English at the Shop: 40 Lines for Asking Price, Bargaining and Paying
Vishaleni
Content Writer
Published
Time to read
8 minutes
Quick answer: A shop conversation needs only eight lines: How much is this? Do you have this in blue? Can you do it for 250? I’ll take this one. Can I pay by UPI? Could I have the bill, please? I’m just looking, thanks. I’ll think about it. Everything below expands those eight into forty, with Tamil meaning and two full sample dialogues.
Why the shop is the best place to start
If you understand English but freeze when you have to speak, do not start with a meeting or an interview. Start at a shop.
Shop conversations are short. They repeat. Nobody is listening to your grammar – the shopkeeper wants to know what you want to buy. And you already know the whole conversation in Tamil, which means you only need the English words for something you have said a thousand times.
That is why trainers at English Partner give this exact situation as the first real-world task in the Basic level. Most learners come back after week one saying the same thing: “I did it, and nothing happened.” That is the point.
Every shop conversation has three stages
Opening – get attention and ask. Excuse me, how much is this?
Middle – compare, ask, bargain. Do you have a smaller size? Can you do it for 250?
Closing – decide and pay. I’ll take this. Card is fine? Bill, please.
Learn one line for each stage and you can already handle any shop. The rest of this post just gives you more options inside those three.
The 8 lines that cover most shops
| Situation | Say this | Tamil |
|---|---|---|
| Price | How much is this? | இது எவ்வளவு? |
| Too costly | That’s a bit more than I planned. | கொஞ்சம் அதிகமா இருக்கு. |
| Bargain | Can you do it for 250? | இருநூத்தி ஐம்பதுக்கு தர முடியுமா? |
| Size or colour | Do you have this in blue? | இது ப்ளூ கலர்ல இருக்கா? |
| Just looking | I’m just looking, thanks. | சும்மா பார்க்கறேன், நன்றி. |
| Decide | I’ll take this one. | நான் இதை எடுத்துக்கறேன். |
| Pay | Can I pay by UPI? | UPI-ல கட்டலாமா? |
| Bill | Could I have the bill, please? | பில் கொடுங்க. |
Asking about price and quantity
| English | Tamil |
|---|---|
| Excuse me, how much is this? | மன்னிக்கணும், இது எவ்வளவு? |
| How much is this one? | இது எவ்வளவு? |
| How much for two? | ரெண்டுக்கு எவ்வளவு? |
| What’s the price per kilo? | கிலோ எவ்வளவு? |
| Is this the final price? | இதுதான் கடைசி விலையா? |
| Is there any discount? | ஏதாவது தள்ளுபடி இருக்கா? |
| That’s a bit more than I planned. | நான் நினைச்சதை விட கொஞ்சம் அதிகம். |
| Do you have something cheaper? | இதை விட கம்மி விலையில இருக்கா? |
Bargaining without sounding rude
This is where most learners go wrong, and it is not a grammar problem. In Tamil, “கொஞ்சம் குறைங்க” is completely normal. Translated directly – “Reduce the rate” – it becomes an order in English, and orders sound rude.
The fix is simple: turn it into a question.
| English | Tamil |
|---|---|
| Can you do it for 250? | இருநூத்தி ஐம்பதுக்கு தர முடியுமா? |
| Can you do a little better on the price? | கொஞ்சம் குறைச்சு தர முடியுமா? |
| If I take two, what’s the best price? | ரெண்டு எடுத்தா என்ன விலை? |
| Is that the best you can do? | இதுதான் கடைசியா? |
| Okay, let’s say 900 and I’ll take it. | தொள்ளாயிரம்னா எடுத்துக்கறேன். |
| That works for me. | சரி, ஓகே. |
Two small words do most of the politeness work in English: can you and please. Add them and almost anything sounds reasonable.
