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Shopping and money in Spanish

99 words in Spanish 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.

Updated September 1, 2026 · Lingofly

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 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
  • el puesto
    market stall
    A stall or counter at a market. A shop counter is el mostrador
  • el vendedor
    vendor
    From vender, to sell. A woman selling is la vendedora
  • el comprador
    buyer
    From comprar, to buy. In a shop the same person is el cliente
  • la báscula
    scale
    BAS-koo-lah: stress on the first syllable, exactly where the accent mark sits
  • el kilo
    kilo
    In conversation always kilo; the full kilogramo stays on paper
  • fresco
    fresh
    Fresh about food and cool about weather: hace fresco — it's cool out
  • maduro
    ripe
    Ripe about fruit, mature about a person. Unripe is verde — literally green
  • la etiqueta del precio
    price tag
    Bare 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 caro
    it's expensive
    A 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 llevo
    I'll take it
    Literally I carry it off with me — the Spanish I'll take it. Nobody says plain tomo here
  • no lo necesito
    I don't need it
    A polite refusal. The no always goes before the verb, and lo squeezes in between
  • el supermercado
    supermarket
    The little shop next door in Spain is la tienda de alimentación or just el súper
  • la cesta
    basket
    The c before e is a soft th as in thin in Spain and an s in Latin America
  • la cola
    queue
    A queue: hacer cola — to stand in line, literally 'to make a tail'. There's also a homonym, la cola meaning glue — a different word that happens to be spelled the same
  • la caja
    checkout
    The j is a harsh throaty h: KAH-hah
  • la bolsa
    bag
    A bag and a handbag. El paquete is a parcel or a pack — waving it in a shop will confuse people
  • abierto
    open (sign)
    This is what the door sign says. The verb to open is abrir, and its forms are irregular
  • cerrado
    closed (sign)
    The pair of abierto. From here comes cerrar, to close
  • elegir
    to choose
    Choosing in a shop and at the elections alike: las elecciones. In the present the i turns to ij: yo elijo
  • la talla
    size (clothing)
    Size of clothes and shoes. Size in general is el tamaño
  • la garantía
    warranty
    In Europe it's two years by law: dos años de garantía. Estar en garantía is to be under warranty. The verb is garantizar
  • la devolución
    return
    From devolver, to give back. The same word is a tax refund. On shop doors it reads cambios y devoluciones — exchanges and returns
  • la publicidad
    advertising
    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
  • el spot publicitario
    TV commercial
    an English loanword, and Spanish adds an e before st, so it sounds like ESPOT — the Academy even recommends the spelling espot
  • la marca
    brand
    La marca is a brand, a make and a record: batir una marca. Unbranded goods in the shop are marca blanca — 'white brand'
  • el logotipo
    logo
    Shortened to el logo in speech. In the full word the stress lands on ti: lo-go-TI-po
  • las rebajas
    the sales
    Always 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 oferta
    a good deal
    The una is part of the expression: you praise the bargain, not a specific offer. Very colloquially — un chollo: este vuelo es un chollo
  • comparar precios
    to compare prices
    To 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 paquete
    packet
    Paquete is also a parcel. In the shop it is a packet: un paquete de galletas, un paquete de arroz. Context tells them apart
  • la tela
    fabric
    El 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 cuero
    genuine leather
    Leather 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 lana
    wool
    Wool 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 seda
    silk
    Ir 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 cristal
    pane of glass
    In 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 metal
    metal
    The adjective is metálico, and en metálico when paying means in cash. De metal is made of metal
  • el plástico
    plastic
    De 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 papel
    paper
    The 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
  • resistente
    sturdy
    From resistir, to withstand. Duradero is long-lasting, frágil fragile. One form serves both genders
  • de buena calidad
    high-quality
    Spanish 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 comercial
    shopping mall
    In 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 escaparate
    shop window
    The 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 cajero
    cashier
    The person at the till; a woman is la cajera. The same word in el cajero automático, the cash machine. La caja is the till; pasar por caja is to go pay
  • la compra
    purchase
    Hacer la compra is the weekly grocery run; ir de compras is shopping for pleasure. The article and preposition do the separating
  • la tarjeta de puntos
    loyalty card
    At the till they ask: ¿tiene tarjeta? The official name is tarjeta de fidelización. Acumular puntos is to rack up points
  • el papel de regalo
    gift wrap
    In 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 compra
    shopping cart
    A 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 caro
    more expensive
    The 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 barato
