Покупки и деньги
Shopping and money
Магазины, цены, оплата и размеры, как называть суммы денег, а также пары глаголов, которые ученики путают, например lend и borrow.
When you need it
Shopping is one of the first situations where you use English with strangers: in a supermarket, in a clothes shop, at a market or online. You need to understand a price, ask for a size, pay and check your change. Money words also carry grammar that differs from Ukrainian and Russian: money is singular, and several verbs take a preposition you may not expect.
Core words
| Word | Note | Example |
|---|---|---|
| shop | American store; as a verb: I shop online | The shop opens at nine. |
| supermarket, market | a market is often outdoors, with stalls | Vegetables are cheaper at the market. |
| checkout | where you pay in a supermarket | There's a long queue at the checkout. |
| queue | /kjuː/; British; American line | Please wait in the queue. |
| basket, trolley | American cart for trolley | I only need a basket. |
| receipt | /rɪˈsiːt/, the p is silent | Keep the receipt. |
| Word | Note | Example |
|---|---|---|
| money | uncountable, singular verb | The money is in my bag. |
| cash, card | pay in cash, pay by card | Can I pay by card? |
| coin, note | note is British; American bill | I only have a twenty-pound note. |
| change | the money you get back; also small coins | Here's your change. |
| price | high or low, not expensive or cheap | The prices here are high. |
| pound, euro, dollar | £, €, $ | It costs ten pounds. |
| penny | British plural pence, said p /piː/ | It's fifty p. |
| Word | Note | Example |
|---|---|---|
| buy, sell | past bought, sold | I bought a new phone. |
| pay | past paid; pay for something | I paid for the tickets. |
| cost | past cost; the price of something | How much did it cost? |
| spend | past spent; spend money on something | I spend a lot on books. |
| cheap, expensive | about things, not prices | This jacket is expensive. |
| sale, discount | on sale, in the sales, 20% off | These shoes were in the sale. |
| afford | have enough money for; usually with can or can't | I can't afford a new car. |
| size, fit, try on | in clothes shops | Can I try on a smaller size? |
Prices are usually read without the word and, and the smaller unit is often dropped: £4.99 is four pounds ninety-nine or just four ninety-nine; €12.50 is twelve euros fifty; $1.25 is a dollar twenty-five. The currency word goes after the number when you speak, even though the symbol comes before it when you write. In Britain you will also hear a fiver for five pounds and a tenner for ten, and in America bucks for dollars; these are informal but very common.
Useful phrases
- How much is this? / How much are these? — It's fifteen pounds.
- How much does it cost? — About twenty euros.
- Can I pay by card? — Yes, of course. / Sorry, cash only.
- Do you have this in a smaller size? — Let me check.
- I'm just looking, thanks. — What you say when a shop assistant offers help.
- Could I have a receipt, please? — Here you are.
- Keep the change. — Said to a taxi driver or waiter.
- It's on sale. / There's 30% off. — It is cheaper than usual.
- I can't afford it. — It's too expensive for me.
- Can I return this? — Bring it back with the receipt.
- Do you take cards? — Asked before you order, in small shops and cafés.
Common mistakes
- ✗ How much it costs?
✓ How much does it cost? How much is it?
Russian Сколько это стоит? and Ukrainian Скільки це коштує? have no helper verb, but an English question in the present simple needs does; see present simple: questions and negatives. - ✗ I paid the tickets online.
✓ I paid for the tickets online.
Russian оплатить билеты has no preposition, but English says pay for a thing; without for you pay a person or an amount (pay the waiter, pay the bill, pay ten euros). - ✗ The money are on the table. I don't have many money.
✓ The money is on the table. I don't have much money.
Ukrainian гроші and Russian деньги are plural, but English money is uncountable, so it takes a singular verb and much or a lot of. - ✗ Can you borrow me ten euros?
✓ Can you lend me ten euros? Can I borrow ten euros?
Ukrainian позичати and Russian одалживать work in both directions, but English splits them: you lend something to someone and you borrow something from someone. - ✗ The price is very expensive.
✓ The price is very high. It is very expensive.
Things are cheap or expensive, while prices are high or low, as Ukrainian висока ціна shows.
Try it
- How much ___ these shoes cost?
- Can I pay ___ card?
- I paid ___ the tickets online.
- Could you ___ me five pounds? I'll give it back tomorrow. (lend / borrow)
- The price is too ___. (expensive / high)
- This jacket is too small. Do you have it in a bigger ___?