Grammar (Grammaire) unit 4 Shopping (Bon marché)

Asking for things in shops and paying for them

Je voudrais un kilo de pommes
Je voudrais deux bottes de carottes
Je vais prendre du saucisson sec

When asking for things, it's usual to begin with a phrase like je voudrais... (I'd like...) or je vais prendre...(I'll take...). To find out if something's in stock, ask Vous avez... ? (Have you got...?).

Je voudrais du fromage de chèvre.

I'd like some goat's cheese.

Je vais prendre des pommes.

I'll take some apples.

Vous avez du Camembert ?

Have you any Camembert?

If you know how much of something you want use un kilo... , demi-kilo ... deux cent grammes, une tranche, une boîte or even un morceau. All of these are followed by de:

Un morceau de fromage

A piece of cheese

Deux tranches de jambon

Two slices of ham

To say you'll have some apples, cheese etc, you need to use du , de la , de l' or des, depending on what you're asking for:

Je voudrais du fromage

I'd like some cheese

(le fromage is masculine and singular)

Je vais prendre des pommes

I'd like some apples

(les pommes are plural)

When it comes to paying you might be asked if you're paying with cash, en espèces, or with a credit card, par carte bleue or just Vous réglez comment ? /Vous payez comment ? How are you paying? Other key shopping phrases you'll hear are:

C'est tout ?

Is that all?

Avec ceci /cela ?

Anything else?

Bonne journée

Have a nice day