English for the Supermarket: Aisle, Till and Asking for Help
Four sentences carry most supermarket visits: Excuse me, where can I find the rice? Is this on offer? Can I pay by card? and Could I have a receipt? A shopping trip is a short chain of set exchanges, each with a polite frame staff hear every day.
Below: the words for the route through the store, asking where things are, prices, the till, self-checkout and returns.
Words for the route through the store
The layout vocabulary matters more than it looks, because most in-store questions use one of these words in the answer.
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| entrance / exit | Where you go in and where you come out |
| aisle | A walkway between two rows of shelves |
| shelf / shelves | Where the products sit |
| trolley (UK) / cart (US) | The wheeled basket for a big shop |
| basket | The hand-carried one |
| till (UK) / checkout (US) | Where you pay |
| self-checkout | A machine where you scan your own items |
| receipt | The printed proof of what you paid |
Aisles are usually numbered, so Which aisle is the pasta in? gets you a number rather than a description. The same frames appear in English for shopping, which covers smaller shops with no aisles at all.
Asking where things are
Open with Excuse me and finish with please if the assistant looks busy.
| What to say | When it fits |
|---|---|
| Excuse me, where can I find the olive oil? | Any product you cannot see |
| Which aisle is the pasta in? | When the store numbers its aisles |
| Do you have any fresh ginger? | Whether the store stocks it at all |
| I'm looking for the frozen section. | A section rather than one product |
Three prepositions do most of the work: in for an aisle, on for a shelf, and by for a brand. Sorry, one more thing is a natural follow-up.
Prices, offers and quantities
| What to say | What it asks |
|---|---|
| Is this on offer? | Whether there is a promotion right now |
| How much is it per kilo? | Price by weight, for loose fruit and vegetables |
| Is there a discount on the second one? | Multibuy deals such as two for one |
| Are the prices on the shelf the final price? | Whether tax is added at the till |
In British shops the shelf price is normally the price you pay. In American shops, tax is often added at the till, so the last question is worth asking before you reach the checkout. For more question shapes, see how to ask questions in English.
At the till: a short dialogue
| Staff | You |
|---|---|
| Do you need a bag? | No, I brought my own, thanks. |
| That's twelve forty, please. | Can I pay by card? |
| Of course. Card or cash? | Card, please. Contactless, if that works. |
| There you go. Do you need the receipt? | Yes, please. Could you put it in the bag? |
Do you need a bag? is the standard opener in both countries, and no, thanks is a complete answer.
Self-checkout prompts in plain English
The machine speaks in short instructions, and a few sound like errors when they are just steps.
| On the screen | What it wants |
|---|---|
| Please scan your first item. | Start scanning; the microphone is usually at the top |
| Place the item in the bagging area. | Put the scanned item on the scale beside you |
| Unexpected item in the bagging area. | Something is on the scale that was not scanned; the assistant will clear it |
| Card only at this till. | This machine does not take cash |
If the machine stops twice, raise a hand at the staff desk. Sorry, the machine says there is an unexpected item explains it in one line.
Returns and exchanges
Buying is easy language; returning needs a different frame because you are asking for a decision.
| What to say | What it asks |
|---|---|
| Could I return this? It is the wrong size. | Whether a return is possible |
| Do you need the receipt? | What proof is required |
| Can I exchange it for a smaller one? | A swap rather than money back |
| Is that a refund or a credit note? | How the shop returns your money |
Give the reason first, then the request. The full set of frames, including faulty goods and online orders, is in English for returning an item.
Swap in your own details
Five frames to practise with your own shopping: replace the part in italics and say the sentence aloud twice.
- Excuse me, where can I find the cooking oil?
- Is this on offer today?
- How much is it per kilo?
- Can I pay by card?
- Could I have a receipt, please?
Three pronunciation notes
- aisle. The s is silent and the word rhymes with I'll: one syllable, not two.
- receipt. The p is silent: ri-SEET, stress on the second syllable.
- Question stress. In Which aisle is the pasta in? the voice rises on pasta and falls at the end.
Common mistakes to correct early
- How much cost it? Say How much does it cost? or, more naturally in a shop, How much is it?
- I want pay card. Two fixes at once: I'd like to pay by card. The preposition by stays with the payment method.
- I look for the milk. Use the continuous for a search in progress: I'm looking for the milk.
- Give me one bag. An imperative without a softener sounds abrupt: Could I have a bag, please?
- How much is the price? Ask How much is it?, or What's the price?, but not both.
Three of these five are fixed by starting with Could I or I'd like. The other two are question shapes that turn up in almost every shop, so they are worth drilling early. Shopping frames carry across to other public places, and the everyday ones are collected in English small talk phrases.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ask where something is in a supermarket?
Start with Excuse me, then ask Where can I find the rice? or Which aisle is the pasta in? Both are polite in British and American stores, and staff will usually walk you to the shelf.
What is the difference between a till and a checkout?
They are the same place, where you pay. Till is common in British English, while checkout and cash register are common in American English. Self-checkout is the machine where you scan the items yourself.
How do I ask to pay by card?
Say Can I pay by card? or I'd like to pay by card, please. If you want to be specific, add contactless or by phone, and listen for the reply Card or cash?
What do I say if the price at the till looks wrong?
Point it out politely: Excuse me, the shelf said two pounds but this scanned at three. Could you check? Then ask what they can do.
How do I ask for a receipt?
Say Could I have a receipt, please? or Could you print the receipt? If you do not want one, no is a complete answer to Do you need a receipt?