Spanish · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 7 of 12
Clothes and shopping
La ropa
Buy and change clothes in a Spanish shop: sizes, trying things on, este and ese, and the pronouns lo, la, los and las for “it” and “them”.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Ask for a size and say how something fits
- Change something you bought
- Point to things with este, ese and aquel
- Use lo, la, los and las for “it” and “them”
Listen
Ignacio goes back to a clothes shop in Alicante to change some trousers he bought yesterday. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Shop assistant
Buenos días. ¿Qué desea?
Good morning. Can I help you?
Ignacio
Buenos días. Ayer compré estos pantalones, pero me quedan pequeños.
Good morning. I bought these trousers yesterday, but they're too small for me.
Shop assistant
¿Tiene el tique?
Do you have the receipt?
Ignacio
Sí, aquí lo tiene. ¿Los puedo cambiar por una talla más grande?
Yes, here it is. Can I change them for a bigger size?
Shop assistant
Claro. ¿Qué talla usa?
Of course. What size do you take?
Ignacio
Estos son de la talla cuarenta y cuatro. Creo que necesito la cuarenta y seis.
These are a size forty-four. I think I need a forty-six.
Shop assistant
Aquí tiene la cuarenta y seis. El probador está allí, a la derecha.
Here's the forty-six. The fitting room is over there, on the right.
Ignacio
Gracias… Sí, estos me quedan muy bien. ¿Y cuánto cuesta esa camisa blanca?
Thank you… Yes, these fit me very well. And how much is that white shirt?
Shop assistant
¿Esta? Treinta y cinco euros.
This one? Thirty-five euros.
Ignacio
Es muy bonita. Me la llevo.
It's very nice. I'll take it.
Shop assistant
Muy bien. ¿Paga con tarjeta?
Very good. Are you paying by card?
Ignacio
Sí, con tarjeta.
Yes, by card.
Understand
Este, ese, aquel: this and that
Use (this) for things near you, (that) for things near the person you're talking to or a little further away, and (that… over there) for things far from both of you. They agree with the noun: , .
The same words work without a noun, with no written accent: (This one?). For something you can't or don't want to name, use (this) or (that): (What's that?).
| English | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| this / these | / | / |
| that / those | / | / |
| that / those (over there) | / | / |
Lo, la, los, las: it and them
A “direct object” is the person or thing that receives the action: in “I buy the shirt”, the shirt. To avoid repeating it, Spanish uses a pronoun: for a masculine thing, for a feminine thing, and or in the plural. (The receipt? Here it is.)
The pronoun goes before the verb: (I'll buy it). With an infinitive, it can go before the first verb or be joined to the end of the infinitive: = (Can I change them?).
In shops, or means “I'll take it”. Choose or to match the thing you're buying.
| Pronoun | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| me | (Can you help me?) | |
| you () | (I'll help you.) | |
| it, him; you (, man) | (The receipt? I've got it here.) | |
| it, her; you (, woman) | (The shirt? I'll buy it.) | |
| us | (Can you help us?) | |
| you () | (I'll help you.) | |
| / | them | (The trousers? I'll change them.) |
Clothes and sizes
Ask for your size with : To say how something fits, use , which works like : (It fits me well), (They're too small for me).
(trousers) and (jeans) are plural, like in English.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| shirt | |
| T-shirt | |
| trousers | |
| jeans | |
| skirt | |
| dress | |
| jumper | |
| jacket | |
| coat | |
| shoes |
More in the grammar: Gustar: saying what you like · Object pronouns: lo, la, le, les
New words
- comprarto buy
- los pantalonestrousers · plural, like in English
- me quedan pequeñosthey're too small for me · / / : to fit well / be too big / be too small
- el tiquereceipt · masculine; also written ticket
- cambiar… por…to change… for…
- la tallasize (clothes) · What size do you take?
- creo que…I think (that)… · from
- el probadorfitting room · masculine; : to try on
- la camisashirt · feminine
- bonito / bonitanice, pretty
- Me lo llevo. / Me la llevo.I'll take it. · for a masculine thing, for a feminine thing
- pagar con tarjetato pay by card · : to pay in cash
Practise
1.The shop assistant is holding a shirt. She asks: “¿Le gusta … camisa?”
2.Replace with a pronoun: “I'll buy them.”
I'll buy them.
3.Write “those” in Spanish. The shoes are near the person you're talking to.
Those shoes are very nice.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.Can I pay by card?
5.Match the clothes.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.You like the shirt and decide to buy it. What do you say?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
¿Tiene esta camisa en la talla cuarenta?
Do you have this shirt in a size forty?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.