Supermarket phrases in German
When you go to Supermarket phrases in German, Austria, or German Switzerland, you’ll find a number of German words very useful.
This lesson includes the basic vocabulary you need to find the stores you’re looking for, talk to the salesperson, and have an enjoyable shopping spree.
Supermarket phrases in German
There are a number of sentences and phrases that you are likely to encounter when shopping in a German-speaking country. From asking the price of an item to completing your transaction, this vocabulary list should cover most of the basics.
To give you a jump on your studies, the phonetic pronunciations for many of the trickier German words are included.
They are only an approximate guide but will help you out considerably, especially if you’re just beginning to learn German.
When entering a smaller German shop, it is customary to exchange hellos with the shopkeeper or sales clerk. Also, when leaving a shop in Austria or Germany, it is common for the customer and shopkeeper to exchange goodbyes.
If you travel to Germany at the right time of year, you might be able to get in on one of the two biggest sales many stores offer. The Sommerschlussverkauf happens in late summer and the Winterschlussverkauf typically occurs towards the end of winter.
| Englisch | Deutsch |
| salesperson | Verkäufer/in |
| customer | der Kunde m. die Kundin f. |
| cashier / check-out counter | die Kasse (dee KA-suh) |
| Sale! Special Offer! Reduced! |
Ausverkauf! Sonderangebot! Reduziert! |
| Hello! | Guten Tag! Grüß Gott! (Austria/Bavaria) |
| May I help you? | Was darf es sein? Darf ich Ihnen helfen? |
| I’m looking for… …a dress …a shirt …athletic shoes …a postcard |
Ich suche… …ein Kleid (eye-n KLITE) …ein Hemd (eye-n HEMT) …Sportschuhe (SHPORT SHOO-a) …eine Postkarte (eye-na POST-KAR-ta) |
| I’m just looking. | Ich sehe mich nur ein wenig um. Ich schau nur ein bisschen herum. |
| I’d like… | Ich möchte… (eech MURG-ta) |
| Can you fix/repair this? | Können Sie das reparieren? (KURN-en zee das REP-ah-rear-en) |
| What size are you? | Welche Größe haben Sie? |
| Do you have it in a different color? | Haben Sie das in einer anderen Farbe? |
| May I try it on? | Darf ich es/ihn/sie anprobieren? (das/der/die) |
| It’s too big/small. | Das ist mir zu groß/klein. |
| How much is it? – How much does it cost? | Wie viel kostet es? (er/sie) (VEE feel KOST-et es) |
| That’s too expensive. | Das ist zu teuer. |
| Do you take credit cards? | Nehmen Sie Kreditkarten? (NAME-en zee kred-DIT-kar-ten) |
| I’ll take it. | Ich nehme es (ihn, sie). (ich NAY-muh es [een, zee]) |
| Is this intended as a gift? | Soll das ein Geschenk sein? |
| Can I get this gift-wrapped? | Kann ich das als Geschenk eingepackt bekommen? |
| Goodbye! | Wiederseh’n! (VEE-der zane) auf Wiedersehen! (owf VEE-der zay-en) |
