When you go shopping in Germany, Austria, or German Switzerland, you’ll find a number of German words very useful.
This lesson includes the basic vocabulary you need to find the stores you’re looking for, talk to the salesperson, and have an enjoyable shopping spree.
This lesson includes the basic vocabulary you need to find the stores you’re looking for, talk to the salesperson, and have an enjoyable shopping spree.
Shopping Phrases and Pronunciation
There are a number of sentences and phrases that you are likely to encounter when shopping in a German-speaking country.
From asking the price of an item to completing your transaction, this vocabulary list should cover most of the basics.
To give you a jump on your studies, the phonetic pronunciations for many of the trickier German words are included. They are only an approximate guide but will help you out considerably, especially if you’re just beginning to learn German.
When entering a smaller German shop, it is customary to exchange hellos with the shopkeeper or sales clerk. Also, when leaving a shop in Austria or Germany, it is common for the customer and shopkeeper to exchange goodbyes.
If you travel at the right time of year, you might be able to get in on one of the two biggest sales many German stores offer. The Sommerschlussverkauf happens in late summer and the Winterschlussverkauf typically occurs towards the end of winter.
| Englisch | Deutsch |
| salesperson | Verkäufer/in |
| customer | der Kunde m. die Kundin f. |
| cashier / check-out counter | die Kasse (dee KA-suh) |
| Sale! Special Offer! Reduced! |
Ausverkauf! Sonderangebot! Reduziert! |
| Hello! | Guten Tag! Grüß Gott! (Austria/Bavaria) |
| May I help you? | Was darf es sein? Darf ich Ihnen helfen? |
| I’m looking for… …a dress …a shirt …athletic shoes …a postcard |
Ich suche… …ein Kleid (eye-n KLITE) …ein Hemd (eye-n HEMT) …Sportschuhe (SHPORT SHOO-a) …eine Postkarte (eye-na POST-KAR-ta) |
| I’m just looking. | Ich sehe mich nur ein wenig um. Ich schau nur ein bisschen herum. |
| I’d like… | Ich möchte… (eech MURG-ta) |
| Can you fix/repair this? | Können Sie das reparieren? (KURN-en zee das REP-ah-rear-en) |
| What size are you? | Welche Größe haben Sie? |
| Do you have it in a different color? | Haben Sie das in einer anderen Farbe? |
| May I try it on? | Darf ich es/ihn/sie anprobieren? (das/der/die) |
| It’s too big/small. | Das ist mir zu groß/klein. |
| How much is it? – How much does it cost? | Wie viel kostet es? (er/sie) (VEE feel KOST-et es) |
| That’s too expensive. | Das ist zu teuer. |
| Do you take credit cards? | Nehmen Sie Kreditkarten? (NAME-en zee kred-DIT-kar-ten) |
| I’ll take it. | Ich nehme es (ihn, sie). (ich NAY-muh es [een, zee]) |
| Is this intended as a gift? | Soll das ein Geschenk sein? |
| Can I get this gift-wrapped? | Kann ich das als Geschenk eingepackt bekommen? |
| Goodbye! | Wiederseh’n! (VEE-der zane) auf Wiedersehen! (owf VEE-der zay-en) |
English-German Glossary for Stores and Shops
You will also find it useful to familiarize yourself with the various types of businesses (Geschäfte) and stores or shops (Läden) you may want to visit. Many of the most common are included in this next vocabulary list along with the items or services they offer.
Tip: For related vocabulary, do a Google.de or Yahoo.de search for the category you want to explore. For instance, to find vocabulary for pastry or pastry shops, use the term “Konditorei” to find online sources of vocabulary (and pastries). A few other helpful examples and tips are located within the list.
Noun genders:r(der, masc.),e(die, fem.),s(das, neu.)
