Your questions: Ask a cashier or salesperson

• Excuse me…how much is…?
• What does …. cost?
• How much is the tax?
• Is “this” on sale?
• What is the price after the discount?
• What’s the total?
• How much do I owe you?
• Do you take/accept cash? (OR credit card, debit, cheques)
• Is this new or used?
• May I try this on?
• Do you have “this” in…? (a different size: extra small, small, medium, large, extra large)
• Can you tell me where the … are? (apples, coats)
• Can I return this if I need to?

Your problems: Tell a clerk or salesperson

• I’m afraid, you gave me the wrong change. (incorrect money back after you make a purchase)
• It doesn’t fit.
• It’s the wrong size.
• I need to return this. OR I need to take this back.
• I lost my receipt. (paper that shows proof of purchase)
• Excuse me, I can’t find the … (ladies clothing, men’s wear, toy section)

Special Offers and Deals: Watch for these signs and ads

• Buy one get one free
• Buy one get 50% off your second item
• Buy now pay later
• Pay no money down (no down payment is required)
• Kids eat free (usually with the purchase of an adult meal)
• Senior’s discount (people 65 and older get a reduced price)
• All out-of season stock on sale (ex. summer clothing is on sale at the end of summer)

Restrictions: Watch for these Warnings (sometimes in small print)

• Deposit required (you must pay a small amount to hold the item)
• No delivery
• No exchanges or refunds (you can’t bring an item back if you decide you don’t like it)
• Exchange only (you can’t get money back; you can change for a different in-store item)
• No coupons on/during/after… (often on a certain day or at a certain time)
• Discount or coupon not valid with other special offers
• Expires … (date you can no longer use coupon or item)

Bonus Expressions to remember

1. It’s okay to put something back on the shelf if the price is too high. The clerk might put it away for you. Smile and say, “Sorry, that’s more than I thought it would be.”
2. It’s polite to have small talk with the cashier. If the price is great, smile and say, “That’s a good deal!”

Weight

"Weight" tells us how heavy something is (or how much it weighs). There are basically two systems in use in English-speaking countries.

Metric Weights

The metric system is used in many countries of the world.

	Abbreviation	British Equivalent
1000 milligrams	1 gram	g	0.035 oz
1000 grams	1 kilogram	kg	2.21 lb
1000 kilograms	1 tonne	t	0.98 tons

British/US Weights

The British and US systems are the same except where shown.

		Abbreviation	Metric Equivalent
	16 drams	1 ounce	oz	28.35 g
16 ounces	1 pound	lb	0.454 kg
14 pounds	1 stone	st	6.35 kg
British	8 stones	1 hundredweight	cwt	50.8 kg
20 hundredweight	1 ton	t	1,016 kg
US	100 pounds	1 (short) hundredweight	cwt	45.36 kg
2000 pounds	1 (short) ton	t	907.18 kg

 

market
supermarket
minimarket
to buy
to go shopping
to sell
store hours
shopping cart
trolley
shopping basket
bag
scales
freezer
fridge
aisle
shelf
rack
product
packaging
barcode
nutritional information
on sale
grand opening sale
closeout sale
price
half price
20% off
lift
escalator
warehouse
customer
supervisor
manager
sales assistant
cashier
check-out counter
till
express lane
barcode reader
credit card
debit card
cheque
cash
cash only
banknote
coin
discount coupon
change
sales tax
purchase
delivery
ticket
receipt
guarantee
money-back guarantee
refundable
return policy
department
bakery
frozen food
dairy products
canned goods
delicatessen
pet supplies
cosmetics
electronics
household goods
sporting goods
beverages
fruit
vegetables
fish
meat
groceries
chemist's (UK), drugstore (US)
fresh flowers