¡Hola a todos!
Today we are going to see how to manage in Spanish when shopping for clothes in a shop or street market. Out shopping is often one of the first times many people get to practice their Spanish on a regular basis with native Spanish speakers and it is a great way to build some confidence little by little.
Firstly let’s learn some useful clothing vocabulary:
- Camisa: Shirt
- Camiseta: T-shirt
- Blusa: Blouse
- Jersey (m): Jumper
- Pantalones (m): Trousers
- Pantalones cortos (m): Shorts
- Vaqueros: Jeans
- Falda: Skirt
- Vestido: Dress
- Chaqueta: Jacket
- Abrigo: Coat
- Traje (m): Suit
- Zapatos: Shoes
- Zapatillas de casa: Slippers
- Zapatillas de deporte: Trainers
- Sandalias: Sandals
- Chancletas: Flip flops
- Sombrero: Hat
- Gorro: Woolly hat
- Gorra: Cap
It is important to know how to describe the colour of your items, so next let’s see the main colours in Spanish:
- Rojo: Red
- Amarillo: Yellow
- Negro: Black
- Blanco: White
- Morado: Purple
- Verde: Green
- Rosa: Pink
- Naranja: Orange
- Lila: Lilac
- Azul: Blue
- Marrón: Brown
- Gris: Grey
The colours which finish in the letter –o, such as “Blanco” and “Rojo”, change their ending to masculine or feminine depending on the gender of the clothes they describe. For example: “Una blusa morada” (A purple blouse). They also need an –s added to the ending when they describe more than one item of clothing or a plural item. For example: “Pantalones” or “Sandalias”.
Let’s see an example in more detail with the colour red:
- Un jersey rojo: A red jumper
- Una falda roja: A red skirt
- Unos pantalones rojos: Some red trousers
- Unas sandalias rojas: Some red sandals
The colours which finish in different vowels do not change to masculine or feminine, but they do need the –s added to the ending if they describe a plural item or many items.
Let´s see an example with the colour green:
- Un jersey verde: A green jumper
- Una falda verde: A green skirt
- Unos pantalones verdes: Some green trousers
- Unas sandalias verdes: Some green sandals
The colours which finish in a consonant do not change to masculine or feminine, but they do need an -es added to the ending if they describe a plural item or many items.
Let´s see an example with the colour grey:
- Un jersey gris: A grey jumper
- Una falda gris: A grey skirt
- Unos pantalones grises: Some grey trousers
- Unas sandalias grises: Some grey sandals
Now, let´s see some more useful vocabulary and phrases to help us manage when buying clothes in Spanish:
- Este/a: This
- Estos/as: These
- Ese/a: That
- Esos/as: Those
- Talla: Size
- Talla pequeña / mediana / grande / extra grande: S / M / L / XL
- Número: Shoe size
- Oiga perdone: Excuse me
- ¿Tiene esta chaqueta en la talla mediana?: Have you got this jacket in medium?
- ¿Tiene esta chaqueta en otro color?: Have you got this jacket in another colour?
- ¿Puedo probarme…?: Can I try..?
- ¿Puedo probarme estos zapatos?: Can I try these shoes?
- Quiero devolver….: I want to return…
- Barato/a/os/as: Cheap
- Caro/a/os/as: Expensive
- Es muy barato/a: It is very cheap
- Es muy caro/a: It is very expensive
- Son muy baratos/as: They are very cheap
- Son muy caros/as: They are very expensive
- Es un poco caro/a: It is a bit expensive
- Son un poco caros/as: They are a bit expensive
This is all for today´s class. With all this information you should be able to manage very nicely in a Spanish speaking clothes shop or shoes shop or market. Obviously there are a lot of things to remember and don’t worry if it doesn’t all sink in at once. The best way to really remember is to use the vocabulary and phrases in real situations. If you have the opportunity to practice, don´t waste it! Even if you don´t like shopping very much, it is a great opportunity to improve your listening and speaking skills and build invaluable conversation confidence.
Have a great week and see you very soon with more Spanish.
¡Hasta luego!