Abbreviations:adj. (adjective), Br. (British), n. (noun), pl. (plural), v. (verb)
| English | Deutsch | What They Sell |
| antique store | s Antiquitätengeschäft | Antiquitäten pl. |
| Don’t confuse s Antiquariat (second-hand bookstore) with s Antiquitätengeschäft(antique store). | ||
| appliance store | s Elektrogeschäft | Elektrogeräte |
| auto dealer/dealership car sales/dealership |
r Autohändler e Autohandlung s Autohaus |
Autos |
| auto mechanic auto repair/garage |
r Automechaniker e Autowerkstatt |
Autoreparaturen |
| bakery | e Bäckerei | Brot, Brötchen |
| bar, pub | e Kneipe | alkoholische Getränke |
| barber (shop) | r Herrenfriseur | e Herrenfrisur |
| beauty salon, parlor | r Damenfriseur | e Damenfrisur (hair-do) |
| bookstore, bookshop | e Buchhandlung | Bücher pl. |
| Bücher online > See the German Amazon.de or BOL.de online bookstores for German bookstore terms and books in German. | ||
| business, store, shop | s Geschäft, r Laden | — |
| butcher shop | e Fleischerei e Metzgerei |
s Fleisch |
| candy store, confectionery | r Süßwarenladen | Süßwaren |
| car hire/auto rental | r Autoverleih e Autovermietung |
Autovermietung |
| clothier clothing store |
r Herrenausstatter (men) r Modesalon (ladies) |
e Kleidung |
| computer store | s Computergeschäft r Computerladen |
Computer, Rechner |
| dairy store | s Milchgeschäft | e Milch, r Käse |
| delicatessen | s Feinkostgeschäft | r Feinkost |
| department store | s Kaufhaus s Warenhaus |
fast alles |
| drugstore | e Drogerie | Toilettenartikel pl. |
| A German Drogerie does not sell drugs or medicine. You can only buy toiletries and other non-drug items. For medicine (even just aspirin) you have to go to an Apotheke (pharmacy). | ||
| dry cleaner | e Reiningung, chemische Reinigung | Kleider reinigen |
| electrical store | s Elektrogeschäft | Elektrogeräte |
| Fachgeschäft > The German term das Fachgeschäft refers to any store or business that specializes in whatever it sells. In such a store there are usually Fachleute (specialists) who know a lot about the product or service offered. | ||
| florist | s Blumengeschäft | Blumen |
| furniture store | s Einrichtungshaus s Möbellager |
r Hausrat Möbel pl |
| Ikea has more than 35 outlets (Niederlassungen) in Germany. See the German Web site of the international (Swedish) Ikea chain for furniture and housewares vocabulary. | ||
| gift shop | r Geschenkladen Geschenke (sign) |
Geschenke |
| grocery store | s Lebensmittelgeschäft | Lebensmittel |
| hardware store | s Eisenwarengeschäft | Eisenwaren |
| health food store | s Reformhaus Also see “organic food store” |
Biokost/Lebensmittel Heilkräuter |
| jeweler, jewelry store | r Juwelier | Ringe, Schmucksachen |
| laundromat, laundrette | r Waschsalon | Kleider waschen |
| laundry (firm) | e Wäscherei | Kleider waschen |
| mail order store | r Versand, s Versandkaufhaus | fast alles |
| market | r Markt | fast alles |
| newsstand | r Kiosk | Zeitschriften, Zeitungen |
| office supplies store | r Bürobedarfladen | Bürobedarf, Büroausstattung |
| online store online shop |
s Onlinegeschäft r Onlineshop |
fast alles |
| Onlinegeschäfte > The German divisions of the Staples and Office Discount online stores are a good source of German vocabulary as well as office supplies. | ||
| optician | r Optiker | Augengläser, Brillen |
| organic food store (wholefood shop) |
r Bioladen s Reformhaus |
Biokost/Lebensmittel Heilkräuter |
| Bioläden > Besides fans of Biokost (organic/health food), a Bioladen is also popular with vegetarians (Vegetarier) and the ecologically-minded (recycled paper, bleach-free detergents, etc.). The British call this a “wholefood shop.” Similar to, but older than Bioläden, the first Reformhäuser were established in the 1890s. In addition to organic and chemical-free food, a Reformhaus also sells herbal medicines (Heilkräuter) and other natural products. | ||
| pastry shop | e Konditorei | s Gebäck |
| pet store, pet shop | e Zoohandlung | Haustiere, Tierbedarf |
| pharmacy/chemist | e Apotheke | Medikamente |
| Apotheke > See Drogerie (drugstore) above for more about German pharmacies. | ||
| photo shop | s Fotogeschäft | Film, Kameras |
| rent-a-car/auto rental | r Autoverleih e Autovermietung |
Autovermietung |
| restaurant | s Restaurant | s Essen |
| second-hand bookstore used-books store |
s Antiquariat | antiquarische Bücher |
| shoe store | s Schuhgeschäft | Schuhe |
| shop, store, business | r Laden, s Geschäft | — |
| shopping center/mall | s Einkaufszentrum | — |
| souvenir shop | r Andenkenladen r Souvenirladen |
s Andenken, s Souvenir |
| sporting goods store | s Sportgeschäft | Sportausrüstungen |
| stationery store | s Schreibwarengeschäft | Papier, Schreibwaren |
| supermarket | r Supermarkt | fast alles |
| tobacco shop tobacconist |
r Tabakwarenladen e Trafik (Austria) |
Zigaretten, Tabakwaren |
| toy store | s Spielwarengeschäft | Spielwaren, Spielzeuge |
| watch repair shop | r Uhrmacher | Uhren reparieren |