How to buy clothes in Spanish
¿Lo tienen en la talla M?
“Do you have it in a medium?”
When: Holding an item, speaking to a shop assistant
The moment
You are in a busy clothes shop on Gran Vía in Madrid and you have found a jumper you like. You need it in your size, you want to try it on, and then you decide.
A1 · Unit 5 · Shopping
The lines
Asking for your size
Hold up the item and ask '¿Lo tienen en la talla M?' — 'lo' simply means 'it'. Ask for a colour exactly the same way: '¿Lo tienen en negro?'
¿Lo tienen en la talla M?
“Do you have it in a medium?”
When to use it: Holding an item, speaking to a shop assistant
What you’ll hear back: Sí, ahora mismo se lo traigo. (Yes, I'll bring it right away.)
Asking to try it on
'¿Me lo puedo probar?' is how you ask to try something on. Say it with the item in your hand and the assistant will point you to the fitting rooms.
¿Me lo puedo probar?
“Can I try it on?”
When to use it: Before going into the fitting room
What you’ll hear back: Sí, claro, los probadores están al fondo. (Yes, of course, the fitting rooms are at the back.)
Words for this scene
| Spanish | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| Me queda bien | meh KEH-dah BYEN | It fits me / it looks good on me |
Me queda bien, me lo llevo. It fits me well, I'll take it. Tip: In Spain this covers both the fit and how it looks. | ||
| Me queda pequeño | meh KEH-dah peh-KEH-nyoh | It's too small on me |
Me queda pequeño, ¿lo tienen en una talla más grande? It's too small on me, do you have it in a bigger size? Tip: Say 'me queda grande' instead when something is too big. | ||
| Me lo llevo | meh loh YEH-boh | I'll take it |
Perfecto, me lo llevo. Perfect, I'll take it. Tip: Assistants read this as your yes and head for the till. | ||
Your objective
Ask for it in your size, ask to try it on, and say whether it fits.
- your size
- trying it on
- whether it fits
Lines that get it done
- ¿Lo tienen en la talla M?
- ¿Me lo puedo probar?
- Me queda bien, me lo llevo. · It fits me well, I'll take it.
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You are holding a jacket and want it in size M. What do you say?
- ¿Lo tienen en la talla M?
- ¿Cuánto cuesta la talla M?
- ¿Dónde está la talla M?
- Quiero la talla M mañana.
Show the answer
¿Lo tienen en la talla M?
'¿Lo tienen en...?' is the standard way to ask a shop for a size or a colour.
2. You want to try the jacket on before buying it. What do you ask?
- ¿Me lo puedo probar?
- ¿Lo puedo pagar aquí?
- ¿Me lo puede envolver?
- ¿Lo tienen en azul?
Show the answer
¿Me lo puedo probar?
'Probar' is the verb for trying clothes on, so '¿Me lo puedo probar?' asks for the fitting room.
3. The shirt is too tight and you need a bigger one. What do you say?
- Me queda pequeño.
- Me queda bien.
- Me lo llevo.
- Es muy barato.
Show the answer
Me queda pequeño.
'Me queda pequeño' tells the assistant the item is too small on you.