    cheaper
    The partner of más caro, built the same way: más barato que. Baratísimo is dirt cheap, and una ganga is a bargain
  • costar
    to cost
    The 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 artículo
    to exchange an item
    El 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 devolución
    to process a return
    Tramitar is to push a paper through every step; el trámite is a formality, a procedure. At the counter people simply say quiero devolver esto
  • defectuoso
    defective
    The 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 vale
    the size doesn't fit
    La 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 ticket
    to keep the receipt
    In 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 queja
    grievance
    Spanish barely separates grumbling from a formal claim: la reclamación is the official one; la queja is spoken discontent. Every establishment in Spain keeps hojas de reclamaciones by law
  • es una falsificación
    it's a fake
    The word for the report; in speech: es falso, es una imitación, or simply es una copia. The verb is falsificar
  • está en stock
    in stock
    An 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 garantía
    warranty repair
    En 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 color
    to exchange it for another color
    The swap is cambiar A por B — the preposition is por. The pronoun glues onto the end of the infinitive: cambiarlo, cambiarla
  • las gafas
    glasses
    Always plural: unas gafas. The sunglasses are las gafas de sol. Contact lenses are las lentillas; Latin America says los lentes
  • el reloj de pulsera
    wristwatch
    reh-LOHKH; the final j is a soft throaty breath
  • el peine
    comb
    A comb with teeth. The hair brush is el cepillo del pelo, and peinarse is to do your hair
  • la maquinilla de afeitar
    razor
    The 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 perfume
    perfume
    English 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 maquillaje
    cosmetics
    Literally 'makeup', and that is exactly the shelf name for color cosmetics. Los cosméticos is the whole category, creams included. The verb is maquillarse
  • el champú
    shampoo
    chahm-POO
  • las tijeras
    scissors
    Always plural, like the English: unas tijeras, pásame las tijeras. Nail scissors are las tijeras de uñas
  • la aguja
    needle
    the j is a throaty h: ah-GOO-hah
  • el hilo
    thread
    A 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
  • regalar
    to give as a gift
    From el regalo, the gift. Me han regalado un libro — 'they gave me a book': Spanish answers an unspecified giver with a third-person plural
  • de segunda mano
    second-hand
    Literally '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 más
    to overpay
    De más is written apart and means 'in excess': he pagado veinte euros de más. The fused demás means 'the rest', and demasiado is 'too'
  • regatear
    to haggle
    Nobody 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 librería
    bookstore
    the ia is two syllables: li-bre-REE-a
  • al por mayor
    wholesale
    The pair: al por menor — retail. El mayorista — a wholesaler
  • el plazo de garantía
    warranty period
    La garantía is a warranty and a deposit. Estar en garantía means it's still under warranty
  • por encargo
    made to order
    El encargo is an order, encargar to commission. Hecho a medida is made to measure, cut for one body
  • coger
    to take
    In Spain it means 'to take' and 'to catch a bus'. In Latin America it's a crude word, and they say tomar there
  • dar
    to give
    Irregular in the yo-form: doy, not do. In the past it rhymes with ver on purpose: di and vi go together
  • comprar
    to buy
    Regular and full of no surprises. Compra without an article is 'a purchase'; la compra is the grocery run
  • envolver
    to wrap
    The stem breaks: envuelvo. Shops ask ¿se lo envuelvo para regalo? — shall I wrap it up?
  • devolver
    to give back
    The 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 esto
    I'll take this
    Literally I carry this off with me. Present tense, even though English reaches for the future
  • necesito una bolsa
    I need a bag
    In 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?
    You ask about a place with está. La caja is the checkout, and el cajero is both the cashier and the ATM
  • eso es todo
    that's all
    The 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 cambio
    keep the change
    Literally stay with the change. To a friend on first-name terms: quédate con el cambio
  • la lista de la compra
    shopping list
    La compra is the grocery run as a whole: hacer la compra means to do the food shopping

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How it sounds in a sentence

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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.

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Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.

  1. How do you say “how much does it cost?” in Spanish?

  2. How do you say “scale” in Spanish?

  3. How do you say “can you make it cheaper?” in Spanish?

  4. How do you say “bag” in Spanish?

  5. How do you say “advertising” in Spanish?

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.

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?

The whole set on this page is 99 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.

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.

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