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French phrases for trying on clothes in France

Ask “Je peux l'essayer ?” or “Où sont les cabines d'essayage ?”. When you come out you’ll hear “Ça vous va comment ?”. Say “C'est trop petit” and ask for another size: “Vous l'avez en plus grand ?”. Use vous with the assistant.

Try it · about two minutes

In a clothes shop you ask for the fitting rooms, try on a shirt and need a bigger size.

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

How does the conversation usually go?

  1. Shop assistant

    Je peux vous aider ?

    Can I help you?

    You

    Je peux l'essayer ?

    Can I try it on?

  2. Shop assistant

    Les cabines d'essayage sont là-bas.

    The fitting rooms are over there.

    You

    Merci pour votre aide.

    Thank you for your help.

  3. Shop assistant

    Ça vous va comment ?

    How does it fit?

    You

    C'est trop petit.

    It’s too small.

  4. Shop assistant

    Vous voulez essayer une autre taille ?

    Would you like to try another size?

    You

    Je pourrais essayer une taille au-dessus ?

    Could I try one size up?

  5. Shop assistant

    Je vais regarder en réserve pour vous.

    I’ll check the stockroom for you.

    You

    Merci, je vous attends ici.

    Thanks, I’ll wait here.

  6. Shop assistant

    Voilà, la taille au-dessus. Ça vous va ?

    Here’s the size up. Does it fit?

    You

    Oui, ça me va très bien.

    Yes, it fits me very well.

Which French phrases do you need?

  • Où sont les cabines d'essayage ?

    Where are the fitting rooms?

  • Je peux l'essayer ?

    Can I try it on?

  • Les cabines d'essayage sont là-bas.

    The fitting rooms are over there.

  • Ça vous va comment ?

    How does it fit?

  • C'est trop petit.

    It’s too small.

  • C'est trop grand.

    It’s too big.

  • Vous l'avez en plus grand ?

    Do you have this in a bigger size?

  • Je pourrais essayer une taille au-dessus ?

    Could I try one size up?

  • Vous l'avez dans une autre couleur ?

    Do you have it in another colour?

  • Je le prends.

    I’ll take it.

What is worth knowing in France?

A fitting-room visit

  1. 1

    Pick what you like and ask if you can try it on.

    Can I try it on?
  2. 2

    Take it to the fitting rooms. In some shops an assistant counts your items at the door.

  3. 3

    Tell the assistant how it fits, and ask for another size or colour.

    Do you have this in a bigger size?
  4. 4

    If it’s right, take it to the till.

    I’ll take it.

Taille or pointure

For clothes you ask about your taille. For shoes it’s your pointure. French sizes are numbered differently from British ones, so check the label or ask.

Je chausse du 41.

I take a size 41 shoe.

Just looking

If an assistant asks whether you need help and you want to browse, say so politely. They will leave you to it.

Je regarde, merci.

I’m just looking, thanks.

Questions about this situation

Which French phrases matter most here?
“Où sont les cabines d'essayage ?” (Where are the fitting rooms); “Je peux l'essayer ?” (Can I try it on); “Les cabines d'essayage sont là-bas.” (The fitting rooms are over there). 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 France. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

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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.

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.