagar (to pay), llevar (to wear), necesitar (to need), and preferir (to prefer).

Common Shopping Phrases

  • Phrases for Clothes Shopping: Learn and practise phrases that will likely come up during clothes shopping. Some examples include: ¿Dónde está el probador? (Where is the fitting room?), ¿Tiene esto en una talla más grande/pequeña? (Do you have this in a larger/smaller size?), ¿Cuánto cuesta? (How much does it cost?), and Me gustaría comprar esta camisa (I would like to buy this shirt).

Describing Clothes

  • Describing Clothes: Improve your adjective placement and agreement while describing clothes. For example: Los pantalones rojos (the red trousers), Una blusa blanca (a white blouse).

Understanding Currency

  • Understanding Currency: Ensure you familiarise yourself with the Spanish words for money, including “dinero” (money), “euros” (euros), and “centimos” (cents). It could also be useful to learn the phrase “¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?” (Can I pay by card?)

Practical Application

  • Practical Application: Practice using this vocabulary and these phrases in conversations or writing exercises to increase your fluency and confidence. You might imagine you’re visiting a local market or shopping mall in a Spanish-speaking country.

Cultural Perspectives

  • Cultural Perspective: Explore the clothing styles and shopping culture in different Spanish-speaking countries. This can give you context for your vocabulary and also allows you to share comparisons between different countries.

Complaints and Returns

  • Complaints and Returns: Learn phrases that may come handy if you need to return or exchange an item, for instance: “No me queda bien” (It doesn’t fit me) or “Quiero devolver esto” (I want to return this).