Sizes, colours and choices
| English | Tamil |
|---|---|
| Do you have this in medium? | மீடியம் சைஸ் இருக்கா? |
| Do you have this in blue? | ப்ளூ கலர்ல இருக்கா? |
| Can I see that one, please? | அதை கொஞ்சம் காட்டுங்க. |
| Can I try this on? | இதை போட்டு பார்க்கலாமா? |
| This is a little tight. | இது கொஞ்சம் டைட்டா இருக்கு. |
| Do you have a bigger one? | இதை விட பெரிசு இருக்கா? |
| What material is this? | இது என்ன மெட்டீரியல்? |
| Which one would you recommend? | எது நல்லா இருக்கும்? |
Paying, change and the bill
| English | Tamil |
|---|---|
| I’ll take this one. | நான் இதை எடுத்துக்கறேன். |
| Can I pay by UPI? | UPI-ல கட்டலாமா? |
| Do you take cards? | கார்டு எடுத்துப்பீங்களா? |
| Do you have change for 500? | ஐநூறுக்கு சில்லறை இருக்கா? |
| Could I have the bill, please? | பில் கொடுங்க. |
| Can you put it in a bag? | பையில போடுங்க. |
| I think the bill is wrong. | பில்ல ஏதோ தப்பு இருக்கு. |
| Thanks, have a good day. | நன்றி, நல்ல நாளா இருக்கட்டும். |
Returns, exchanges and complaints
| English | Tamil |
|---|---|
| I’d like to exchange this, please. | இதை மாத்தி தர முடியுமா? |
| It’s too small for me. | இது எனக்கு சின்னதா இருக்கு. |
| This one isn’t working. | இது வேலை செய்யல. |
| I bought this yesterday. Here’s the bill. | நேத்து வாங்கினேன். இதோ பில். |
| Can I get a refund? | பணம் திரும்ப கிடைக்குமா? |
| When will the new stock come? | புது ஸ்டாக் எப்போ வரும்? |
Two full conversations
At a clothes shop
| Who | English |
|---|---|
| You | Hi, how much is this shirt? |
| Shopkeeper | That one is 899, sir. |
| You | Do you have it in medium? |
| Shopkeeper | Yes. Which colour do you want? |
| You | Blue, if you have it. Can I try it on? |
| Shopkeeper | Of course. The trial room is on the left. |
| You | It fits well. If I take two, what’s the best price? |
| Shopkeeper | I can do 1,600 for two. |
| You | Okay, I’ll take both. Can I pay by UPI? |
| You | Thanks. Could I have the bill, please? |
At a kirana or grocery shop
| Who | English |
|---|---|
| You | Excuse me, what’s the price per kilo for this rice? |
| Shopkeeper | Sixty-five rupees a kilo. |
| You | Give me five kilos, please. |
| You | Do you have the small pack of turmeric as well? |
| Shopkeeper | Yes, that’s forty. |
| You | That’s all. How much altogether? |
| Shopkeeper | Three hundred and sixty-five. |
| You | Do you have change for 500? |
| You | Thanks. Can you put it in a bag? |
3 shop-English mistakes (and the fix)
Mistake 1: “How much this?” Tamil drops the linking word, so English feels complete without it. It is not. “How much is this?” If is/am/are still slips, our is, am, are guide fixes it in one read.
Mistake 2: “Reduce the rate.” Perfectly normal in Tamil, an order in English. Make it a question: “Can you do a little better on the price?”
Mistake 3: “I don’t want.” Grammatically fine, socially blunt. Use “I’ll think about it, thanks” or “Maybe next time.”
Your 5-day shop English plan
Day 1: Learn the eight key lines. Say each one five times, out loud.
Day 2: Go to a kirana shop and ask the price in English. One sentence is enough.
Day 3: Ask for a size or colour at a clothes or footwear shop.
Day 4: Try one polite bargain: “Can you do it for…?”
Day 5: Full conversation – ask, decide, pay, get the bill. All in English.
Expect it to feel awkward on Day 2 and normal by Day 5. That shift is the whole point of the exercise, and it matches what the British Council recommends for adult learners: short, real, daily speaking rather than long study sessions.
When self-practice is not enough
Shop English is a good first win because the stakes are low. The harder part comes next – the conversation where someone asks you something you did not prepare for, and you have to answer in real time.
That is what daily speaking practice with a trainer builds. Our Basic level takes you through exactly these situations – shop, phone, office, doctor – with a trainer who explains in your mother tongue and corrects you every day on WhatsApp. If you are starting from zero, Pre-Basic comes first, and the spoken English in Tamil page explains how the Tamil track works. Learners in the city can join our spoken English classes in Coimbatore in person.
Final thoughts and your next step
Eight lines handle almost every shop. Forty give you options. And one real conversation this week does more for your English than a month of reading.
Pick three lines from the table above, say them out loud tonight, and use one tomorrow. For more everyday sentences, our 100 Tamil to English sentences covers home, phone, office and health the same way.
Not sure which level to start from? Send “Hi” on WhatsApp for a free five-minute level test. No payment, no pressure.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ask the price in English?
“How much is this?” is the standard line. For one item among several, “How much is this one?” For a quantity, “How much for two?” Do not drop the “is” – “How much this?” is the most common beginner mistake.
How do I bargain politely in English?
Ask, do not order. “Can you do it for 250?” or “Can you do a little better on the price?” works everywhere. Saying “Reduce the rate” sounds like a command and lands badly in English, even though it is normal in Tamil.
What do I say if I am only looking?
“I’m just looking, thanks.” It is polite, complete, and stops the follow-up questions. Adding a smile does more than adding words.
How do I say no without sounding rude?
“I’ll think about it, thanks” or “Maybe next time.” Avoid “I don’t want” – it is grammatically fine but sounds abrupt to an English ear.
How do I ask for a different size or colour?
“Do you have this in medium?” or “Do you have this in blue?” The pattern is: Do you have this in ___? It works for size, colour, material and brand.
What should I say while paying?
“Can I pay by UPI?” or “Do you take cards?” After paying: “Could I have the bill, please?” If you need change: “Do you have change for 500?”
How do I return or exchange something?
“I’d like to exchange this, please.” Then give the reason in one line: “It’s too small” or “It isn’t working.” Keep the receipt ready and the conversation short.
Why is the shop a good place to practise English?
Because the conversations are short, repetitive and low-risk. Shopkeepers hear simple sentences all day and nobody is judging your grammar. Most learners get their first real English win at a shop counter.
