English Phrases for the Supermarket

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Everyday English Speaking Course

English Phrases for the Supermarket Espresso EnglishLet’s go to the supermarket or grocery store.

When you go in, you’ll take a shopping cart – or a basket if you only want to buy a few things.

To ask an employee of the store for help, you can say:

“Where can I find ketchup?
“It’s on aisle 12.”

“Do you have non-fat milk?
“Yes, in the dairy section.”

The employee might refer you to an aisle – aisles are the corridors in the supermarket. Or they might tell you to go to one of these sections of the store:

  • Dairy section – Milk, yogurt, butter, and cheese
  • Produce section – Fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Frozen food section – Ice cream, pre-prepared meals
  • Bakery – Bread, muffins, cakes
  • Deli – Sliced meat and cheese for sandwiches
  • Ethnic foods – International foods

If the store doesn’t have the item available right now, the employee will say:

“Sorry, it’s out of stock.”

“Sorry, we’re out of unsalted peanuts at the moment.”

In this case, you can return to the store later to check if the item is available.

If the store never offers the item, the employee will say:

“Sorry, we don’t carry mango juice.”

In this case, you need to go to a different store to find it.

You can buy food in different types of packaging:

  • A can of soup
  • A jar of jelly / jam
  • A box of cereal
  • A package of pasta
  • A carton of milk
  • A bottle of wine
  • A loaf of bread

You might see signs that says 20% off – that means there’s a 20% discount. If you’re not sure, you can ask:

“Is this on sale?”

When you’re ready to pay, go to the checkout. The person who works there is called the cashier.

The cashier might say:

“How would you like to pay?”

You can answer:

– “In cash.”
 – “With a credit card.”
 – “With a debit card.”

If you pay with a credit card, the cashier will say,

“Please sign here.”

If you pay with debit card, the cashier will say,

“Please enter your PIN.”
(personal identification number)

If you pay in cash – imagine your purchases total $70 and you pay $100, the cashier will give you back the extra money and say,

“Here’s your change.”

or:

“Your change is $30.”

The cashier will give you a receipt – this is the piece of paper with the list of what you bought.

Finally, the cashier might say:

“Have a nice day!”

And you can reply:

“Thanks, you too!”

Learn practical spoken English for daily life:

English Phrases for the Supermarket Espresso English

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