A1 level

At the bakery and the market: shopping phrases in French

Last updated 28 October 2026

The boulangerie is probably the most French place you can go to practise the language. The transaction is short, the vocabulary is small, and you repeat it every day. Markets and small food shops work the same way. This page covers the words you need for each step.

The ritual: greet, ask, thank, say goodbye

A French shop has a small social script. Start with bonjour when you come in, even if the shop is full, and end with merci, au revoir and a wish such as bonne journée. Skipping them feels abrupt. The shopkeeper usually greets you first, or both of you do, at the same time.

Bonjour, madame. Hello, madam.
Bonjour, vous désirez ? Hello, what would you like?
Merci, au revoir, bonne journée ! Thank you, goodbye, have a nice day!
Vous aussi, bonne journée ! You too, have a nice day!

Buying bread and pastry

The most common breads are the baguette and the pain de campagne. A croissant is a plain one, and a pain au chocolat has chocolate inside. Note that many small shops call a loaf by its shape and weight.

Une baguette, s'il vous plaît. A baguette, please.
Je voudrais deux croissants et un pain au chocolat. I would like two croissants and a pain au chocolat.
Une baguette bien cuite, s'il vous plaît. A well-baked baguette, please.
Est-ce que vous avez des tartes aux pommes ? Do you have any apple tarts?
Je prends ça. I will take that.
C'est tout, merci. That is all, thank you.

Vous désirez ? and Je vous écoute are the shopkeeper's ways of asking what you want. A short answer is enough: Une baguette, s'il vous plaît.

At the market

Open-air markets have stalls for fruit, vegetables, cheese, fish and meat. Prices are usually per kilo, and sellers are glad to let you taste cheese or fruit.

Je voudrais un kilo de tomates. I would like a kilo of tomatoes.
Cinq cents grammes de fraises, s'il vous plaît. Five hundred grams of strawberries, please.
Deux tranches de jambon. Two slices of ham.
Un morceau de fromage, s'il vous plaît. A piece of cheese, please.
Est-ce que je peux goûter ? May I taste it?
Ça se conserve combien de temps ? How long does it keep?

French uses de after a quantity: un kilo de pommes, un morceau de fromage, une bouteille d'eau. There is no article after de in these expressions.

Prices and paying

C'est combien ? How much is it?
Ça fait combien ? How much does that come to?
Ça fait trois euros cinquante. That is three euros fifty.
Je peux payer par carte ? Can I pay by card?
Vous avez de la monnaie ? Do you have any change?
Voilà, c'est pour vous. Here you are, this is for you.

Say prices as "euros" then "cents" without the word for cents: trois euros cinquante is €3.50. Small shops sometimes have a minimum for cards, so ask first if the purchase is small.

Numbers that matter in shops

Number	French
1	un, une
2	deux
3	trois
5	cinq
10	dix
20	vingt
50	cinquante
70	soixante-dix
80	quatre-vingts
90	quatre-vingt-dix

French counts 70 as "sixty-ten" and 80 as "four twenties". Belgium and Switzerland use septante and nonante for 70 and 90, which are easier. You can read more in why French numbers force you to do mental maths.