Shopping with a grocery list | Learn French in English

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Use Shopping with a grocery list to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Restons sur la liste de courses.

ruh-STOHN syur lah LEEST duh KOORS Let's stick to the grocery list.

Ça devrait nous éviter d'acheter trop.

sah duh-VREH noo-zay-vee-TAY dah-SHTAY troh That should keep us from buying too much.

Où sont les pâtes et le riz ?

oo SOHN lay PAT ay luh REE Where are the pasta and rice?

Ils sont dans le rayon des produits secs.

eel SOHN dahn luh reh-YOHN day proh-DWEE SEK They are in the dry food aisle.

Ce sont les pâtes que nous avons achetées la dernière fois.

suh SOHN lay PAT kuh noo-zah-VOHN zah-SHTAY lah dehr-NYEHR fwah This is the pasta we bought last time.

Mettons un paquet dans le chariot.

meh-TOHN uhn pah-KAY dahn luh shah-RYOH Let's put one pack in the cart.

Après ça, il nous faut seulement du lait.

ah-PREH sah eel noo foh suhl-MAHN dyoo LEH After that, we only need milk.

Ensuite, nous pouvons aller directement à la caisse.

ahn-SWHEET noo poo-VOHN-zah-LAY dee-rehk-tuh-MAHN ah lah KESS Then we can head straight to checkout.

Word by Word

Restons “Restons” means “let’s stay” or, here, “let’s stick to,” as a suggestion to follow the grocery list. It is useful in the pattern “Restons sur…” when proposing that people continue with a plan or choice.

sur “sur” means “on” and helps express following or staying with something in “Restons sur la liste de courses.” A useful reuse pattern is “rester sur + a plan, choice, or topic.”

la “la” means “the” before the singular feminine noun “liste.” It identifies a specific thing, as in “la liste de courses” for the grocery list.

liste “liste” means “list”; here it is the list that guides the shopping. You can reuse it with “une liste de…” to name a list of items or activities.

de “de” links “liste” to “courses” in “la liste de courses,” showing what the list is for. The pattern “une liste de + activity or items” is common for naming a list.

courses “courses” means grocery shopping or groceries in “la liste de courses.” The expression “faire les courses” is used when talking about doing the grocery shopping.

Ça “Ça” means “that” or “it” and refers here to sticking to the list. In “Ça devrait…,” it introduces the expected result of the previous idea.

devrait “devrait” means “should” here, expressing an expected result: the list should help prevent excessive buying. It is useful in “Ça devrait + action or result” when making a prediction or expectation.

nous “nous” refers to the speakers as the people who should be kept from buying too much. It is used when the action or result concerns “us,” as in “nous éviter d’acheter trop.”

éviter “éviter” means “avoid” in the idea of preventing the speakers from buying too much. A useful pattern is “éviter de + infinitive,” as in “éviter d’acheter.”

d'acheter “d’acheter” means “buying” here and names the action to avoid; it is “de” before the infinitive “acheter.” Reuse the pattern “éviter d’acheter + something” when saying that someone should avoid buying it.

trop “trop” means “too much” in “acheter trop,” describing an excessive amount of shopping. It commonly follows an action such as “acheter” when the amount is more than needed.

Où “Où” means “where” and begins the question asking for the location of the pasta and rice. It is used at the start of a question about a place or location.

sont “sont” means “are” and states where “les pâtes et le riz” are located. It is useful in the pattern “Où sont + plural things?” when asking where several things are.

les “les” means “the” before the plural nouns “pâtes” and “produits.” It refers to specific plural items or categories, such as “les pâtes” for the pasta.

pâtes “pâtes” means “pasta” here, one of the foods the shoppers are looking for. In a shop, it can be used with a quantity or package, as in “un paquet de pâtes.”

et “et” means “and” and joins “les pâtes” with “le riz” in the question. It is used to connect two or more items in a list.

le “le” means “the” before the singular noun “riz.” It identifies the specific rice being sought, as in “le riz” on a shopping list.

riz “riz” means “rice,” one of the products the shoppers want to find. It can be used in a grocery context with a quantity or package, such as “un paquet de riz.”

Ils “Ils” means “they” and refers back to “les pâtes et le riz,” the items located in the aisle. The pattern “Ils sont dans…” is useful for saying where several things are.

dans “dans” means “in” and introduces the place containing the products: “dans le rayon des produits secs.” Use “dans + place” to say where something or someone is located.

rayon “rayon” means “aisle” or a store section; here it is the area for dry products. In a shop, “dans le rayon de…” identifies the aisle or section where a category is found.

des “des” links “rayon” to the plural category “produits secs” in “le rayon des produits secs,” meaning the aisle of the dry products. This form is useful in patterns that identify a section by the products it contains.

produits “produits” means “products” in the category “produits secs.” It can be reused with an adjective or category word to describe the kind of products in a shop.

secs “secs” means “dry” and describes the products in the dry-food section. The expression “produits secs” is useful for referring to shelf-stable grocery products.

