Spanish phrases for finding things in the supermarket in Spain
Get a member of staff’s attention with “Perdona, ¿trabajas aquí?”, then say what you need: “No encuentro la harina, ¿me ayudas?” or “¿Me puedes decir dónde están los congelados?”. You may hear “Está en el pasillo tres”. If a shelf is empty, ask “¿Sabes cuándo vais a reponer este producto?”.
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 Spanish. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.
How does the conversation usually go?
You can’t find the frozen food. Someone is putting boxes on a shelf, but they aren’t wearing a uniform.
YouPerdona, ¿trabajas aquí?
Excuse me, do you work here?
- Shop assistant
Sí, dime.
Yes, go ahead.
YouNo encuentro la harina, ¿me ayudas?
I can’t find the flour, can you help me?
- Shop assistant
Se ha agotado, pero mañana nos llega más.
It’s sold out, but we’re getting more tomorrow.
You¿Me puedes decir dónde están los congelados?
Can you tell me where the frozen food is?
- Shop assistant
Está en el pasillo tres.
It’s in aisle three.
You¿Dónde se pesa la fruta?
Where do you weigh the fruit?
- Shop assistant
La fruta la tienes que pesar tú.
You have to weigh the fruit yourself.
You¿Cómo funciona la báscula?
How does the scale work?
- Shop assistant
¡Que tengas un buen día!
Have a good day!
You¡Igualmente!
You too!
Which Spanish phrases do you need?
Perdona, ¿trabajas aquí?
Excuse me, do you work here?
¿Dónde está la leche?
Where is the milk?
No encuentro la harina, ¿me ayudas?
I can’t find the flour, can you help me?
¿Me puedes decir dónde están los congelados?
Can you tell me where the frozen food is?
Busco el aceite de oliva.
I’m looking for the olive oil.
Está en el pasillo tres.
It’s in aisle three.
¿Sabes cuándo vais a reponer este producto?
Do you know when you’ll restock this product?
Se ha agotado, pero mañana nos llega más.
It’s sold out, but we’re getting more tomorrow.
¿Dónde se pesa la fruta?
Where do you weigh the fruit?
¿Cómo funciona la báscula?
How does the scale work?
What is worth knowing in Spain?
Finding what you need
- 1
Look up first: aisle numbers and signs usually hang above the shelves.
- 2
If you can’t spot it, catch the eye of a member of staff.
Excuse me, do you work here? - 3
Listen for “pasillo” and a number.
It’s in aisle three.
Weighing your own fruit
In many supermarkets you weigh and label fruit and vegetables yourself before the till. In some the cashier does it, so look at what other shoppers do.
La fruta la tienes que pesar tú.
You have to weigh the fruit yourself.
When a shelf is empty
Staff may say a product has sold out, “se ha agotado”, and tell you when more arrives. You can also ask them directly.
¿Sabes cuándo vais a reponer este producto?
Do you know when you’ll restock this product?
Questions about this situation
- Which Spanish phrases matter most here?
- “Perdona, ¿trabajas aquí?” (Excuse me, do you work here); “¿Dónde está la leche?” (Where is the milk); “No encuentro la harina, ¿me ayudas?” (I can’t find the flour, can you help me). 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 Spain. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.
Related situations in Spanish
- Buying bread at the bakery
- Ordering at the butcher's or fishmonger's counter
- Buying fruit and veg at the market
- Dropping off clothes or shoes for cleaning or repair
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.