Day 18: Shopping

prices · sizes · Ça coûte combien ? · 25 min

Almost no new grammar today. This is Day 8 (numbers) and Day 12 (ordering) applied. What grows is clothing, colour and size vocabulary, plus one new item: ce/cette.

1. Asking and answering about price

⚠️ Haggling is not a thing in French shops. Vous avez moins cher ? asks whether a cheaper item exists — it is not an opening bid. Markets are the only exception.

2. ★ ce / cet / cette / ces — this / these

cet and cette sound identical (set). No difference when speaking, only when writing.⚠️ French does not distinguish this from that. Ce pull is both "this jumper" and "that jumper" — you point, or you add -ci / -là (ce pull-là = that one over there).English speakers keep hunting for a separate word for "that". There isn't one.

3. Clothes · colours · sizes

⚠️ FAUX AMI: une veste is a jacket, not a vest (a vest is un gilet or un maillot).un pantalon is singular — French has one trouser where English has a pair.

⚠️ ★ Colours go after the noun. un pull noir (a black jumper), une robe rouge (a red dress). This is the reverse of English, and it is the word-order error English speakers make most often. Most French adjectives sit after the noun — the handful that go before (grand, petit, bon, beau, jeune, vieux) are the exception, not the rule.

⚠️ French uses European sizes. A US 10 shoe is roughly a pointure 43, a UK 12 dress roughly a taille 42. Know your number before you go in, or point.And note French has two words for size where English has one.

4. Shop phrases

★ Je regarde, merci. is the standard reply when staff ask Je peux vous aider ? (Can I help you?). ⚠️ Do not answer with silence — the same Bonjour rule from Day 2 applies. ★ Je vais réfléchir. is the polite way to leave without buying.

5. Dialogue

Assistant: Bonjour ! Je peux vous aider ? bohn-ZHOOR! zhuh puh voo zay-DAY?You: Je regarde, merci… Combien coûte ce pull ?zhuh ruh-GARD, mair-SEE… kohn-byan koot suh PEWL?Assistant: Quarante-cinq euros. ka-rahnt-sank UH-roh.You: Vous avez ça en noir ? voo za-vay sa ahn NWAR?Assistant: Oui, en quelle taille ? wee, ahn kell TA-yuh?You: Taille M. Je peux essayer ? TA-yuh EM. zhuh puh eh-say-YAY?Assistant: Bien sûr, la cabine est là-bas. byan SEWR, la ka-BEEN eh la-BA. Of course, the fitting room is over there.(after trying it on)You: C'est un peu trop grand. Vous avez plus petit ?seh tuhn puh troh GRAHN. voo za-vay plew puh-TEE?Assistant: Voilà, taille S. vwa-LA, TA-yuh ESS.You: Parfait, je le prends ! par-FEH, zhuh luh PRAHN!

6. Exercises

A. Choose ce / cet / cette / ces.

1. ___ pull 2. ___ robe 3. ___ chaussures 4. ___ hôtel

B. Fix the word order.

1. un noir pull → 2. une rouge robe → 3. des blanches chaussures →

C. Say it in French.

1. How much is this dress? 2. It's too expensive. 3. Can I try it on?
2. Do you have a smaller one? 5. I'll take it.

D. ⚠️ How do you say "that jumper over there"?

7. Today's 10 sentences

1. Ça coûte combien ? — How much is it? (sa koot kohn-BYAN)
2. C'est trop cher. — It's too expensive (seh troh SHAIR)
3. Je regarde, merci. — I'm just looking, thanks (zhuh ruh-GARD mair-SEE)
4. Je peux essayer ? — Can I try it on? (zhuh puh eh-say-YAY)
5. Vous avez ça en noir ? — Do you have it in black? (voo za-vay sa ahn NWAR)
6. Vous avez la taille M ? — Do you have a medium? (voo za-vay la TA-yuh EM)
7. C'est trop petit. — It's too small (seh troh puh-TEE)
8. Vous avez plus grand ? — Do you have a bigger one? (voo za-vay plew GRAHN)
9. Je le prends. — I'll take it (zhuh luh PRAHN)
10. Je vais réfléchir. — I'll think about it (zhuh veh ray-flay-SHEER)

8. 📲 Upload to LangNote

The vocabulary in section 3 + the dialogue in 5. Colours and sizes feed the vocab mission; the conversation feeds role-play.

langNote is a paid subscription and this course recommends it. The 30 lessons are free and complete either way.