Shopping and money in Spanish
99 words Spanish words on the topic “shopping and money”: ¿cuánto cuesta? — how much does it cost?, el euro — euro, la tienda — shop, el mercado — market. 99 words can be played from recordings.
99 words on the topic
- ¿cuánto cuesta?how much does it cost?For one thing it's cuánto cuesta, for several cuánto cuestan: the verb agrees with the goods, not the buyer
- el euroeuroIt pluralizes: un euro, dos euros. Cents are called los céntimos
- la tiendashopBoth a shop and a tent: una tienda de campaña is a camping tent
- el mercadomarketThe covered city market is el mercado; the street one that comes on certain days is el mercadillo
- el puestomarket stallA stall or counter at a market. A shop counter is el mostrador
- el vendedorvendorFrom vender, to sell. A woman selling is la vendedora
- el compradorbuyerFrom comprar, to buy. In a shop the same person is el cliente
- la básculascaleBAS-koo-lah: stress on the first syllable, exactly where the accent mark sits
- el kilokiloIn conversation always kilo; the full kilogramo stays on paper
- frescofreshFresh about food and cool about weather: hace fresco — it's cool out
- maduroripeRipe about fruit, mature about a person. Unripe is verde — literally green
- la etiqueta del precioprice tagBare etiqueta is any label or sticker — hence etiquette and label in English
- ¿cuánto le debo?how much do I owe you?Literally how much do I owe you — the way to ask at a till or with a craftsman
- es caroit's expensiveA haggling line. A softer version is me parece un poco caro — it seems a bit pricey to me
- ¿me lo deja más barato?can you make it cheaper?Literally will you leave it to me cheaper? Works at markets and flea sales, not at the supermarket
- me lo llevoI'll take itLiterally I carry it off with me — the Spanish I'll take it. Nobody says plain tomo here
- no lo necesitoI don't need itA polite refusal. The no always goes before the verb, and lo squeezes in between
- el supermercadosupermarketThe little shop next door in Spain is la tienda de alimentación or just el súper
- la cestabasketThe c before e is a soft th as in thin in Spain and an s in Latin America
- la colaqueueA queue: hacer cola — to stand in line. The same word also means a tail and glue
- la cajacheckoutThe j is a harsh throaty h: KAH-hah
- la bolsabagA bag and a handbag. El paquete is a parcel or a pack — waving it in a shop will confuse people
- abiertoopen (sign)This is what the door sign says. The verb to open is abrir, and its forms are irregular
- cerradoclosed (sign)The pair of abierto. From here comes cerrar, to close
- elegirto chooseChoosing in a shop and at the elections alike: las elecciones. In the present the i turns to ij: yo elijo
- la tallasize (clothing)Size of clothes and shoes. Size in general is el tamaño
- la garantíawarrantyIn Europe it's two years by law: dos años de garantía. Estar en garantía is to be under warranty. The verb is garantizar
- la devoluciónreturnFrom devolver, to give back. The same word is a tax refund. On shop doors it reads cambios y devoluciones — exchanges and returns
- la publicidadadvertisingAdvertising as a phenomenon and as an industry. One particular clip or ad is un anuncio: me salta mucha publicidad versus he visto un anuncio
- el spot publicitarioTV commercialan English loanword, and Spanish adds an e before st, so it sounds like ESPOT — the Academy even recommends the spelling espot
- la marcabrandLa marca is a brand, a make and a record: batir una marca. Unbranded goods in the shop are marca blanca — 'white brand'
- el logotipologoShortened to el logo in speech. In the full word the stress lands on ti: lo-go-TI-po
- las rebajasthe salesAlways plural and always seasonal: in Spain las rebajas start on January 7 and in July. A one-off promotion is una oferta, and a discount on a price tag is un descuento
- una buena ofertaa good dealThe una is part of the expression: you praise the bargain, not a specific offer. Very colloquially — un chollo: este vuelo es un chollo
- comparar preciosto compare pricesTo compare something with something is comparar algo con algo: compara este precio con el de la web. Without con it is just comparing among themselves
- el paquetepacketThe course already knows paquete as a parcel. In the shop it is a packet: un paquete de galletas, un paquete de arroz. Context tells them apart
- la telafabricEl tejido is the same thing, drier and more technical. Colloquially la tela also means money, and esto tiene tela means it's a serious matter
- el cuerogenuine leatherLeather as a material. Labels in Spanish shops more often say piel auténtica — the same piel that names human skin. The fake kind is el cuero sintético
- la lanawoolWool as a material: un jersey de lana. On the live animal or on a carpet it is el pelo. Lana virgen on a label means pure wool
- la sedasilkIr como la seda, to run like silk, means to go smoothly: el motor va como la seda. La Ruta de la Seda is the Silk Road
- el cristalpane of glassIn Spain window glass and a drinking glass are both el cristal; el vidrio sounds like raw material and is printed on recycling bins. El cristal de la ventana is the window pane
- el metalmetal as a materialThe adjective is metálico, and en metálico when paying means in cash. De metal is made of metal
- el plásticoplastic as a materialDe plástico is the everyday adjective. El envase is packaging, and it goes in the yellow bin. Sin plásticos on a label is the fashionable claim of the moment
- el papelpaper as a materialThe same word is a role: hacer un papel is to play a part, un papel importante an important role. In the plural los papeles are documents
- resistentesturdyFrom resistir, to withstand. Duradero is long-lasting, frágil fragile. One form serves both genders
- de buena calidadhigh-qualitySpanish reaches for a phrase, not an adjective — cualitativo means something else entirely. The shorter version: de calidad, as in un producto de calidad
- el centro comercialshopping mallIn speech often just el centro comercial, no name needed. El súper is the supermarket, las grandes superficies the big chains. Don't confuse with el centro, the town center
