Shopping in French involves three different verbs that English collapses into one. Faire les courses means grocery shopping; faire les magasins means going clothes-and-things shopping with the intent to buy; faire du lèche-vitrines means window-shopping with no intent to buy (literally "doing window-licking"). Knowing which to use signals to French speakers what kind of expedition you're on.
This page covers the practical vocabulary you need in shops, supermarkets, and markets — asking for what you want, navigating sizes and try-ons, comparing prices, paying, and handling returns or exchanges. It also covers the idioms that show up constantly in shopping conversations but rarely make it into textbooks: ça coûte les yeux de la tête (it costs an arm and a leg), c'est donné (it's a steal), à votre bon cœur (the market vendor's appeal for generosity).
The three shopping verbs
faire les courses = do the grocery shopping (or general errands).
Je dois faire les courses pour la semaine ce matin.
I have to do the grocery shopping for the week this morning.
On fait les courses ensemble samedi ?
Shall we do the shopping together Saturday?
faire les magasins = go shopping (clothes, gifts, things you can browse).
J'ai passé tout l'après-midi à faire les magasins avec ma mère.
I spent the whole afternoon shopping with my mother.
faire du lèche-vitrines = window-shop. Literally "do window-licking" — wandering and looking without buying.
Je n'achète rien aujourd'hui, je fais juste du lèche-vitrines.
I'm not buying anything today, I'm just window-shopping.
Entering a shop
The same rule as restaurants: bonjour on entry, au revoir on exit, even if you don't buy anything. This is non-negotiable in small French boutiques.
Bonjour, je peux vous aider ? — Non merci, je regarde juste.
Hello, can I help you? — No thanks, I'm just looking.
Bonjour, je peux jeter un coup d'œil ?
Hello, may I have a look around?
To express browsing intent without committing:
Je regarde, merci.
I'm just looking, thanks.
Asking for what you want
The two main openers are je voudrais (I'd like) and je cherche (I'm looking for). Je voudrais sets up a specific request; je cherche signals you're hunting for something more general.
Bonjour, je cherche un cadeau pour ma sœur.
Hello, I'm looking for a gift for my sister.
Je voudrais voir le pull bleu en vitrine, s'il vous plaît.
I'd like to see the blue sweater in the window, please.
To ask whether the shop has something at all:
Vous avez du pain de campagne ?
Do you have country bread?
Est-ce que vous avez cette robe en bleu ?
Do you have this dress in blue?
Avez-vous des chaussures en cuir noir ?
Do you have black leather shoes? (slightly more formal — inversion question)
Sizes: la taille and la pointure
A subtle but important distinction: la taille is for clothes, la pointure is for shoes. Asking for ma pointure in a sweater shop or ma taille at the shoe counter will get you politely corrected.
Vous faites quelle taille ? — Je fais du 38.
What size do you wear? — I wear a 38.
Vous chaussez du combien ? — Je fais du 42.
What shoe size do you wear? — I wear a 42.
Je voudrais essayer ce pantalon en taille 40.
I'd like to try these pants in size 40.
Vous avez ces baskets en pointure 39 ?
Do you have these sneakers in size 39?
Trying things on
The fitting room is la cabine d'essayage, sometimes shortened to les cabines or un essayage.
Est-ce que je peux essayer ce pull ?
May I try on this sweater?
Les cabines d'essayage sont au fond, à droite.
The fitting rooms are at the back, on the right.
Combien d'articles je peux prendre en cabine ?
How many items may I take into the fitting room?
To describe the fit, the everyday vocabulary:
C'est un peu trop serré aux épaules.
It's a bit too tight at the shoulders.
C'est trop large à la taille.
It's too loose at the waist.
Vous l'avez en plus grand ?
Do you have it in a bigger size?
Vous l'avez en plus petit ?
Do you have it in a smaller size?
Ça me va parfaitement, c'est exactement à ma taille.
It fits me perfectly, it's exactly my size.
Asking the price
Two equally idiomatic ways to ask:
Combien ça coûte ?
How much does it cost?
Ça fait combien ?
How much is it? (more typical at a counter or market)
C'est combien, ce vase ?
How much is this vase?
The shopkeeper's typical reply patterns:
Ça fait quinze euros cinquante.
That's fifteen euros fifty.
Le pull est à quarante-cinq euros.
The sweater is forty-five euros.
Ça vous fera vingt-trois euros, s'il vous plaît.
That'll be twenty-three euros, please.
Reacting to prices
Whether something feels expensive, cheap, or reasonable has its own vocabulary:
C'est cher pour ce que c'est.
It's expensive for what it is.
C'est pas cher du tout, je vais le prendre.
It's not expensive at all, I'll take it.
C'est très abordable, surtout pour la qualité.
It's very affordable, especially for the quality.
