Getting a Shopping Bag and Paying for Groceries | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: At a shop checkout, a customer asks for a shopping bag, pays by card, and asks for the receipt in the bag..

EN → ES / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Getting a Shopping Bag and Paying for Groceries to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Olvidé mi bolsa de compras.

ohl-bee-DAY mee BOL-sah day KOM-pras I forgot my shopping bag.
B

Aquí puedes comprar una bolsa.

ah-KEE PWEH-dess kom-PRAR OO-nah BOL-sah You can buy a bag here.
A

Una bolsa de compras me ayudaría.

OO-nah BOL-sah day KOM-pras meh ah-yoo-dah-REE-ah A shopping bag would help.
B

¿Vas a pagar con tarjeta o en efectivo?

bahs ah pah-GAR kohn tar-HEH-tah oh en eh-fek-TEE-boh Will you pay by card or cash?
A

Pagaré con tarjeta.

pah-gah-RAY kohn tar-HEH-tah I'll pay by card.
B

¿Necesitas un recibo?

nay-say-SEE-tahs oon reh-SEE-boh Do you need a receipt?
A

Por favor, pon el recibo en la bolsa.

por fah-BOR, pohn el reh-SEE-boh en lah BOL-sah Please put the receipt in the bag.
B

Aquí están tus compras.

ah-KEE es-TAHN toos KOM-pras Here are your groceries.
A

Ahora puedo llevarlas.

ah-OH-rah PWEH-doh yeh-BAR-lahs I can carry them now.

Word by Word

Olvidé “Olvidé” means “I forgot” in “Olvidé mi bolsa de compras.” It is the past form of olvidar; use “Olvidé” followed by the thing that was forgotten.
mi “Mi” means “my” and comes before the thing that belongs to the speaker, as in “mi bolsa.” It is used with a singular noun here.
bolsa “Bolsa” means “bag” in “mi bolsa de compras.” Use it with a type or purpose after de, as in “bolsa de compras.”
de In “bolsa de compras,” “de” links bolsa with its purpose, giving the meaning “shopping bag.” This pattern can connect a noun with what it is for or associated with.
compras “Compras” means “shopping” or “groceries” in “bolsa de compras.” Here it identifies the bag as one used for shopping; it also appears in “tus compras” for the groceries being bought.
Aquí “Aquí” means “here” and points to the place where the bag can be bought, as in “Aquí puedes comprar una bolsa.” It commonly appears before a verb to present what is available here.
puedes “Puedes” means “you can” in “puedes comprar.” It is a form of poder followed by an infinitive, so “puedes comprar” expresses that the person addressed is able or allowed to buy.
comprar “Comprar” means “buy” in “puedes comprar una bolsa.” It is the infinitive used after puedes; use it before the thing being bought.
una “Una” means “a” or “one” before the singular noun “bolsa” in “una bolsa.” It introduces one unspecified bag.
me “Me” refers to the speaker as the person affected in “me ayudaría,” meaning that the bag would help me. It commonly appears before the verb when the speaker is the person receiving the effect.
ayudaría “Ayudaría” means “would help” in “Una bolsa de compras me ayudaría.” It is the conditional form of ayudar and presents the bag as something that would be useful; use it with the person or thing that would be helped.
Vas In “Vas a pagar,” “Vas” contributes the meaning “you are going to” for a planned payment. Together with a and an infinitive, it asks about an intended action.
a In “Vas a pagar,” “a” comes between Vas and the infinitive pagar to form the expression for an intended action. The reusable pattern is “Vas a” followed by an infinitive.
pagar “Pagar” means “pay” in “Vas a pagar” and “Pagaré con tarjeta.” It is the infinitive after “Vas a” and names the payment action.
con “Con” means “with” and gives the payment method in “con tarjeta.” In this context, it is used to say that payment is made by card.
tarjeta “Tarjeta” means “card” in “con tarjeta.” Use it after con when naming card payment.
o “O” means “or” and connects the two payment choices in “con tarjeta o en efectivo.” It is used between alternatives.
en In “en efectivo,” “en” contributes the payment-method meaning “by” or “in.” The complete expression “en efectivo” means paying with cash.
efectivo “Efectivo” means “cash” in “en efectivo.” Use it after en to name cash as the payment method.
Pagaré “Pagaré” means “I will pay” in “Pagaré con tarjeta.” It is the future form of pagar and can be followed by the payment method.
Necesitas “Necesitas” means “you need” in the question “¿Necesitas un recibo?” It is used before the thing the person needs, here un recibo.
un “Un” means “a” or “one” before “recibo” in “un recibo.” It introduces one unspecified receipt.
recibo “Recibo” means “receipt” in “¿Necesitas un recibo?” It names the document the customer may need after paying.
Por favor “Por favor” is the complete polite expression “please” in “Por favor, pon el recibo en la bolsa.” Por means “for” and favor means “favor,” but together they form the fixed expression used to soften a request.
pon “Pon” means “put” in the request “Pon el recibo en la bolsa.” It is used to tell someone to place an object somewhere, following the pattern “pon” plus object plus en plus place.
están “Están” means “are” in “Aquí están tus compras,” presenting the groceries as being here. It is a form of estar used with the plural “tus compras.”
tus “Tus” means “your” before the plural noun “compras” in “tus compras.” It marks that the groceries belong to or are intended for the person addressed.
Ahora “Ahora” means “now” and places the action in the present moment in “Ahora puedo llevarlas.” It commonly appears before a verb to show when an action can happen.
puedo “Puedo” means “I can” or “I am able to” in “puedo llevarlas.” It is a form of poder followed by an infinitive to express ability.
llevarlas “Llevarlas” means “carry them” in “Ahora puedo llevarlas.” It combines llevar, “carry,” with las, which refers back to the feminine plural “tus compras”; use it after puedo to say that the speaker can carry them.

Grammar Points

Infinitivo + pronombre de objeto: llevarlas

Necesitas llevarlas ahora.

nay-say-SEE-tahs yeh-BAR-lahs ah-OH-rah

You need to carry them now.

The object pronoun is attached to the infinitive: llevar + las = llevarlas.

Imperativo informal (tú): pon

Pon tus compras aquí, por favor.

pohn toos KOM-pras ah-KEE, por fah-BOR

Put your groceries here, please.

The informal tú imperative of poner is pon; the subject pronoun is normally omitted.

Spanish Vocabulary

aquí adv
ah-KEE here
ayudar verb
ah-yoo-DAR to help ayudaría
bolsa noun
BOL-sah bag
comprar verb
kom-PRAR to buy
compras noun
KOM-pras groceries; purchases
efectivo noun
eh-fek-TEE-boh cash

en efectivo

me pron
meh me
necesitar verb
nay-say-see-TAR to need Necesitas
olvidar verb
ohl-bee-DAR to forget Olvidé
pagar verb
pah-GAR to pay pagaré
recibo noun
reh-SEE-boh receipt
tarjeta noun
tar-HEH-tah card

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I forgot my shopping bag.

Show AnswerOlvidé mi bolsa de compras.

You can buy a bag here.

Show AnswerAquí puedes comprar una bolsa.

A shopping bag would help.

Show AnswerUna bolsa de compras me ayudaría.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

card

Show Answertarjeta

to help

Show Answerayudaría

to forget

Show AnswerOlvidé

here

Show Answeraquí