A shopping exchange usually has a small goal: find an item, ask a price or pay. Learn the whole phrase so you can concentrate on the response.

die Entschuldigung
der Apfel
die Größe
die Karte
die Tüte

The idea

Was kostet das? asks the price. Ich hätte gern … is a polite request for an item or quantity. In clothing shops, in einer anderen Größe asks for another size. Kann ich mit Karte bezahlen? checks whether card payment is possible; do not assume every shop accepts it. Keine Tüte declines a bag, and der Kassenbon is the receipt.

Change a job, exchange money or swap seats: use wechseln and tauschen with clear objects, partners and replacement patterns. German usage: wechseln / tauschen

Explain why an item does not suit you, ask about an exchange and understand the shop’s answer in German. Ich möchte diese Jacke umtauschen. — I would like to exchange this jacket. Returning a purchase in German

Examples

  • Entschuldigung, was kostet das?
  • Ich hätte gern zwei Äpfel.
  • Haben Sie das in einer anderen Größe?
  • Kann ich mit Karte bezahlen?
  • Ich brauche keine Tüte.
  • Den Kassenbon, bitte.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic German voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

A phrasebook cannot guarantee a shop's payment options. Ask the question and listen to the answer before choosing how to pay.

Try it yourself

  1. Was ___ das? (kosten)

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    kostet

    The singular subject das takes kostet.

  2. Kann ich mit ___ bezahlen? (Karte / bar)

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    Karte

    Mit Karte bezahlen means to pay by card.

  3. Ich brauche ___ Tüte. (Negation)

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    keine

    Tüte is feminine; the accusative negative determiner is keine.

Use it today

Role-play buying two items. Ask one price, decline a bag and ask about payment. Then swap roles and change the quantities.