Chapter 9

Shopping Made Easy

In This Chapter

Deciding where and when to shop

Finding items, browsing, and asking for help

Looking for clothes while you shop

Making purchases after finding what you need

Comparing items before buying

Shopping in another country can be a fun way to dive into the culture and rub elbows with the locals. In European cities, you have a choice of hunting for unique items in enticing shops and boutiques, or if you’re in the mood for one-stop shopping, you can head for the major department stores found in all the larger towns and cities.

City centers often have large pedestrian zones featuring all kinds of stores and restaurants, making them the ideal setting for a leisurely stroll or for some window shopping, which is called Schaufensterbummel (shou-fêns-ter-boom-el).

In this chapter, we help you become familiar with the terms and phrases you would use during a shopping trip — from asking for help and browsing to trying on and purchasing your finds.

Places to Shop around Town

If you need to purchase something, you can find plenty of shopping opportunities in all kinds of locales, including the following:

das Kaufhaus (dâs kouf-hous) (department store)

das Fachgeschäft (dâs fâH-ge-shêft) (store specializing in a line of products)

die Boutique (dee booh-teek) (a small, often high-end shop generally selling clothes or gifts)

die Buchhandlung (dee boohH-hând-loong) (bookstore)

die Fußgängerzone (dee foohs-gêng-er-tsoh-ne) (pedestrian zone)

der Kiosk (dêr kee-osk) (newsstand)

der Flohmarkt (dêr floh-mârkt) (flea market)

Finding Out about Opening Hours

Shopping hours in Germany aren’t quite what you’re used to in the U.S. Opening hours are regulated by law. For the most part, stores may open at 6 a.m., and they close by 8 p.m. from Monday through Saturday. In small towns, some stores close between noon and 2 p.m. for lunch. Don’t count on banks being open after 4 p.m. However, you may find some banks that stay open until about 6 p.m. on Thursdays. On Sundays, most businesses remain closed.

Bakeries, which sell fresh rolls, or Brötchen (brert-Hen), are an exception to the rule that businesses remain closed on Sundays. And some stores may be open in popular resort towns. Can’t find any places to buy sandwich fixings? Look for 24/7 gas stations that sell a wide variety of grocery items. Also some shops at train stations in larger cities are open on Sundays.

To find out a store’s open hours, ask the following questions:

Wann öffnen Sie? (vân erf-nen zee?) (When do you open?)

Wann schließen Sie? (vân shlees-en zee?) (When do you close?)

Haben Sie mittags geöffnet? (hah-ben zee mi-tahks ge-erf-net?) (Are you open during lunch?)

Navigating Your Way around a Store

If you need help finding a certain item or section in a department store, you can consult the information desk — die Auskunft (dee ous-koonft) or die Information (dee in-for-mâ-tsee-ohn). The people there should have all the answers you need, and talking to the folks at the information desk provides you with a terrific opportunity to practice your questioning skills.

If you’re searching for a certain item, you can ask for it by name with either of these phrases (at the end of the phrase, just fill in the plural form of the item you’re looking for):

Wo bekomme ich . . .? (voh be-kom-e iH . . .?) (Where do I get . . .?)

Wo finde ich . . .? (voh fin-de iH . . .?) (Where do I find . . .?)

When you question the people at the information desk, they may say . . . führen wir nicht (fuer-en veer niHt . . . ) (We don’t carry . . .). Or they may direct you to the appropriate section of the store, using one of the following phrases:

Im Erdgeschoss. (im êrt-ge-shos.) (On the ground floor.)

Im Untergeschoss. (im oon-ter-ge-shos.) (In the basement.)

In der . . . Etage. (in dêr . . . ê-tah-zhe.) (On the . . . floor.)

Im . . . Stock. (im . . . shtok.) (On the . . . floor.)

Eine Etage höher. (ayn-e ê-tah-zhe her-her.) (One floor above.)

