En el supermercado
Grocery shopping · a free Spanish immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Perdona, ¿dónde están las frutas y verduras?
Excuse me, where are the fruits and vegetables?
A polite way to ask for directions in a store using '¿dónde están?' for plural items.
- ¿dónde están? is used with plural nouns
- Perdona is an informal but polite way to get someone's attention
Quisiera un kilo de manzanas, por favor.
I would like a kilogram of apples, please.
Using 'quisiera' (polite conditional of querer) to make a request at the produce counter.
- quisiera is the imperfect subjunctive of querer, used as a polite request
- un kilo de + noun is a common quantity expression
¿Cuánto cuesta esta lata de tomates?
How much does this can of tomatoes cost?
Asking about the price of a specific item using 'costar' and a container quantity expression.
- costar is an o→ue stem-changing verb: cuesta
- una lata de is a container quantity expression
El queso manchego está más barato que el otro.
The Manchego cheese is cheaper than the other one.
Using a comparative adjective to compare two products on price.
- más + adjective + que = more ... than
- estar is used here for a temporary state such as current price
¿Hay leche desnatada en esta tienda?
Is there skim milk in this store?
Using 'hay' to ask about the availability of a product.
- hay means 'there is/there are' and is used to express availability
- desnatada means skimmed or fat-free
Soy alérgico al gluten, ¿tienen productos sin gluten?
I'm allergic to gluten, do you have gluten-free products?
Explaining a dietary restriction and asking about available alternatives.
- soy alérgico/a a = I am allergic to
- sin + noun means without + noun
¿Podría decirme dónde está el pan integral?
Could you tell me where the whole wheat bread is?
Using the polite conditional '¿Podría...?' to ask for help finding a product.
- ¿Podría...? is the conditional of poder, used for polite requests
- ¿dónde está? is used with singular nouns
Prefiero comprar una docena de huevos orgánicos.
I prefer to buy a dozen organic eggs.
Expressing a preference using 'preferir' followed by an infinitive and a quantity expression.
- preferir is an e→ie stem-changing verb
- una docena de = a dozen of
¿Me da un paquete de arroz de dos kilos?
Can you give me a two-kilogram package of rice?
Using '¿Me da...?' as a direct but polite way to request an item at a counter.
- ¿Me da...? is an informal polite request form
- un paquete de is used for packaged goods
¿Acepta tarjeta de crédito o es solo efectivo?
Do you accept credit card or is it cash only?
A common checkout question about payment methods.
- aceptar = to accept, used here in the third-person singular
- o = or, used to present two alternatives
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
supermercado
supermarket
Voy al supermercado cada semana.
I go to the supermarket every week.
verduras
vegetables
Las verduras están en el pasillo tres.
The vegetables are in aisle three.
kilo
kilogram
Necesito un kilo de naranjas.
I need a kilogram of oranges.
Standard unit of weight for produce in Spanish-speaking countries
cuesta
costs
¿Cuánto cuesta el pan?
How much does the bread cost?
barato
cheap / inexpensive
Este aceite es más barato que el otro.
This oil is cheaper than the other one.
alérgico
allergic
Soy alérgico a los cacahuetes.
I am allergic to peanuts.
integral
whole grain / whole wheat
Prefiero el pan integral.
I prefer whole wheat bread.
Used to describe whole grain versions of bread, rice, or pasta
docena
dozen
Voy a comprar una docena de huevos.
I'm going to buy a dozen eggs.
paquete
package / packet
Dame un paquete de galletas, por favor.
Give me a package of cookies, please.
efectivo
cash
¿Paga en efectivo o con tarjeta?
Are you paying with cash or by card?
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Clara entra al supermercado y saluda a la cajera con una sonrisa. Primero, busca las verduras y elige un kilo de tomates y medio kilo de zanahorias. En el pasillo de lácteos, pregunta si hay leche de avena porque es intolerante a la lactosa. Luego compara dos marcas de aceite de oliva y escoge la más barata. Al llegar a la caja, paga con tarjeta y le desea un buen día a la cajera.
Sentence by sentence
Clara entra al supermercado y saluda a la cajera con una sonrisa.
Clara enters the supermarket and greets the cashier with a smile.
'Al' is a contraction of 'a + el'. 'Saluda a' uses the personal 'a' required before a specific person.
busca las verduras y elige un kilo de tomates y medio kilo de zanahorias
looks for the vegetables and picks a kilogram of tomatoes and half a kilogram of carrots
'Busca' and 'elige' are third-person singular present tense. 'Un kilo de' is the quantity expression practiced in the lesson.
pregunta si hay leche de avena porque es intolerante a la lactosa
asks if there is oat milk because she is lactose intolerant
'Hay' expresses availability. 'Es intolerante a' mirrors the structure of 'soy alérgico a' from the sentences.
compara dos marcas de aceite de oliva y escoge la más barata
compares two brands of olive oil and chooses the cheaper one
'La más barata' uses the superlative form of 'barato' with the definite article, extending the comparative pattern from the lesson.
paga con tarjeta y le desea un buen día a la cajera
pays by card and wishes the cashier a good day
'Le desea' uses the indirect object pronoun 'le' to show she is directing the wish toward the cashier.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Asking for Locations: ¿Dónde está...? / ¿Dónde están...?
Use '¿Dónde está...?' for a single item and '¿Dónde están...?' for plural items when asking where something is in a store. Pair with '¿Podría decirme...?' for extra politeness.
¿Dónde está/están + [noun phrase]?
¿Dónde está el pan?
Where is the bread?
¿Dónde están los cereales?
Where are the cereals?
¿Podría decirme dónde está la sección de congelados?
Could you tell me where the frozen section is?
¿Dónde está la caja más cercana?
Where is the nearest checkout?
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Spanish: Where are the vegetables?
Hint Use the plural form with 'están' when asking about multiple items.
¿Cuánto cuesta esta lata de tomates?
Quisiera _____ de manzanas, por favor.
Hint Think about how fruit is typically measured when ordering at a market.
Which sentence best communicates a gluten allergy?
Make this request more polite and specific: '¿Dónde está el pan?'
That’s today’s phraseberry.
Nice work, you understood something real today. Come back tomorrow for a fresh one.
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