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

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris 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 → FR / Level: A1

About This Lesson

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

Dialogue

A

J'ai oublié mon sac de courses.

zhay oo-blee-AY mohn sak duh KOORS I forgot my shopping bag.
B

Vous pouvez acheter un sac ici.

voo poo-VAY ah-shuh-TAY uhn sak ee-SEE You can buy a bag here.
A

Un sac de courses serait utile.

uhn sak duh KOORS suh-RAY oo-TEEL A shopping bag would help.
B

Vous allez payer par carte ou en espèces ?

voo zah-LAY pay-YAY par KART oo ahn ay-SPESS Will you pay by card or cash?
A

Je vais payer par carte.

zhuh vay pay-YAY par KART I'll pay by card.
B

Vous avez besoin d'un reçu ?

voo zah-VAY buh-ZWAN duhn ruh-SOO Do you need a receipt?
A

Mettez le reçu dans le sac, s'il vous plaît.

meh-TAY luh ruh-SOO dahn luh SAK, seel voo PLAY Please put the receipt in the bag.
B

Voici vos courses.

vwah-SEE voh KOORS Here are your groceries.
A

Je peux les porter maintenant.

zhuh puh lay por-TAY meh(n)-tuh-NAHN I can carry them now.

Word by Word

J'ai In "J'ai oublié", "J'ai" helps express the completed event "I forgot"; by itself, it means "I have". It is used before the completed-action form in this construction. A common reuse is "J'ai" followed by something the speaker has done or forgotten.
oublié In "J'ai oublié mon sac de courses", "oublié" says that the speaker forgot the shopping bag. It is the form used after "J'ai" in this completed-event expression. A common reuse is "J'ai oublié" followed by the thing forgotten.
mon In "mon sac", "mon" marks the bag as belonging to the speaker. It comes directly before the noun it describes. Use "mon" before a singular item connected with the speaker.
sac In "mon sac de courses" and "le sac", "sac" means "bag". In the lesson, it refers to the bag used for carrying the shopping. A common reuse is "sac" followed by "de" and a noun describing its purpose or contents.
de In "sac de courses", "de" links "sac" with "courses" to form the shopping-bag expression; it does not carry the whole meaning by itself. It commonly links one noun with another noun that describes it. Here it connects the bag with shopping.
courses In "sac de courses" and "vos courses", "courses" refers to shopping or groceries. In the first expression, it describes the purpose of the bag; in the second, it refers to the groceries being handed over. This form is useful when talking about shopping at a store.
Vous In "Vous pouvez", "Vous allez", and "Vous avez", "Vous" means "you" when addressing one person politely or several people. In "s'il vous plaît", lowercase "vous" also refers to the person or people being addressed. Use "Vous" before the verb when speaking politely at a checkout.
pouvez In "Vous pouvez acheter", "pouvez" expresses that the addressee can buy a bag. It is followed by the action "acheter". Reuse the pattern "Vous pouvez" followed by an action when offering or explaining an option.
acheter In "acheter un sac", "acheter" names the action of buying. After "pouvez", it stays in this form. Use "acheter" before the thing being bought, as in "acheter un sac".
un In "un sac" and "Un sac de courses", "un" introduces one non-specific bag. It comes directly before the noun. Use "un" plus a singular noun when introducing one item.
ici In "acheter un sac ici", "ici" locates the purchase at this shop or place. It appears at the end of the sentence to say where the action happens. Use it when directing someone to the place where something is available or done.
serait In "Un sac de courses serait utile", "serait" presents the bag as something that would be helpful. It makes the statement tentative or hypothetical rather than a direct statement of fact. Reuse "serait" with a description when saying that something would be useful in a situation.
utile In "serait utile", "utile" says that the bag would be useful or helpful. It describes the bag after "serait". Reuse "serait utile" when explaining that something would help.
allez In "Vous allez payer", "allez" helps form a near-future question about paying. It is followed by the action "payer". Reuse the pattern "subject + allez + action" for something expected to happen soon.
payer In "Vous allez payer" and "payer par carte", "payer" means "to pay". It follows "allez" in the near-future question and can be followed by "par" plus the payment method. Use it when discussing how a purchase will be settled.
par In "par carte", "par" marks the card as the payment method. It does not mean the card by itself; the full expression gives the payment meaning. Use "payer par carte" when saying that payment will be made by card.
carte In "par carte", "carte" means "card", specifically the card used for payment at the checkout. It follows "par" in the payment-method expression. Use it in "payer par carte" when explaining how you will pay.
ou In "par carte ou en espèces", "ou" connects two payment options: by card or in cash. It is used between the alternatives. Reuse "A ou B" when asking someone to choose between two possibilities.
en In "en espèces", "en" is part of the expression for paying in cash; it does not mean cash by itself. Use it with "espèces" when naming cash as the payment method. The reusable expression in this context is "payer en espèces".
espèces In "en espèces", "espèces" means "cash". It is used together with "en" to describe cash payment. Use the full expression when choosing cash rather than card at a checkout.
Je In "Je vais payer" and "Je peux les porter", "Je" identifies the speaker as the subject. It comes before the verb form that describes the speaker's action or ability. Use "Je" when saying what you will do or can do.
avez In "Vous avez besoin d'un reçu", "avez" is the form used with "Vous" in the expression for needing something. The meaning of needing comes from the whole expression, not from "avez" alone. Reuse "Vous avez besoin" when asking whether someone needs an item.
besoin In "Vous avez besoin d'un reçu", "besoin" is the central word in the expression used to say that someone needs a receipt. It works with "avez" and the following "d'un reçu". Use the same expression before the item that is needed.
d'un In "besoin d'un reçu", "d'un" introduces the item that is needed: a receipt. It is the contracted form of "de" plus "un". Reuse the pattern "besoin d'un" before a singular item.
reçu In "d'un reçu" and "le reçu", "reçu" means "receipt". It is first the item the customer is asked about and then the item to be put in the bag. Use it with "d'un" when referring to a receipt that is needed and with "le" when referring to the identified receipt.
Mettez In "Mettez le reçu dans le sac", "Mettez" asks the person addressed to put something somewhere. It is followed by the object and its destination. Reuse the pattern "Mettez" plus an object plus "dans" a place for a direct request.
le In "le reçu" and "le sac", "le" identifies a specific item already relevant in the conversation: the receipt or the bag. It comes directly before the noun. Use "le" when referring to a particular singular item.
dans In "dans le sac", "dans" places the receipt inside the bag. It introduces the container or place where something is put. Reuse the pattern "Mettez" plus an object plus "dans" a container.
s'il vous plaît The whole expression "s'il vous plaît" politely turns "Mettez le reçu dans le sac" into a request. "s'il" contributes the opening "if it", "vous" refers to the person or people addressed, and "plaît" contributes the idea of being pleasing; the parts are normally learned together as "please". Use it when making a polite request to a shop employee or another person.
Voici In "Voici vos courses", "Voici" presents the groceries to the listener as "Here are your groceries". It comes before the thing being shown or handed over. Reuse "Voici" before an item or group of items you are presenting.
vos In "vos courses", "vos" marks the groceries as belonging to or being associated with the person or people addressed. It comes before a plural noun. Use it when addressing one person politely or more than one person.
peux In "Je peux les porter", "peux" says that the speaker is able to carry the groceries. It is followed by "les porter". Reuse the pattern "Je peux" plus an action when stating what you are able to do.
les In "Je peux les porter", "les" refers back to "vos courses" and stands for the plural objects being carried. It comes before "porter". Reuse "les" before an action when it represents several things affected by that action.
porter In "les porter", "porter" names the action of carrying the groceries. After "peux", it stays in this form. Use it with the thing being carried, either as a noun or as "les" before the action.
maintenant In "Je peux les porter maintenant", "maintenant" means "now" and places the carrying in the present moment. It appears at the end of the sentence. Use it when saying that an action can happen immediately.