Quarante euros pour un t-shirt, c'est trop cher.
Forty euros for a t-shirt is too expensive.
The two great idioms for price reactions:
Ça coûte les yeux de la tête !
It costs an arm and a leg! (literally 'the eyes from your head')
À ce prix-là, c'est donné !
At that price, it's a steal! (literally 'it's given away')
Sales and bargains
Sales periods in France are regulated by law: there are two official soldes periods per year (winter and summer), each lasting several weeks. Outside these, shops can offer promotions, promos, or destockage.
C'est en solde ? — Oui, c'est moins trente pour cent.
Is it on sale? — Yes, it's thirty percent off.
Les soldes commencent mercredi prochain.
The sales start next Wednesday.
Il y a une promo sur les chaussures cette semaine.
There's a promotion on shoes this week.
J'ai trouvé cette veste en solde à moitié prix.
I found this jacket on sale at half price.
Paying
The three main payment methods, all introduced by the preposition par (or en for cash):
Vous payez comment ? Par carte ou en espèces ?
How are you paying? Card or cash?
Je vais payer par carte.
I'll pay by card.
Je préfère payer en espèces.
I'd rather pay in cash.
Vous acceptez les paiements par chèque ?
Do you accept payment by check?
The cashier's standard phrases:
Vous avez la carte de fidélité ?
Do you have a loyalty card?
Vous voulez un sac ? Ça fait dix centimes.
Would you like a bag? That's ten cents.
Tapez votre code, s'il vous plaît.
Type your PIN, please.
Voilà votre reçu, bonne journée !
Here's your receipt, have a good day!
Supermarket vocabulary
The grocery setting has its own inventory:
Le panier est plein, je passe à la caisse.
The basket is full, I'm going to the checkout.
Il y a la queue à toutes les caisses.
There's a line at every checkout.
Je prends un caddie, on a beaucoup de courses à faire.
I'll grab a shopping cart, we have a lot of shopping to do.
Vous pouvez me peser ces tomates, s'il vous plaît ?
Could you weigh these tomatoes for me, please?
Returns and exchanges
The two key verbs are rendre (return) and échanger (exchange). The noun un remboursement (a refund) and the phrase avoir le ticket de caisse (have the receipt) come up almost every time.
Bonjour, je voudrais rendre cette chemise. J'ai gardé le ticket de caisse.
Hello, I'd like to return this shirt. I kept the receipt.
Est-ce que je peux échanger cette robe contre une plus petite ?
Can I exchange this dress for a smaller one?
Vous proposez le remboursement ou seulement l'avoir ?
Do you offer refunds or just store credit?
L'article doit être rendu dans les trente jours, avec l'étiquette.
The item must be returned within thirty days, with the tag.
At the market
Open-air markets (les marchés) have their own register — slightly more familiar, more banter, vendors calling out wares.
Je voudrais un kilo de tomates, s'il vous plaît.
I'd like a kilo of tomatoes, please.
Mettez-moi six pommes, les bien rouges.
Give me six apples — the really red ones.
Et avec ça ? — Ce sera tout, merci.
Anything else? — That'll be all, thanks.
Je vous fais un petit prix sur les fraises.
I'll give you a discount on the strawberries.
Common Mistakes
❌ Quelle pointure tu fais en pull ?
Incorrect — pointure is for shoes only; for clothes, use 'taille'
✅ Quelle taille tu fais en pull ?
What size do you wear in sweaters?
❌ Je veux essayer cette robe.
Sounds rude — use 'je voudrais' or 'est-ce que je peux' in a service context
✅ Est-ce que je peux essayer cette robe ?
Can I try on this dress?
❌ Je paie en carte.
Incorrect — the preposition is 'par' for card and check, 'en' only for cash
✅ Je paie par carte.
I'm paying by card.
❌ J'ai fait les courses tout l'après-midi pour acheter une robe et des chaussures.
Confusing — 'faire les courses' implies grocery shopping, not clothes shopping
✅ J'ai fait les magasins tout l'après-midi pour acheter une robe et des chaussures.
I went shopping all afternoon to buy a dress and shoes.
❌ Combien il coûte ?
Awkward — for prices the standard form is 'combien ça coûte' or 'ça fait combien'
✅ Combien ça coûte ?
How much does it cost?
Key Takeaways
Three verbs cover three different shopping activities: faire les courses (groceries), faire les magasins (clothes/things shopping), faire du lèche-vitrines (window-shopping). Sizes split between taille (clothes) and pointure (shoes); both use je fais du + number. Politeness defaults are the same as in restaurants — bonjour on entry, je voudrais to ask, au revoir on the way out. The three payment phrases are par carte, en espèces, par chèque. And when something is shockingly expensive, ça coûte les yeux de la tête; when it's a steal, c'est donné.
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