Eine Etage tiefer. (ayn-e ê-tah-zhe teef-er.) (One floor below.)

If you’d like to browse through a section of the store or you’re looking for a special feature of the store, you can use the phrase Wo finde ich . . .? (voh fin-de iH . . .?) (Where do I find . . .?), ending the phrase with one of the following expressions:

die Toiletten (dee toy-lêt-en) (restrooms)

die Herrenabteilung (dee hêr-en-âp-tay-loong) (men’s department)

die Damenabteilung (dee dah-mên-âp-tay-loong) (ladies’ department)

die Kinderabteilung (dee kin-der-âp-tay-loong) (children’s department)

die Schuhabteilung (dee shooh-âp-tay-loong) (shoe department)

die Schmuckabteilung (dee shmook-âp-tay-loong) (jewelry department)

den Aufzug / den Fahrstuhl (deyn ouf-tsook / deyn fâr-shtoohl) (elevator)

die Rolltreppe (dee rol-trêp-e) (escalator)

When you want to sound particularly nice as you ask for help, you’re always safe using the polite phrase Entschuldigen Sie bitte (ent-shool-di-gen zee bi-te) (Excuse me, please). Consider, for example, the following polite question:

Entschuldigen Sie bitte, wo ist die Rolltreppe? (ent-shool-di-gen zee bi-te, voh ist dee rol-trêp-e?) (Excuse me, please, where is the escalator?)

See Chapter 3 for more details on polite expressions.

Just Browsing: Taking a Look at Merchandise

Sometimes you just want to check out the merchandise in the store on your own without anybody breathing down your neck. However, store assistants may offer their help by saying something like the following:

Suchen Sie etwas Bestimmtes? (zoohH-en zee êt-vâs be-shtim-tes?) (Are you looking for something in particular?)

Kann ich Ihnen behilflich sein? (kân iH eehn-en be-hilf-liH zayn?) (Can I help you?)

When all you want to do is browse, this phrase can help you politely turn down help:

Ich möchte mich nur umsehen. (iH merH-te miH noohr oom-zey-en.) (I just want to look around.)

The store assistant will probably tell you it’s okay to keep browsing by saying either of the following:

Aber natürlich. Sagen Sie Bescheid, wenn Sie eine Frage haben. (ah-ber nâ-tuer-liH. zah-gen zee be-shayt, vên zee ayn-e frah-ge hah-ben.) (Of course. Just let me know if you need help.)

Rufen Sie mich, wenn Sie eine Frage haben. (rooh-fen zee miH, vên zee ayn-e frah-ge hah-ben.) (Call me if you have a question.)

Getting Assistance as You Shop

In some situations, you may want or need assistance while you’re shopping. Here are some useful phrases you may say or hear:

Würden Sie mir bitte helfen? Ich suche . . . (vuer-den zee meer bi-te hêl-fen. iH zoohH-e . . .) (Would you help me, please? I’m looking for . . .)

Aber gern, hier entlang bitte. (ah-ber gêrn, heer ênt-lâng bi-te.) (Certainly. This way please.)

Welche Größe suchen Sie? (vêl-He grer-se zoohH-en zee?) (What size are you looking for?)

Haben Sie so etwas in Größe . . .? (hah-ben zee zoh êt-vâs in grer-se . . .?) (Do you have something like this in size . . .?)

Wie gefällt Ihnen diese Farbe? (vee ge-fêlt een-en deez-e fâr-be?) (How do you like this color?)

Most sales people in Austrian, German, and Swiss stores are competent and knowledgeable. That’s due in part to the education system. Salespeople, as is the case in most trades, generally complete a comprehensive three-year apprenticeship that combines on-the-job training with trade school instruction.

Shopping for Clothes

When out shopping for clothes, you just have to decide what you want in terms of item, color, size, and, of course, price. Many terms for clothing are unisex, and others are typical for either men or women.