Grammar Points

avoir besoin de + nom

Vous avez besoin d'un sac.

voo zah-VAY buh-ZWAN duhn SAK

You need a bag.

The expression avoir besoin de means “to need”; de becomes d’ before a vowel sound.

Mettez + nom + dans + lieu

Mettez le reçu dans le sac, s'il vous plaît.

meh-TAY luh ruh-SOO dahn luh SAK, seel voo PLAY

Put the receipt in the bag, please.

Mettez is the polite or plural imperative of mettre, used to give a request or instruction.

French Vocabulary

acheter verb
ah-shuh-TAY to buy

Vous pouvez acheter un sac ici.

avoir besoin de phrase
ah-VWAR buh-ZWAN duh to need avez besoin d'

Vous avez besoin d'un reçu ?

courses noun
KOORS groceries; shopping

un sac de courses

en espèces phrase
ahn ay-SPESS in cash

Vous allez payer par carte ou en espèces ?

ici adv
ee-SEE here

Vous pouvez acheter un sac ici.

oublier verb
oo-blee-AY to forget oublié

J'ai oublié mon sac de courses.

par carte phrase
par KART by card

Je vais payer par carte.

payer verb
pay-YAY to pay

Vous allez payer par carte ou en espèces ?

pouvoir verb
poo-VWAR can; to be able to pouvez

Vous pouvez acheter un sac ici.

reçu noun
ruh-SOO receipt

Vous avez besoin d'un reçu ?

sac noun
SAK bag

mon sac de courses

utile adj
oo-TEEL useful

Un sac de courses serait utile.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I forgot my shopping bag.

Show AnswerJ'ai oublié mon sac de courses.

You can buy a bag here.

Show AnswerVous pouvez acheter un sac ici.

A shopping bag would help.

Show AnswerUn sac de courses serait utile.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

useful

Show Answerutile

to buy

Show Answeracheter

to pay

Show Answerpayer

groceries; shopping

Show Answercourses