A2

At the market

Buy clothes, talk about sizes and colors, and bargain

Goal: Buy clothes at a market: ask for items with '¿tiene...?', discuss sizes and colors, and negotiate a price.

Context

Listen to the dialogue. Tap the speaker to hear each line.

Cliente

Hola. ¿Tiene camisas en talla M?

Hi. Do you have shirts in size M?

Vendedor

Sí, tengo camisas azules y blancas.

Yes, I have blue and white shirts.

Cliente

Me gusta la azul. ¿Cuánto cuesta?

I like the blue one. How much does it cost?

Vendedor

Quince dólares.

Fifteen dollars.

Cliente

Está cara. ¿Me hace un descuento?

It's expensive. Can you give me a discount?

Vendedor

Está bien, doce dólares y es suya.

Okay, twelve dollars and it's yours.

Practice the dialogue

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Vocabulary

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¿Tiene...?

¿Tiene zapatos negros?

Use the polite 'usted' form: '¿Tiene...?' works for any seller.

Do you have...?

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la talla

¿Cuál es tu talla?

In Latin America sizes are usually S, M, L, XL.

the size

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la camisa

Necesito una camisa blanca.

the shirt

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los zapatos

Me gustan esos zapatos.

the shoes

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el descuento

¿Me hace un descuento?

'Hacer un descuento' = to give a discount. Very useful when bargaining.

the discount

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regatear

En el mercado me gusta regatear.

to bargain / haggle

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azul

La camisa azul es bonita.

blue

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blanco

Voy a comprar una camisa blanca.

white

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caro

Ese vestido es muy caro.

Caro = expensive; barato = cheap.

expensive

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barato

Busco algo barato.

cheap / inexpensive

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es suya

Con descuento, es suya.

'Es suya' is the polite 'it is yours'. With a friend you'd say 'es tuya'.

it's yours

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Grammar in 1 minute

Asking for things with '¿Tiene...?'

To ask a seller for something, use '¿Tiene...?' (Do you have...?). Answer with 'tengo/no tengo' (I have / I don't have).

— ¿Tiene pantalones? — Sí, tengo muchos. / No, no tengo.

This polite 'usted' form works everywhere in Latin America when talking to a vendor.

Adjectives of color and size

Colors and size adjectives come after the noun in Spanish and agree in gender: 'la camisa azul', 'los zapatos negros'. The noun tells you the gender.

Una camisa azul, un vestido negro, la talla pequeña.

Colors like 'azul' don't change for gender, but 'blanco/blanca' and 'negro/negra' do.

Interactive practice

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What does she ask for?

Listen and choose the correct option.

listening
Tip: '¿Tiene camisas en talla M?' = Do you have shirts in size M?

What does the customer ask for?

Ask with '¿Tiene...?'

Write the missing word to complete the question (accents optional).

writing
Tip: '¿Tiene...?' = 'Do you have...?'. Add the item right after it.
¿ zapatos negros?

Accents optional: write "como estas" and it works.

Match market words

Connect each Spanish word with its English meaning.

reading
Tip: Remember the adjective usually goes after the noun in Spanish.

Bargain out loud

Listen, pause and repeat the bargaining phrase.

speaking
Tip: '¿Me hace un descuento?' = Can you give me a discount? Perfect for markets.

Está un poco caro. ¿Me hace un descuento?

It's a little expensive. Can you give me a discount?

Listen, pause and repeat out loud. Repeat 3 times until it sounds natural.

Great. Repeat tomorrow to lock it in.

Pronunciation trainer

Ask for an item

Write a sentence asking if they have blue shirts in size M.

writing
Tip: Pattern: '¿Tiene + item + color + en talla M?'

Write a Spanish sentence asking if they have blue shirts in size M.

Suggested answer: ¿Tiene camisas azules en talla M?

What's the final price?

Listen and choose the final price.

listening
Tip: The seller goes from 15 to 12 dollars: the final offer is the second number.

What is the final price?

Opposite words

Write the opposite of 'caro' to complete the sentence (accents optional).

writing
Tip: The opposite of 'caro' (expensive) is 'barato' (cheap).
No me gusta caro. Busco algo .

Accents optional: write "como estas" and it works.

Final quiz

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