25 supermarket items in Spanish: buy groceries phrases

Published Aug 14, 2026·Updated Aug 14, 2026

Transcript

Read along, Spanish & English, side by side

Have you ever accidentally asked for a bag of air at the supermarket?

Today we’re going to avoid that kind of mess.

In 10 minutes, you'll learn, at A1 level, 25 supermarket items and how to ask for them and pay without stress.

Yes, straight and useful, because it’s for real shopping, not theory.

We’ll give you simple phrases for the aisle, the produce section, and the checkout, okay?

And also the typical mistakes like confusing pay with ask.

Oh, hi, I’m Carlos, and Maria is with me, of course.

And if you want to practice later, the complete lesson is on Vocabli.

Alright, let’s get to the point, today we’ll cover vocabulary you’ll use right away.

We’ll start with the basics from the fridge: bread, milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, and butter.

These are super common items, right?

With these words, you can already make a breakfast without any trouble.

And for fruits and vegetables, well, the usual: tomato, onion, lettuce, potato, and carrot.

For a sweet snack: apple, banana, and orange.

With this, you’ve filled half a basket, honestly.

To navigate the supermarket, use simple questions.

For example, excuse me, where is the rice?

Or, where is the pasta?

And also, where are the tomatoes?

If you don’t know the word, just point and say: this, please, and it works.

Let’s do a mini roleplay, okay?

You’re the customer, and I’m the employee.

Let’s go down the fruit and vegetable aisle.

Alright, I’m going.

Excuse me, where are the tomatoes and lettuce?

And the apples, please, I can’t see them.

The tomatoes and lettuce are on the right, at the beginning of the aisle.

The apples are right next to the oranges.

And if you want carrots or onions, they’re a bit further back.

Great, thanks.

And, where are the rice and pasta?

I want one of each for the week.

At the back, in the pantry section, to the left.

You’ll see many brands, but don’t get confused, rice and pasta are usually together.

If you’re unsure, just ask again, and that’s it.

Important for ordering: use I want, please, or give me, please.

For example, I want yogurt, please, or give me butter, please.

Paying is at the checkout at the end, not when you ask for the product.

At the deli counter, you can also ask for quantities.

You say: I want ham, please, and add 100 grams or 200 grams.

And the same goes for cheese: 100 grams of cheese, please.

At the checkout or supermarket counter, they might ask: do you want a bag?

You can respond: yes, a bag, please, or no, I have a bag.

And finally, how much is it?

It’s 3 euros and 50 cents, for example, and you pay by card or cash.

Let’s see, a true and funny story.

A friend wanted a bag of rice and confidently said: a bag of air, please.

Of course, everyone was like: what?

Then he laughed and learned: rice, forever.

And watch out for the pronunciation of tomato.

Don't say "to mate," like in English, say "tomato" with the emphasis on "ma."

Practice at home: tomato, tomato, it sounds better and you'll be understood right away.

For breakfast, I always say: bread with butter and coffee.

Sometimes tea, and a glass of milk or yogurt, depending on the day.

With those 6 words, you can talk about your morning without any hassle.

For proteins, the essentials: eggs, chicken, meat, and fish.

If you like something quick for a snack, well, ham and cheese.

With that, you have variety for simple meals.

In the fruit and vegetable section, repeat after me: tomato, onion, lettuce, potato, and carrot.

And for fruit: apple, banana, and orange.

Grab a paper bag, put the items in, and if necessary, weigh them on the scale in the section.

And in the pantry, the basics at home: rice, pasta, olive oil, salt, and sugar.

With that, you can cook something almost always.

Okay, those are very useful and frequent words.

Another useful tip from the supermarket: check the expiration date.

The expiration date is the date when the food is no longer good.

Many times it's on the back of the label, especially on yogurt and milk, so turn the container and check.

Mini test, come on.

Do you remember what expiration date means?

Yes, that's it: the deadline to consume the product, after that it's not safe.

And since we're at it, repeat quickly: tomato with emphasis on "ma."

Another quick thing: don't confuse paying with ordering.

You order like this: I want rice, please, or a sandwich, please.

And you pay at the end: please charge me at the register, easy.

Let's do another mini roleplay, now at the register.

I'm the cashier: hello, good day, do you need a bag?

I scan and say: it's 8 euros with 20 cents, card or cash?

And I offer you the receipt: would you like a receipt?

I'm the customer: hello, yes, one bag, please.

With card, thanks.

In the end, I say: could you charge me, please?

And when I get it: thanks, see you later.

A surprise tip that worked for me: watch cooking shows in Spanish.

I mean, you hear how they say olive oil or fish in real context and you get the rhythm.

Then in the supermarket, it feels more natural.

About the way to ask: "give me" can sound a bit strong, depending on the place.

In A1 it's better: "I want, please," or "could you give me," at a counter.

Always sounding more polite with "please," you know?

Oh, and if someone laughs at how you say tomato, don't worry.

It happened to a student, and then the same person taught him the pronunciation, very nice.

With a smile, everything flows better.

Let's practice together, just like that, directly.

Say aloud: I want bread, milk, and eggs, please.

Good, now add a vegetable: and tomato, and done, complete sentence.

Key phrases to get around: where is the product.

How much does it cost? for the price.

And there's a sale on, if you see a sign and want to confirm.

Memory trick: in your kitchen, point to objects and say their name.

Open the fridge and say: yogurt, butter, cheese, milk.

In the cupboard: rice, pasta, salt, sugar.

And when you grab a cart, breathe and think in categories: fruits, vegetables, proteins, and pantry.

That way you won’t be aimlessly wandering around, okay?

It's simple and very practical.

One last roleplay at the deli, which is useful.

Me: good morning, I’d like 200 grams of ham and 100 grams of cheese, please.

And if something's missing, I add: oh, and a plain yogurt, please, even though that’s usually in another section.

Me as the shop assistant: sure, 200 of ham and 100 of cheese, anything else?

And if you’re unsure, I’ll say: the cheese is on sale today, and you decide.

A typical mistake I hear: I want to pay ham.

It sounds odd because paying is at the end.

You say: I want ham or I want to order ham, and then you pay at the register.

And the key question at the register: do you want a bag?

If you don’t want one, say: no, thanks, I have a bag.

If you do want one, say: yes, a bag, please, easy and friendly.

Before closing, remember to check the expiration date on milk and yogurt.

Sometimes it’s on the back and in small print.

Better to take a second to check than get a surprise at home.

Today we've mentioned a bunch of useful words: bread, milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, butter, tomato, onion, lettuce, potato, carrot, apple, banana, orange, rice, pasta, olive oil, salt, sugar, coffee, tea, ham, chicken, meat, and fish.

That's 25, just like that.

With this, you can navigate the supermarket without drama.

My final advice: choose 5 of these words and use them this week.

Go to the supermarket and say two complete sentences, even if it feels slow.

That way, the vocabulary really sticks.

Question for you listening: which supermarket product in Spanish always confuses you and how do you ask for it now?

Share your trick or your mini story in the comments.

You'll definitely help someone else.

And as we said at the beginning, if you want to practice more, it’s all set up.

The interactive lesson with transcription, vocabulary cards, and exercises is free on Vocabli.

You’ll find the link in the description.

We’ll speak soon, and happy shopping.