Learning Spanish: Shopping

The Spanish phrase 'bolsa de la compra' is used to refer to a shopping bag in English. This term's literal translation is 'bag of the purchase.' It is generally used when referring to the bag one uses to carry purchases from a store or market. Similar to its English counterpart, this Spanish term can refer to any bag used for purchasing goods, regardless of the product or bag material.

carrito de la compra

shopping cart

The Spanish phrase 'carrito de la compra' translates to 'shopping cart' in English. It is used as a way to carry goods in a supermarket or store while shopping. The term consists of two parts- ‘carrito’ which means 'little cart' and ‘de la compra’, which means 'of the shopping'. Therefore, when combined, it refers to a small cart used for shopping.

carro (de la compra)

shopping (cart)

The Spanish term 'carro (de la compra)' translates to 'shopping (cart)' in English. It's a noun that refers to a cart used by customers in a supermarket or grocery store to hold their goods until checkout. Each shopping cart typically consists of a large basket on wheels that the customer can easily roll around the store, allowing them to pick up items as they walk down the aisles. This is a common element of shopping in stores where customers choose their own items. It allows for the easy transportation of goods within the store and often serves as a temporary storage place for items selected for purchase.

cesta de la compra

shopping basket

The Spanish phrase 'cesta de la compra' translates to 'shopping basket' in English. This term is often found in the context of grocery or retail shopping. Just like in English-speaking regions, people in Spanish-speaking regions use a 'cesta de la compra' to collect and carry items they wish to purchase from a store. This may be a physical basket in a brick-and-mortar store or a virtual one in the context of online shopping.

comprar

purchase

verb housing office shopping

The Spanish word 'comprar' translates to 'purchase' in English. It is predominantly used as a verb. In terms of usage, it is used in contexts where one is buying or acquiring a good, service, or commodity in exchange for money or its equivalent. It shares roots with the English word 'compromise', although their definitions have diverged. In summary, 'comprar' defines the act of buying or acquiring something in the Spanish language.

comprar por catálogo

purchase by catalog

The Spanish phrase 'comprar por catálogo' translates to 'purchase by catalog' in English. This phrase refers to the action of buying items from a catalog, which is a printed or digital publication with a list of goods that can be purchased. Catalogs are commonly used in distance selling to allow a wider access to the businesses' products or services than physical stores. Customers can make their choices from the catalog and then place an order to buy the selected items.

comprar por Internet

buy online

'Comprar por Internet' is a Spanish phrase that means 'buy online' in English. This term is commonly used in contexts relating to e-commerce and digital transactions and it refers to the activity of purchasing goods or services over the Internet. Examples of its usage may include shopping from online retail websites or ordering food online. It's important to note that the verb 'comprar' is the infinitive form, so depending on the subject and tense, the conjugation may change.

descuento

discount

noun shopping

The Spanish word 'descuento' translates to 'discount' in English. It's a noun and refers to a reduction in the usual price of an item or service. You'll often come across this term in shopping contexts, where stores may offer a 'descuento' on a certain product, meaning they've reduced its normal price. It's commonly used in situations where items are on sale or when negotiating prices in marketplaces.

fidelizar clientes

to build customer loyalty

The phrase 'fidelizar clientes' in Spanish translates to 'build customer loyalty' in English. This term refers to the strategy and practices that a company follows to maintain a long-term relationship with its customers, thereby ensuring their repeated visits or purchases. This generally involves understanding customers' preferences, addressing their concerns, and offering them the best possible services or products. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance customer satisfaction and customer retention, which can lead to increased business revenue.

haber rebajas

there are sales

The Spanish phrase 'haber rebajas' translates to 'there are sales' in English. It is often used in the context of shopping, particularly in retail, to indicate that items' prices have been reduced for a limited time. Both 'haber rebajas' in Spanish and 'there are sales' in English are likely to be seen on signs or advertisements intended to attract customers. In Spain specifically, there are two official sales seasons recognized by the government: once after Christmas and once during the summer, though sales may certainly occur at other times as well.

hacer un cambio

make a change

The phrase 'hacer un cambio' in Spanish translates to 'make a change' in English. It can be used both in the context of making a change in one's personal life or to signify a physical change in an environment or situation. As in English, it can signify both a small adjustment or a significant transformation.

hacer un descuento

make a discount

The Spanish phrase 'hacer un descuento' translates to 'make a discount' in English. This phrase is often used in retail or other transactional situations where the seller may reduce the price of an item or service, thereby offering a 'discount' to the buyer. It is frequently used in bargaining and negotiating contexts, or during sales promotions.

hacer una devolución

make a return

The Spanish term 'hacer una devolución' is translated to 'make a return' in English. It is typically used in the context of retail or business, where it refers to the process of a customer returning a product or service due to dissatisfaction, fault, or other reasons. The term can also be used more broadly in other situations to describe the act of giving something back which was previously given to you.

ir de rebajas

go for sale

Example sentences with pasar por (la) caja →

'Ir de rebajas' is a phrase in Spanish which translates to 'go for sale' in English. However, a more common and accurate interpretation would be 'go sale shopping', as it is often used in the context of shopping during a sale period. For example, it is commonly used when stores have seasonal discount periods and people go to shop for discounted items. The phrase is often associated with consumer behavior and retail culture.