Some items that women wear include the following:

die Bluse (dee blooh-ze) (blouse)

das Kleid (dâs klayt) (dress)

das Kostüm (dâs kos-tuem) (suit)

der Hosenanzug (dêr hoh-zen-ân-tsook) (pantsuit)

der Rock (dêr rok) (skirt)

The following words usually apply to clothing for men:

die Krawatte (dee krâ-vât-e) (tie)

der Anzug (dêr ân-tsook) (suit)

The following items are generally considered to be worn by both men and women:

der Pullover, der Pulli (dêr poo-loh-ver, dêr poo-lee) (sweater)

die Strickjacke (dee shtrik-yâ-ke) (cardigan)

das Jackett, die Jacke (dâs jhâ-kêt, dee yâ-ke) (jacket)

der Blazer (dêr bley-zer) (blazer)

die Weste (dee vês-te) (vest)

die Schuhe (dee shooh-e) (shoes)

der Mantel (dêr mân-tel) (coat)

die Hose (dee hoh-ze) (pants)

das Hemd (dâs hêmt) (shirt)

das T-Shirt (dâs T-shirt [as in English]) (T-shirt)

Clothing items such as the ones in the preceding lists can come in any number of fabrics and styles, including the following:

die Seide (dee zay-de) (silk)

die Wolle (dee vol-e) (wool)

die Baumwolle (dee boum-vol-e) (cotton)

das Leinen (dâs layn-en) (linen)

das Leder (dâs ley-der) (leather)

gestreift (ge-shtrayft) (striped)

kariert (kâr-eert) (checkered)

bunt (boont) (multicolored)

gepunktet (ge-poonk-tet) (with dots)

einfarbig (ayn-fâr-biH) (solid color)

sportlich (shport-liH) (sporty, casual)

elegant (ê-le-gânt) (elegant)

Figure 9-1 shows a variety of clothing items with their German names.

Familiarizing yourself with the colors available

The basic Farben (fâr-ben) (colors) are

schwarz (shvârts) (black)

weiß (vays) (white)

rot (roht) (red)

grün (gruen) (green)

gelb (gêlp) (yellow)

braun (brown [as in English]) (brown)

lila (lee-lâ) (purple)

orange (o-rânch) (orange)

grau (grou) (gray)

blau (blou) (blue)

These color words are all adjectives. To find out more about how to fit them into phrases and sentences, check out Chapter 2.

Knowing your size

Finding the right size clothing can be a pain in the neck in any shopping situation. When shopping in German-speaking countries, though, you get a double whammy: Clothes sizes aren’t the same as in the U.S. The following charts are a useful guideline to help you crack the code.

Here are the approximate equivalents for sizes of women’s clothes:

For men’s jacket and suit sizes, use the following approximate conversions:

Talkin’ the Talk

Frau Schulte is in the ladies’ section of a department store. She wants to buy a blouse and is getting assistance from a saleswoman. (Track 20)
Verkäuferin:	Kann ich Ihnen behilflich sein? kân iH een-en be-hilf-liH zayn? Can I help you?
Frau Schulte:	Ja bitte. Ich suche eine Bluse. yah bi-te. iH zoohH-e ayn-e blooh-ze. Yes, please. I’m looking for a blouse.
Verkäuferin:	Hier entlang, bitte. Welche Farbe soll es denn sein? heer ênt-lang, bi-te. vêlH-e fâr-be zol ês dên zayn? Please come this way. What color do you want?
Frau Schulte:	Weiß. Vays. White.
Verkäuferin:	Suchen Sie etwas Lässiges? zoohH-en zee êt-vâs lês-ee-ges? Are you looking for something casual?
Frau Schulte:	Nein, eher etwas Elegantes. nayn, ê-her êt-vâs ey-le-gân-tes. No, rather something elegant.
Verkäuferin:	Gut. Welche Größe haben Sie? gooht. vêlH-e grer-se hah-ben zee? Good. What is your size?
Frau Schulte:	Größe 38. grer-se âHt-oon-dray-siH. Size 38.
Verkäuferin:	Wie gefällt Ihnen dieses Modell? vee ge-fêlt een-en deez-es mo-dêl? How do you like this style?
Frau Schulte:	Sehr gut. zeyr gooht. Very much.

