Shopping
De Compras
After this lesson, you'll be able to:
- ✓Use demonstrative adjectives - this, that, that over there (este/ese/aquel)
- ✓Ask about prices, sizes, and colors
- ✓Handle a basic shopping transaction
- ✓Use numbers 100-1000
Grammar Focus
Essential grammar for this lesson with examples.
Recap: Adjective Agreement and Colors
In Stage 1, you learned that Spanish adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. This is crucial for shopping because you'll be describing clothes, which have gender! You also learned colors - remember that some change form (rojo/roja) and others don't (azul, verde).
Examples:
Este / Esta / Estos / Estas (This / These)
Demonstrative adjectives point to specific items. Este/esta means "this" - something near you, the speaker. Like all adjectives in Spanish, demonstratives must agree in gender and number with the noun.
Este - This / These (near me)
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | estethis - masc. | estosthese - masc. |
| Feminine | estathis - fem. | estasthese - fem. |
Examples:
Ese / Esa / Esos / Esas (That / Those)
Ese/esa means "that" - something near the person you're talking to, or at a medium distance. In a shop, this would be something on the counter near the shop assistant, or something you're gesturing towards.
Ese - That / Those (near you)
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | esethat - masc. | esosthose - masc. |
| Feminine | esathat - fem. | esasthose - fem. |
Examples:
Aquel / Aquella / Aquellos / Aquellas (That Over There)
Aquel/aquella means "that over there" - something far from both the speaker and the listener. In a shop, this might be something in a display window or on a far shelf.
Three Levels of Distance
| Masculine | Feminine | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near me | este / estos | esta / estas | this / these |
| Near you | ese / esos | esa / esas | that / those |
| Far away | aquel / aquellos | aquella / aquellas | that over there |
Examples:
Shopping Phrases
These are the essential phrases for any shopping transaction. Learn them as fixed expressions - they'll get you through any shop in the Spanish-speaking world.
Examples:
Numbers 100-1000
Now that you know 0-99 from Stage 1, let's go higher! Numbers from 200-900 have a special feature: they agree in gender with the noun they describe. "Doscientos euros" but "doscientas libras".
Numbers 100-1000
| Masculine Form | Feminine Form | |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | cien (exact) / ciento101+ | cien / ciento |
| 200 | doscientos | doscientas |
| 300 | trescientos | trescientas |
| 400 | cuatrocientos | cuatrocientas |
| 500 | quinientos | quinientas |
| 600 | seiscientos | seiscientas |
| 700 | setecientos | setecientas |
| 800 | ochocientos | ochocientas |
| 900 | novecientos | novecientas |
| 1000 | mil | mil |
Examples:
Putting It Together - A Shopping Conversation
Now combine demonstratives, prices, sizes, and descriptions to have a complete shopping interaction. Here's how a typical exchange flows in a Spanish shop.
Examples:
Conversation Example
Ana and Pablo go shopping. Ana needs a new outfit for a job interview.
🌍 Shopping Culture in Spanish-Speaking Countries
Shopping customs vary across the Spanish-speaking world. In Spain, "las rebajas" (sales) happen twice a year - in January and July - and shoppers eagerly await them for big discounts. In Mexico, "tianguis" are open-air markets with indigenous roots, where you can find everything from fresh produce to clothing at bargain prices. In many smaller shops across Latin America, it's common to negotiate prices - but never in department stores or chain shops. When entering any shop, it's polite to greet the staff. Don't be surprised if a shop assistant follows you around to help - it's considered good customer service, not pushy. And in many countries, shops close for a few hours in the early afternoon (la siesta), typically from 2pm to 5pm, though this tradition is becoming less common in big cities.