Spanish Language Phrases
Tips for Shopping for Food in Markets in Spain
Spanish food is great and there's no better way to have fun than to buy it in a Spanish market. But it's not always easy, and a little local knowledge and a few Spanish phrases will make the experience more enjoyable, whether it's buying ingredients for a home made paella or just some fruit and cheese for a snack or picnic.
Tips for Shopping in Spanish Markets
The Spanish are very direct, and looking or sounding tentative is a sure recipe for being ignored. Following these rules will avoid an unnecessarily long wait or an awkward misunderstanding.
- When people are crowding around a stall, establish where the end of the queue is by asking, “Quien (kee-en) es la ultima?” (Who’s last in the queue?) The person who is last will answer “yo” or “soy yo” (me, or I am).
- Be ready to answer the same question for the next person who comes up. Failing to comply with the system can cause chaos, but more commonly results in tourists being simply passed over. The Spanish are not rude, but if someone fails to claim their place in the queue they will readily assume that they are not waiting to be served.
- If there is any hesitation in the rush to be served, the assistant may ask, "quien va?" (whose turn is it?). Again, say "yo" or "soy yo" to avoid being passed over.
- Follow the lead of other customers. If they are beginning to help themselves by putting things into bags as they wait, follow suit. If they are not, wait to be served before touching anything.
Spanish Phrases and Vocabulary
It's not necessary to learn a lot of vocabulary for shopping in Spanish markets, because almost everything is prominently displayed and can be pointed to. The Spanish talk with their hands, and will quite naturally adopt sign language to help with any communication problems. However, some things are useful to know the following:
- Numbers (accompany these with hand / finger signals if there is any doubt). Uno (oo-no) one Dos (doss) two Tres (tress) three Cuatro (quot-ro) four Cinco (sin-ko) five Seis (says) six Siete (see-et-ay) seven Ocho (ot-cho) eight Nueve (noo-ev-ay) nine Diez (dee-es) ten
- Quantities(assistants will often helpfully put things into bags a few at a time until you indicate ‘enough’) Mas (mass) more Menos (men-os) less Mas grande (gran-day) bigger Mas pequeno (pek-ayn-yo) smaller Media kilo (med-ee-a kee-lo) half a kilo Basta (bass-ta) enough
- Colours (Tomatoes can be red/ripe or green/unripe, the latter being 'salad' tomatoes and the former intended for cooking) Verde (vair-day) green, or unripe Maduro (mad-oor-ro) ripe Rojo (row-ho) red Amarillo (Am-a-ree-oh) yellow
Other Useful Spanish Phrases
- If you are buying fish, you may be asked: “Limpiado?” (limp-ee-ar-do) cleaned, gutted.
- Answer "Si" (see) yes, or "No"
- Since prices are often not displayed, you may want to ask: “Cuanto es?” (kwan-to ez) How much is it?
- They will answer in euros and cents, literally x euros with (con) x cents, for example: Dos euros con viente (doss ay-oo-ros kon vee-en-tay) two euros twenty cents.
- El kilo – per kilo, or unidad (oo-nee-dad) – each
- Finally, the all important: Por favor (por fav-or) please, and Gracias (grass-ee-as) thank you
The Spanish don’t pepper every exchange with pleases and thank-yous. Once in a short exchange is enough, and excessive ‘politeness’ can be interpreted as indecision or time-wasting, another sure recipe for being ignored. Happy shopping!
Barcelona's Famous Boqueria Market
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Travel
Latest Articles