Trying on the items you find

When you find something that looks promising, you probably want to try it on. In that case, you can ask the sales assistant the following question, supplying the name of the article that you want to try on:

Kann ich . . . anprobieren? (kân iH . . . ân-pro-bee-ren?) (Can I try . . . on?)

Or a sales assistant may anticipate your question and ask this question:

Möchten Sie . . . anprobieren? (merH-ten zee . . . ân-pro-bee-ren?) (Would you like to try . . . on?)

In either case, the next step is going to the dressing rooms, which you can ask about by saying:

Wo sind die Umkleidekabinen? (voh zint dee oom-klay-de-kâ-been-en?) (Where are the fitting rooms?)

After you try your item on, the sales assistant may ask you one of the following questions to find out what you think of the article of clothing:

Passt . . .? (pâst . . .?) (Does . . . fit?)

Wie passt Ihnen . . .? (wie pâst een-en . . .?) (How does . . . fit you?)

Gefällt Ihnen . . .? (ge-fêlt een-en . . .?) (Do you like . . .?)

You can answer with any of the following, depending on how things went when you tried on your item:

Nein, . . . ist zu lang / kurz / eng / weit / groß / klein. (nayn, . . . ist tsooh lâng / koorts / êng / vayt / grohs / klayn.) (No, . . . is too long / short / tight / loose / big / small.)

Können Sie mir eine andere Größe bringen? (kern-en zee meer ayn-e ân-de-re grer-se bring-en?) (Can you get me another size?)

. . . passt sehr gut. (. . . pâst zeyr gooht.) (. . . fits very well.)

. . . steht mir. (. . . shteyt meer.) (. . . suits me.)

. . . gefällt mir. (. . . ge-fêlt meer.) (I like . . .)

Ich nehme . . . (IH ney-me . . . ) (I’ll take . . .)

Talkin’ the Talk

Frau Schulte likes the blouse the saleswoman has shown her and wants to try it on. Here’s how their conversation may go. (Track 21)
Frau Schulte:	Ich möchte diese Bluse anprobieren. Wo sind die Umkleidekabinen, bitte? iH merH-te deez-e blooh-ze ân-pro-bee-ren. voh zint dee oom-klay-de-kâ-been-en, bi-te? I would like to try this blouse on. Where are the fitting rooms, please?
Verkäuferin:	Ja, natürlich. Da drüben sind die Umkleidekabinen. yah, nâ-tuer-liH. dâ drue-ben zint dee oom-klay-de-kâ-been-en. Of course. The fitting rooms are over there.
(A few minutes later Frau Schulte returns.)
Verkäuferin:	Passt die Bluse? pâst dee blooh-ze? Does the blouse fit?
Frau Schulte:	Ja. Ich nehme die Bluse. yah. iH ney-me dee blooh-ze. Yes. I’ll take the blouse.

Paying for Your Shopping Items

Most of the time, when you go shopping, every piece of merchandise has a tag that tells you exactly how much it costs. The price you see on a price tag is what you pay for the item at the cash register, including sales tax, called the VAT (or value added tax). German word for VAT is die Mehrwertsteuer (Mwst) (dee mêr-vêrt-shtoy-er).

If you don’t reside in a country of the European Union (EU), you usually can get a refund for the VAT tax when you leave the EU. The VAT refund is referred to as — take a deep breath — die Mehrwertsteuerrückerstattung (dee mêr-vêrt-shtoy-er-ruek-êr-shtât-oong). Although the German word for the VAT refund looks a bit daunting, the process for getting it back is usually simple. Just ask for a VAT refund form when you pay at the register. Collect all the receipts for merchandise you’re taking out of the European Union, as well as the forms, and then you can have the lot approved by a customs agent at the airport before you leave the EU to return home. (Because you must show the items, don’t pack them with your checked luggage!)

