Why Shopping Vocabulary Is Worth Learning Early

Shopping is one of the first real-world situations where you have to produce French on the spot — a salesperson asks a question, and you need a quick, natural answer. It's also a common theme in TCF and TEF speaking tasks ("describe a recent purchase," "role-play returning an item"). This guide covers clothing items, how to describe them, and the phrases you'll actually hear and need in a French-speaking store.

Clothing Items (Les Vêtements)

Category	French
Tops	un t-shirt, une chemise, un chemisier (blouse), un pull (sweater), un chandail (Quebec: sweater)
Bottoms	un pantalon, un jean, une jupe (skirt), un short, un legging
Dresses & suits	une robe (dress), un costume (suit), un tailleur (women's suit)
Outerwear	un manteau (coat), une veste (jacket), un blouson (bomber-style jacket), un imperméable (raincoat)
Footwear	des chaussures (shoes), des baskets (sneakers), des bottes (boots), des sandales
Accessories	une ceinture (belt), un sac à main (handbag), une écharpe (scarf), des gants (gloves), un chapeau (hat), des lunettes de soleil (sunglasses)
Underwear & sleepwear	des sous-vêtements, un pyjama, une chemise de nuit (nightgown)

Describing Clothes

Fabrics (Les Tissus)

en coton (cotton), en laine (wool), en cuir (leather), en soie (silk), en jean/en denim, en polyester, en lin (linen)

Fit and Style Adjectives

serré(e) (tight), large / ample (loose/baggy), ajusté(e) (fitted), confortable (comfortable)
trop grand(e) (too big), trop petit(e) (too small), à la mode (fashionable), démodé(e) (out of style)

Remember these adjectives agree with the noun: un pantalon serré but une robe serrée — an easy point to lose in written exam tasks if you rush.

Sizes: A Real Trap for Travellers

French and North American sizing systems don't line up, and the vocabulary itself differs by context. Clothing size is la taille; shoe size is la pointure — these are two different words, and mixing them up is an instant giveaway that you're translating from English.

Quelle est votre taille ? → What's your (clothing) size?
Quelle pointure faites-vous ? → What (shoe) size are you?
Je fais du 38. → I'm a size 38 (used for both clothing and shoe sizes once the context is set).
XS, S, M, L, XL are used in France much like in English, but Quebec stores often show both French sizing and US/Canadian sizing side by side.

Shopping Verbs

essayer (to try on): Je peux essayer cette veste ?
porter (to wear): Elle porte toujours du noir.
acheter (to buy), vendre (to sell), rendre / rapporter (to return an item), échanger (to exchange)
aller (bien) (to suit/fit): Ce pull te va très bien. (This sweater really suits you.)
rembourser (to refund): Est-ce que vous pouvez me rembourser ?

At the Store: Key Phrases

Je cherche quelque chose pour... → I'm looking for something for... (an occasion, a person)
Est-ce que vous l'avez en une autre couleur / taille ? → Do you have it in another colour / size?
Où sont les cabines d'essayage ? → Where are the fitting rooms?
Ça coûte combien ? / Combien ça fait ? → How much is it / does it come to?
Vous acceptez la carte de crédit ? → Do you accept credit card?
Je voudrais juste regarder, merci. → I'm just looking, thanks.
Avez-vous un reçu ? → Do you have a receipt? (needed to exchange or return)

Types of Stores (Les Magasins)

un centre commercial (mall), une boutique (small shop), un grand magasin (department store)
un magasin de chaussures (shoe store), une friperie (thrift/secondhand shop), un magasin en ligne (online store)
la caisse (the checkout/register), un vendeur / une vendeuse (salesperson), un client / une cliente (customer)

Sales and Prices

les soldes (seasonal sales — a fixed period in France regulated by law) vs une promotion / une réduction (a discount at any time)
C'est en solde. → It's on sale. / -30% sur tout le magasin. → 30% off the whole store.
C'est bon marché. → It's cheap. / C'est cher / hors de prix. → It's expensive / way overpriced.
Ça vaut le prix. → It's worth the price.

Online Shopping Vocabulary

A growing share of shopping happens online, and French e-commerce sites use their own set of terms that don't overlap much with in-store vocabulary.

le panier (shopping cart), ajouter au panier (add to cart), passer la commande (place the order)
un code promo (promo code), les frais de livraison (shipping fees), la livraison gratuite (free shipping)
le suivi de commande (order tracking), en rupture de stock (out of stock), disponible (in stock/available)
un avis client (customer review), le guide des tailles (size guide) — worth checking every time, since sizing varies by brand and country.

Shopping Idioms Worth Knowing

Coûter les yeux de la tête — to cost an arm and a leg (literally "to cost the eyes from the head"). Ce manteau coûte les yeux de la tête !
Être tiré(e) à quatre épingles — to be dressed to the nines, impeccably put together.
Faire du lèche-vitrines — to go window shopping (literally "to lick windows").
Se serrer la ceinture — to tighten one's belt, i.e. to cut spending.

Dropping one of these naturally into a TCF or TEF speaking answer about shopping habits is a quick way to demonstrate idiomatic range beyond textbook vocabulary.

Sample Dialogue

— Bonjour, je peux vous aider ?
— Oui, je cherche un manteau d'hiver, pas trop cher si possible.
— Quelle taille faites-vous ?
— Je fais du M, normalement.
— Voici un modèle en solde, il est très chaud. Vous voulez l'essayer ?
— Oui, avec plaisir. Où sont les cabines d'essayage ?

Practising short exchanges like this out loud — even alone — builds the automatic reflexes you need for the TCF and TEF speaking sections, where shopping and daily errands are recurring role-play topics.

Want more practical vocabulary like this? Explore our French learning parcours for a complete, structured path through everyday French.

French Shopping and Clothing Vocabulary: What to Say at the Store