At the MarketGroceries, prices, and quantities in Spanish

Learn market nouns together with their articles: el marks many masculine nouns and la marks many feminine nouns. Use the plural when buying several items.

Quantities often follow the pattern amount + de + product. A half kilo is medio kilo. Names vary by region: potatoes are commonly called patatas in Spain and papas in much of Latin America.

• Quiero un kilo de tomates. — I would like a kilo of tomatoes.
• ¿Tiene una bolsa? — Do you have a bag?
• Busco el puesto de fruta. — I am looking for the fruit stall.
• Me llevo medio kilo de queso. — I will take half a kilo of cheese.

Use these verbs to explain what you need, choose products and pay. The infinitive is the dictionary form; in a sentence, change it to match the person speaking.

Quiero and necesito can introduce either a noun or an infinitive. Use cuesta for one item and cuestan for several. Me llevo is a natural way to confirm your choice. Haggling is appropriate only where local practice permits it.

• Necesito comprar verduras. — I need to buy vegetables.
• ¿Cuánto cuesta este queso? — How much does this cheese cost?
• ¿Cuánto cuestan las manzanas? — How much do the apples cost?
• ¿Puedo probarlo? — May I try it?
• Me llevo dos, por favor. — I will take two, please.
• Voy a pagar con tarjeta. — I am going to pay by card.

Adjectives help you describe quality, ripeness, size and price. They usually follow the noun and agree with its gender and number.

Adjectives ending in -o usually change to -a with feminine nouns. Many adjectives ending in -e use the same form for both genders. Add a plural ending when needed: tomates maduros, manzanas dulces. With fruit, verde can describe either its color or its lack of ripeness.

• Las fresas están maduras. — The strawberries are ripe.
• ¿Tiene pan fresco? — Do you have fresh bread?
• Estas peras son muy dulces. — These pears are very sweet.
• Prefiero los tomates pequeños. — I prefer the small tomatoes.
• Busco fruta de temporada. — I am looking for fruit that is in season.

Start with a greeting, ask about the product or price, and specify the quantity. Por favor and gracias make even a short request polite.

Quisiera is a polite way to say what you would like. ¿Me da…? addresses one person formally; ¿Me das…? is informal. In this short exchange, the seller asks whether you need anything else:

• Buenos días. Quisiera un kilo de manzanas. — Good morning. I would like a kilo of apples.
• Claro. ¿Algo más? — Of course. Anything else?
• Sí, medio kilo de peras, por favor. — Yes, half a kilo of pears, please.
• Son cinco euros en total. — That is five euros in total.
• Aquí tiene. Muchas gracias. — Here you are. Thank you very much.

Market customs vary by country, town and type of stall. Observe what other shoppers do, greet the seller and ask before handling food. There is no single rule for every Spanish-speaking market.

Queueing: at a busy counter, ask who is last or take a ticket if a machine is provided. Prices: food stalls with displayed prices often expect you to pay that price; do not assume bargaining is welcome. Regional language: the verb coger is ordinary in Spain but can have a vulgar meaning in parts of Latin America; tomar or a more specific verb may be preferable there.

• ¿Hay que coger número? — Do I need to take a number?
• ¿Puedo elegir las manzanas? — May I choose the apples?
• Traigo mi propia bolsa. — I have brought my own bag.
• ¿Estos tomates son de la zona? — Are these tomatoes from the local area?