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Market Day

Market Day

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How to shop at a market in Spanish

Order produce by weight, ask the price, bargain gently, and pay the vendor — out loud.

CONVERSATION PACK · 6 LESSONS · A2

At a market, soften every request — ¿Me da dos aguacates? or Quisiera unos tomates maduros sound far more natural than a flat quiero. Order loose produce by metric weight: medio kilo, doscientos gramos, un manojo. And ask the price the way locals do — ¿A cómo está el kilo hoy?, not ¿cuánto cuesta? — then bargain gently with ¿me puede hacer un descuentito?

Below: the phrases for greeting the vendor, ordering by weight, tasting a sample, and paying — plus a way to rehearse a full stall visit out loud before Saturday.

Say this

The phrases that carry the conversation

Asking for a food item

  • ¿Me da dos aguacates, por favor?Can I have two avocados, please?
  • Quisiera unos tomates maduros.I'd like some ripe tomatoes.
  • ¿Tiene mangos dulces?Do you have sweet mangoes?
  • Deme unas zanahorias, por favor.Give me some carrots, please.

Weights, measures, and quantities

  • Un kilo de papas, por favor.A kilo of potatoes, please.
  • Medio kilo de queso fresco.Half a kilo of fresh cheese.
  • Doscientos gramos de jamón.Two hundred grams of ham.
  • Una docena de huevos.A dozen eggs.

Prices and bargaining

  • ¿A cómo está el kilo hoy?How much is the kilo today?
  • Me parece un poco caro.It seems a bit expensive to me.
  • ¿Me puede hacer un descuentito?Could you give me a little discount?
  • Si llevo dos kilos, ¿me lo deja más barato?If I take two kilos, will you give me a better price?

Regional Spanish

What locals actually say

Textbooks teach one word. Locals use several — pick your region's and stay consistent.

Watch out

Mistakes that mark you as a textbook speaker

  1. Saying 'Quiero...' flatly when ordering.soften with 'Quisiera...' or '¿Me da...?' — it sounds much more natural at a market.
  2. Using 'libra' in Latin America when you mean a metric kilo.default to 'kilo' and 'gramos'; 'libra' varies by country and can cause confusion.
  3. Asking '¿Cuánto cuesta?' for loose produce.say '¿A cómo está el kilo?' — that's how locals ask the rate for weighable goods.

The part no phrase list can do

Rehearse it before it's real

Isabella, &Be conversation teacher

Isabella

Your conversation teacher for this pack

In the Market Day pack, the final lesson drops you at Isabella's produce stall on a busy Saturday morning — and she plays the vendor: warm, chatty, proud of her fruit, all usted and '-ito' diminutives, and she always cuts you a slice to taste. You've got a family dinner to shop for, so you ask for each thing by weight, react to a price that's crept up since last week, and pay. Out loud. And she talks back:

  • The price has gone up since last week — student must ask '¿a cómo está?' and politely ask for 'un descuentito' or commit to more volume for a better rate
  • Isabella offers a sample of cheese or fruit — student must give an honest reaction ('rico', 'un poco ácido', 'me encanta') and decide whether to take some
  • Isabella's card reader is broken — student must check whether they have cash and adjust the order if needed

Blank mid-sentence and nothing bad happens — she waits. That's the practice, without unnecessary judgement.

Finish the 6 lessons and Market Day is yours — earned, not given.

Download on the App Store First 10 lessons free · 10-minute spoken lessons · your AI coaching team remembers you

Quick answers

Questions people ask

How do I ask the price at a market in Spanish?

For loose produce, ask the rate, not the cost: ¿A cómo está el kilo hoy? (how much is the kilo today?). Saying ¿cuánto cuesta? sounds off for anything sold by weight.

How do I ask for a discount at a market in Spanish?

Keep it light and polite: ¿Me puede hacer un descuentito? (could you give me a little discount?). Or offer volume: Si llevo dos kilos, ¿me lo deja más barato? Bargaining here is friendly, never a demand.

How do I order produce by weight in Spanish?

Use metric units: un kilo de papas, medio kilo de queso fresco, doscientos gramos de jamón, una docena de huevos, un manojo de cilantro. Default to kilo and gramos — libra varies by country.

Is it aguacate or palta in Spanish?

Both mean avocado. Mexico, Colombia and Spain say aguacate; Argentina, Chile and Peru say palta. Same fruit, just pick the word for where you are.

How do I pay and say goodbye at a market in Spanish?

Ask the total, then how they take it: ¿Cuánto le debo en total? and ¿Acepta tarjeta o solo efectivo? Close warmly — Aquí tiene, quédese con el cambio and Vuelvo la próxima semana, hasta luego.