Occasionally, you may find yourself in a situation where you need to ask about the price (der Preis) (dêr prays) of an item. Price tags, being the devious little critters that they are, have a way of falling off or being indecipherable, especially when handwritten. Consider this case in point: The German number 1 can look a lot like the American number 7 when scrawled by hand. But not to worry. The following simple phrases take care of the price question should you need to ask it:

Was kostet . . .? (vâs kos-tet . . .?) (What does . . . cost?)

Wie viel kostet . . .? (vee feel kos-tet . . .?) (How much does . . . cost?)

Talkin’ the Talk

Frau Schulte heads to the cash register to pay for her purchase. Consider how her conversation with the cashier goes:
Kassiererin:	Das macht 49 Euro. dâs mâHt noyn-oont-feer-tsiH oy-roh. That’s 49 euros, please.
Frau Schulte:	Nehmen Sie Kreditkarten? ney-men see krey-dit-kâr-ten? Can I pay by credit card?
Kassiererin:	Kein Problem. kayn pro-bleym. No problem.
Frau Schulte:	Hier bitte. heer bi-te. Here you are.
Kassiererin:	Danke. Würden Sie bitte unterschreiben? Und hier ist Ihre Quittung. dân-ke. wuer-den zee bi-te un-ter-schray-ben? oont heer ist eer-e kvit-oong. Thanks. Would you please sign here? And here is your receipt.
Frau Schulte:	Danke! dân-ke! Thanks!

Comparatively Speaking: Making Comparisons Among Objects

Comparisons are important when you’re out shopping for gifts for yourself or others. In English, when you want to compare two things, you use the word “than” and an appropriate adjective or adverb. Comparisons in German are made in exactly the same way — all you need is the word als (âls) (than) plus the appropriate adverb or adjective. Consider these examples:

Die braunen Schuhe sind billiger als die schwarzen. (dee broun-en shooh-e zint bil-ee-ger âls dee shvârts-en.) (The brown shoes are cheaper than the black ones.)

Das blaue Kleid gefällt mir besser als das Rote. (dâs blou-e klayt ge-fêlt meer bês-er âls dâs roh-te.) (I like the blue dress better than the red one.)

Dieses Geschäft hat modischere Kleidung als das Andere gegenüber. (deez-es ge-shêft hât moh-dish-er-e klay-doong âls dâs ân-dêre gey-gen-ue-ber.) (This store has more fashionable clothes than the one across from it.)

Fun & Games

Write the correct German word for the department beside the floor number where it is located. Read the following phrases to decide which department belongs on which floor. Notice that sentence A gives a clue for sentence B; sentence C has a clue for sentence D, and so on. (Hint: Erdgeschoss is the North American first floor, 1. Etage is the North American second floor, and so on. Untergeschoss is the German word for basement.)

A. Sie finden Schuhe im vierten Stock, und …

B. … die Kinderabteilung ist eine Etage tiefer.

C. Der Supermarkt ist im Untergeschoss, und …

D. … die Schmuckabteilung ist eine Etage höher.

E. Steve Jobs & Bill Gates sind im sechsten Stock, und ...

F. …das Restaurant ist eine Etage höher.

G. Die Herrenabteilung ist im zweiten Stock, und …

H. … die Damenabteilung ist eine Etage tiefer.

I. TV/Telekommunikation sind im fünften Stock.

Kaufhaus Schlummer map

Etage/Stock (floor) Abteilung (department)

7 ______________________________

6 ______________________________

5 ______________________________

4 ______________________________

3 ______________________________

2 ______________________________

1 ______________________________

Erdgeschoss ______________________________

Untergeschoss ______________________________