- el escaparateshop windowThe display behind the glass, seen from the street. Inside the shop the counter is el mostrador and a glass cabinet la vitrina. Ir de escaparates is window-shopping
- el cajerocashierThe person at the till; a woman is la cajera. The same word in el cajero automático, the cash machine the course knows. La caja is the till; pasar por caja is to go pay
- la comprapurchaseHacer la compra is the weekly grocery run; ir de compras is shopping for pleasure. The article and preposition do the separating
- la tarjeta de puntosloyalty cardAt the till they ask: ¿tiene tarjeta? The official name is tarjeta de fidelización. Acumular puntos is to rack up points
- el papel de regalogift wrapIn the shop they offer: ¿se lo envuelvo para regalo? — shall I wrap it as a gift? Envolver is to wrap, el envoltorio the wrapping
- el carrito de la comprashopping cartA diminutive of el carro. In Spanish supermarkets you free it with a one-euro coin that comes back when you do. The basket is la cesta
- más caromore expensiveThe comparison takes que: más caro que el otro. Carísimo is outrageous in price. With the article, el más caro, it becomes 'the most expensive'
- más baratocheaperThe partner of más caro, built the same way: más barato que. Baratísimo is dirt cheap, and una ganga is a bargain
- costarto costThe stem o turns to ue: cuesta, cuestan. The same verb means to be hard: me cuesta levantarme — getting up is hard for me. Valer is a price synonym
- cambiar un artículoto exchange an itemEl artículo is an item in a shop, an article in a paper and the grammar article. To swap it for another: cambiar por otro
- tramitar la devoluciónto process a returnTramitar is to push a paper through every step; el trámite is a formality, a procedure. At the counter people simply say quiero devolver esto
- defectuosodefectiveThe word of claims and receipts: un producto defectuoso. In speech people say venía mal or está roto. The noun el defecto is a flaw
- la talla no me valethe size doesn't fitLa talla is a clothing size; shoes take el número. No me vale is the wrong size; no me queda bien is the right size that sits badly
- guardar el ticketto keep the receiptIn Spain the till slip is el ticket; el recibo is a receipt for paying a bill. No ticket, no exchange: sin ticket no hay cambio
- la quejagrievanceSpanish barely separates grumbling from a formal claim: la reclamación, which the course knows, is the official one; la queja is spoken discontent. Every establishment in Spain keeps hojas de reclamaciones by law
- es una falsificaciónit's a fakeThe word for the report; in speech: es falso, es una imitación, or simply es una copia. The verb is falsificar
- está en stockin stockAn English loanword that settled into retail. More official: hay existencias; in the shop simply lo tenemos — we have it. The opposite is está agotado, sold out
- la reparación en garantíawarranty repairEn garantía means under warranty; fuera de garantía is on your own bill. In Spain appliances carry at least three years of coverage
- cambiarlo por otro colorto exchange it for another colorThe swap is cambiar A por B — the preposition is por. The pronoun glues onto the end of the infinitive: cambiarlo, cambiarla
- las gafasglassesAlways plural: unas gafas. The sunglasses, las gafas de sol, the course already has. Contact lenses are las lentillas; Latin America says los lentes
- el reloj de pulserawristwatchreh-LOHKH; the final j is a soft throaty breath
- el peinecombA comb with teeth. The hair brush is el cepillo del pelo, and peinarse is to do your hair
- la maquinilla de afeitarrazorThe hand razor. The electric kind is la afeitadora, the blade la cuchilla, the verb afeitarse is to shave. La espuma de afeitar is shaving foam
- el perfumeperfumeEnglish speaks of it in the plural, Spanish in the singular: un perfume caro. La colonia is the lighter scent Spain actually wears every day
- el maquillajecosmeticsLiterally 'makeup', and that is exactly the shelf name for color cosmetics. Los cosméticos is the whole category, creams included. The verb is maquillarse
- el champúshampoochahm-POO
- las tijerasscissorsAlways plural, like the English: unas tijeras, pásame las tijeras. Nail scissors are las tijeras de uñas
- la agujaneedlethe j is a throaty h: ah-GOO-hah
- el hilothreadA spool is un carrete de hilo. Figuratively el hilo de la conversación is the thread of the talk: he perdido el hilo — I lost the thread
- regalarto give as a giftFrom el regalo, the gift the course knows. Me han regalado un libro — 'they gave me a book': Spanish answers an unspecified giver with a third-person plural
- de segunda manosecond-handLiterally 'of a second hand'. Un coche de segunda mano is a used car. The drier synonym is usado; ads say seminuevo — nearly new
- pagar de másto overpayDe más is written apart and means 'in excess': he pagado veinte euros de más. The fused demás means 'the rest', and demasiado is 'too'
- regatearto haggleNobody haggles in a Spanish shop — only at the flea market and in private sales. The noun is el regateo. In football the same verb is to dribble past an opponent
- la libreríabookstorethe ia is two syllables: li-bre-REE-a
- al por mayorwholesaleThe pair: al por menor — retail. El mayorista — a wholesaler
- el plazo de garantíawarranty periodLa garantía is a warranty and a deposit. Estar en garantía means it's still under warranty
- por encargomade to orderEl encargo is an order, encargar to commission. Hecho a medida is made to measure, cut for one body
- cogerto takeIn Spain it means 'to take' and 'to catch a bus'. In Latin America it's a crude word, and they say tomar there
- darto giveIrregular in the yo-form: doy, not do. In the past it rhymes with ver on purpose: di and vi go together
- comprarto buyRegular and full of no surprises. Compra without an article is 'a purchase'; la compra is the grocery run
- envolverto wrapThe stem breaks: envuelvo. Shops ask ¿se lo envuelvo para regalo? — shall I wrap it up?
