Which Catalan phrases matter most here?

“Perdoni, on és el pa?” (Excuse me, where is the bread); “Em pot dir on és l'arròs?” (Could you tell me where the rice is); “En quin passadís hi ha els productes de neteja?” (Which aisle has the cleaning products). The full list is above.

Can I hear how they sound?

Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.

How can I practise this conversation?

Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Catalonia. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Catalan phrases for finding things in the supermarket in Catalonia

Ask a member of staff: “Perdoni, on és la farina?” or “Em pot dir on és l'arròs?”. For a section, say “En quin passadís hi ha els congelats?”. Staff point with “Vagi tot recte” or “Giri a l'esquerra”, and sometimes walk you there. If you don’t follow, say “Ho pot repetir, si us plau?”.

Try it · about two minutes

You can’t find the flour or the frozen aisle, so you stop a member of staff and ask.

Sound on: the shop assistant speaks Catalan. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

How does the conversation usually go?

You’ve been up and down the aisles and still can’t find the flour. A shop assistant is stacking shelves nearby.
You
Perdoni, on és la farina?
Excuse me, where is the flour?
Shop assistant
Vagi tot recte.
Go straight on.
You
Ho pot repetir, si us plau?
Can you repeat that, please?
Shop assistant
És una mica difícil de trobar, així que l'acompanyo.
It’s a bit hard to find, so I’ll walk you there.
You
Gràcies per l'ajuda.
Thank you for your help.
Shop assistant
És allà.
It’s over there.
You
I en quin passadís hi ha els congelats?
And which aisle are the frozen goods in?
Shop assistant
Giri a l'esquerra.
Turn left.
You
Gràcies, ho he entès.
Thanks, I understand.
Shop assistant
En què el puc ajudar?
How can I help you?
You
Perdoni, no trobo les pizzes. En teniu més?
Excuse me, I can’t find the pizzas. Do you have more?

Which Catalan phrases do you need?

Perdoni, on és el pa?
Excuse me, where is the bread?
Em pot dir on és l'arròs?
Could you tell me where the rice is?
En quin passadís hi ha els productes de neteja?
Which aisle has the cleaning products?
Vagi tot recte.
Go straight on.
Giri a l'esquerra.
Turn left.
Giri a la dreta.
Turn right.
És una mica difícil de trobar, així que l'acompanyo.
It’s a bit hard to find, so I’ll walk you there.
Ho pot repetir, si us plau?
Can you repeat that, please?
En teniu més al magatzem?
Do you have more in the back?
Això està d'oferta?
Is this on offer?

What is worth knowing in Catalonia?

How to find something

1
Check the signs above the aisles first. Each one lists what is on the shelves.
2
Ask a member of staff, saying the product and “on és”.
Excuse me, where is the bread?
3
Listen for left, right and straight on. Staff sometimes walk you there.
Turn left.

Words for the aisles

La farina is flour, els congelats is frozen food, els làctics is dairy and la neteja is cleaning products. Say the word, and the staff will point.

En quin passadís hi ha els productes de neteja?

Which aisle has the cleaning products?

Em pot or em pots

With staff

Em pot dir on és l'arròs?

Could you tell me where the rice is?

Casual, tu

Em pots dir on és l'arròs?

Could you tell me where the rice is? (casual)

With staff you don’t know, the vostè form is the safe choice. Among friends or younger staff, tu is fine.

Questions about this situation

Which Catalan phrases matter most here?: “Perdoni, on és el pa?” (Excuse me, where is the bread); “Em pot dir on és l'arròs?” (Could you tell me where the rice is); “En quin passadís hi ha els productes de neteja?” (Which aisle has the cleaning products). The full list is above.
Can I hear how they sound?: Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.
How can I practise this conversation?: Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Catalonia. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Related situations in Catalan

All situations in Catalan

Practise these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

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AI-generated. May be inaccurate.