pasar por (la) caja

proceed to checkout

finance shopping

The Spanish phrase 'pasar por (la) caja' translates to 'proceed to checkout' in English. This is commonly used in retail settings, like supermarkets or clothing stores, where after selecting the desired items, you are instructed to 'pasar por la caja', which signals that it's time to go to the cashier or checkout counter to pay for your purchases.

precio de venta al público (PVP)

retail price (RRP)

finance shopping

The Spanish term 'precio de venta al público (PVP)' translates to 'retail price (RRP)' in English. It refers to the price at which a product or service is being sold to the general public. This price typically includes the cost of manufacturing, along with any additional organizational costs. Essentially, it sets a standard for comparison or reference to determine whether the product is priced high or low in various retail outlets.

Example sentences with precio de venta al público (PVP) →

quedar corto

stay short

The Spanish phrase 'quedar corto' translates to 'stay short' in English. However, the phrase is commonly used in situations where something is not enough, undersupplies, or insufficient. It could be quantifiable things like time, money, or non-quantifiable ones such as efforts or requirements. This is an idiomatic expression and is often used to analyze or review a certain outcome or result, implying that the result is not as expected or falls short of expectations.

quedar estrecho

fits tightly

The Spanish phrase 'quedar estrecho' translates to 'fits tightly' in English. This phrase is often used to describe clothes or spaces that are just enough to accommodate someone or something. An example of its usage would be when a shirt or pair of pants fits perfectly, or when there is just enough room for a piece of furniture. It's often used to express the idea of fitting snuggly or securely, rather than feeling loose or spacious.

quedar grande

fits loosely

The Spanish phrase 'quedar grande' translates to 'fits loosely' in English. This phrase is typically used to describe clothing or accessories that are too big for the wearer. As a result, the item does not fit properly and hangs loosely on the wearer. This phrase carries with it a negative connotation as it implies that the attire does not look as good as it should, due to improper sizing.

quedar largo

stay long

The Spanish phrase 'quedar largo' is often used to describe a situation where something, such as a piece of clothing or an event, will take an extended period of time or is longer than expected, with an English equivalent phrase being 'stay long'. This phrase can be used in a variety of contexts, typically in informal conversations. It's notable that this phrase is more literal, and may not be used as much as time related idioms in English.

quedar mal

fits badly

The Spanish phrase 'quedar mal' can be translated to 'fits badly' in English. This phrase is often used to describe something that doesn't fit properly or is ill-suited for a particular situation or person. It can be used in various contexts including when discussing clothing, ideas, or even behaviors. 'Quedar mal' may also be used metaphorically to infer that a person's actions or behavior does not conform or is inappropriate given societal norms or expectations.

quedar pequeño

stay small

The Spanish term 'quedar pequeño' does not directly translate to 'stay small' in English. It is a figurative phrase generally used to mean that something is getting too small or not sufficient anymore. For example, if a child is growing up and his clothes do not fit anymore, in Spanish we say 'la ropa le queda pequeña'. So, the term is more contextually used to refer to outgrowing something or when something is no longer big enough or adequate.

salir de rebajas

to go on sale

The phrase 'salir de rebajas' in Spanish translates to 'to go on sale' in English. This phrase typically refers to the practice of businesses temporarily reducing their prices to attract consumers. For example, a store might 'salir de rebajas' during a seasonal clearance event, or a manufacturer might 'salir de rebajas' when introducing a new product. Thus, 'salir de rebajas' represents a common activity in commerce and consumer behavior.

subir el precio

raise the price

office shopping

The phrase 'subir el precio' in Spanish translates to 'raise the price' in English. In the context of business, finance or commerce, 'subir el precio' means to increase the monetary value or cost of a good, service or product. It suggests an upward adjustment or hike in the amount of money required in order to purchase or acquire something.

tener precios especiales

special prices

The phrase 'tener precios especiales' in Spanish translates to 'have special prices' in English. The verb 'tener' means 'to have', 'precios' translates to 'prices', and 'especiales' means 'special'. Therefore, when these words are combined, it refers to the scenario where special prices are offered, likely in the context of a store or sale.

tener rebajas

have discounts

The Spanish phrase 'tener rebajas' translates to 'have discounts' in English. This can be used in a retail or sales context. When a store 'tiene rebajas', it means they're offering products at lowered prices for a certain period. This can also refer to bargains or sale items in a store.

tener un descuento

have a discount

The Spanish phrase 'tener un descuento' translates to 'have a discount' in English. This phrase is primarily used in the context of sales and transactions, when a buyer receives a reduction in the item or service's original price. It can be used both literally, when speaking about concrete purchases, and figuratively, in the sense of getting a metaphorical advantage in various situations.

vender por catálogo

sale by catalogue

The Spanish phrase 'vender por catálogo' directly translates to 'sale by catalogue' in English. It refers to the business model or practice where a company's products or services are not physically displayed or sold in a traditional brick-and-mortar store but instead, customers make orders through a printed or online catalogue. They select the items they want from this catalogue and the company delivers the ordered items to them. This method of sales is commonly employed by many firms with diverse product offerings, allowing them to reach a greater number of customers, irrespective of geographical restrictions.

vender por Internet

selling online