Ce “Ce” is part of “Ce sont les pâtes…” and helps identify the pasta as the item being discussed. The pattern “Ce sont + plural noun” is used to say “these are…” or identify several things.

que “que” links “les pâtes” with the description “nous avons achetées la dernière fois,” meaning the pasta that was bought last time. It is useful for introducing a clause that describes a specific thing.

avons “avons” helps express the completed purchase in “nous avons achetées.” It is used with a past participle to talk about an action that the speakers completed.

achetées “achetées” means “bought” and describes the pasta purchased last time. In “que nous avons achetées,” it identifies which pasta the speakers mean by referring to the earlier purchase.

dernière “dernière” means “last” in the expression “la dernière fois,” referring to the previous occasion. It describes “fois” and is useful in this common expression for talking about an earlier time.

fois “fois” means “time” when referring to an occasion, as in “la dernière fois.” The expression “la première fois” or “la dernière fois” is used to compare occasions.

Mettons “Mettons” means “let’s put” and introduces a suggestion to place one pack in the cart. The pattern “Mettons + object + dans…” is useful when proposing where to place something.

un “un” means “one” or “a” before the masculine noun “paquet.” Here it specifies one pack, and it is useful when selecting a single item in a shop.

paquet “paquet” means “pack” or “packet”; here it refers to one package of pasta. In a grocery shop, it can be used in “un paquet de…” to name a packaged food.

chariot “chariot” means “shopping cart” in “dans le chariot.” It is useful when saying that an item is placed in or taken from the cart.

Après “Après” means “after” and introduces the next point in the shopping plan in “Après ça.” Use “Après + event or thing” to say what happens afterward.

il “il” is the impersonal subject in “il nous faut,” a fixed expression meaning that something is needed for us. It does not refer to a particular person in this sentence.

faut “faut” carries the meaning “is needed” in “il nous faut seulement du lait.” The pattern “il faut + thing” or “il nous faut + thing” is useful for stating what is necessary.

seulement “seulement” means “only” and limits the remaining need to milk. It is useful before or near the item that is the sole remaining requirement.

du “du” introduces an unspecified amount of the masculine noun “lait,” giving “some milk” or simply “milk” in this shopping context. It is useful when naming an uncounted masculine food or substance that is needed.

lait “lait” means “milk,” the only item still needed after the pasta is added. In a shopping context, it can follow “il nous faut” to state that milk is required.

Ensuite “Ensuite” means “then” or “afterward” and moves the conversation to the next step: going to checkout. It is useful for ordering actions in a plan or sequence.

pouvons “pouvons” means “can” and says that the speakers are able or ready to go to checkout. It is useful in “nous pouvons + infinitive” when proposing or describing a possible next action.

aller “aller” means “go” and follows “pouvons” in “nous pouvons aller.” After a form of “pouvoir,” it names the action that is possible or permitted.

directement “directement” means “directly” or “straight” and shows that the speakers will go to checkout without another shopping stop. It is useful with movement verbs to describe a direct route or next action.

à “à” means “to” in “aller directement à la caisse,” introducing the destination. Use “aller à + place” when saying where someone is going.

caisse “caisse” means “checkout” or “cash desk” in the grocery shop. The expression “aller à la caisse” is used when heading to pay for the shopping.

Grammar Points

Impératif à la 1re personne du pluriel : -ons

Restons sur la liste de courses.

ruh-STOHN syur lah LEEST duh KOORS

Let's stick to the grocery list.

Pour dire « let’s », le français emploie la forme « nous » de l’impératif, sans pronom sujet : restons, mettons.

devoir au conditionnel + infinitif

Ça devrait nous éviter d’acheter trop.

sah duh-VREH noo-zay-vee-TAY dah-SHTAY troh

That should keep us from buying too much.

« Devrait » exprime une suggestion ou une probabilité. Après « éviter », on emploie « de » avant l’infinitif.

French Vocabulary

acheter verb

ah-SHTAY to buy

d'acheter trop

Ça pron

sah That

Ça devrait nous éviter d'acheter trop.

courses noun

KOORS groceries

la liste de courses

devrait verb

duh-VREH should

Ça devrait nous éviter d'acheter trop.

éviter verb

ay-vee-TAY to avoid

nous éviter d'acheter trop

liste noun

LEEST list

la liste de courses

nous pron

NOO us

nous éviter

Où adv

oo Where

Où sont les pâtes et le riz ?

pâtes noun

PAT pasta

les pâtes

Restons sur phrase

ruh-STOHN syur Let's stick to

Restons sur la liste de courses.

sont verb

SOHN are

Où sont les pâtes et le riz ?

trop adv

troh too much

acheter trop

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Let's stick to the grocery list.

Show Answer

Restons sur la liste de courses.

That should keep us from buying too much.

Show Answer

Ça devrait nous éviter d'acheter trop.

Let's put one pack in the cart.

Show Answer

Mettons un paquet dans le chariot.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

list

Show Answer

liste

too much

Show Answer

trop

Show Answer

nous

to buy

Show Answer

acheter