- devolverto give backThe stem breaks: devuelvo. In a shop it's the key word: quiero devolverlo
- ¿cuánto cuesta el kilo?how much is a kilo?The price tag is always per kilo, so that's how people ask. At the market the same goes shorter: a cómo está?
- ¿hay descuento?is there a discount?Hay is impersonal — there is. About a promotion people ask differently: está de oferta?
- ¿tienen...?do you have...?The plural tienen politely addresses the whole shop; tienes? is only for the clerk you know
- me llevo estoI'll take thisLiterally I carry this off with me. Present tense, even though English reaches for the future
- necesito una bolsaI need a bagIn Spain bags cost money, so people ask out loud and in advance. A big one: una bolsa grande
- ¿dónde está la caja?where is the checkout?About a place you ask through está. La caja is the checkout, and el cajero is both cashier and ATM
- eso es todothat's allThe answer to the seller's algo más? when they are waiting for the rest of your order
- ¿en efectivo o con tarjeta?cash or card?The prepositions differ and pair up: cash takes en, card takes con
- quédese con el cambiokeep the changeLiterally stay with the change. To a friend on first-name terms: quédate con el cambio
- la lista de la comprashopping listLa compra is the grocery run as a whole: hacer la compra means to do the food shopping
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- ¿Cuánto cuesta el café?How much does the coffee cost?
- El café cuesta un euro veinteThe coffee costs one euro twenty
- La tienda de la esquina abre los domingosThe shop on the corner opens on Sundays
- Los sábados voy al mercado a por frutaOn Saturdays I go to the market for fruit
- El puesto de fruta está al fondoThe fruit stall is at the back
- El vendedor me ha guardado el mejor melónThe vendor saved the best melon for me
What is worth knowing about these words
¿cuánto cuesta? — how much does it cost?. For one thing it's cuánto cuesta, for several cuánto cuestan: the verb agrees with the goods, not the buyer
el euro — euro. It pluralizes: un euro, dos euros. Cents are called los céntimos
la tienda — shop. Both a shop and a tent: una tienda de campaña is a camping tent
el mercado — market. The covered city market is el mercado; the street one that comes on certain days is el mercadillo
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is ¿cuánto cuesta? — how much does it cost?.
- What is this word?
It is la báscula — scale.
- What is this word?
It is ¿me lo deja más barato? — can you make it cheaper?.
- What is this word?
It is la bolsa — bag.
- What is this word?
It is la publicidad — advertising.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “how much does it cost?” in Spanish?
For one thing it's cuánto cuesta, for several cuánto cuestan: the verb agrees with the goods, not the buyer
- How do you say “scale” in Spanish?
Scales at a shop or a market. Pharmacy and lab balances are la balanza
- How do you say “can you make it cheaper?” in Spanish?
Literally will you leave it to me cheaper? Works at markets and flea sales, not at the supermarket
- How do you say “bag” in Spanish?
A bag and a handbag. El paquete is a parcel or a pack — waving it in a shop will confuse people
- How do you say “advertising” in Spanish?
Advertising as a phenomenon and as an industry. One particular clip or ad is un anuncio: me salta mucha publicidad versus he visto un anuncio
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
How much it costs, whether there is a smaller one, whether cards are accepted. A shop forgives mistakes: miss a word and they will show you the thing with their hands anyway.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “how much does it cost?” in Spanish?
«¿cuánto cuesta?» For one thing it's cuánto cuesta, for several cuánto cuestan: the verb agrees with the goods, not the buyer. It is one of 99 words in the set “shopping and money” — the rest are in the table above.
How many shopping words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 99 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 99 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.