Shopping: buying & selling

Q: What is the difference between a market and a department store ?

A market sells fresh food and general items, while a department store is a large building with separate sections for things like clothes, toys, and shoes.

Q: Who is a customer and who is a seller ?

A customer is the person who buys things, and a seller (or shopkeeper) is the person who sells the things.

Q: What is the difference between cheap and expensive ?

Cheap means something costs a small amount of money, while expensive means it costs a lot of money.

Q: What is change in a shopping context?

Change is the money a seller gives back to a customer if the customer paid more than the actual price.

Q: How do you ask for the price of one item versus multiple items?

Use "How much is this?" for one item and "How much are these?" for more than one item.

Q: How can you use the word because when shopping?

Use because to give a reason why you like or dislike an item based on its price or quality.

Q: What should a seller say when handing an item to a customer?

A seller should say, "Here you are."

Q: When should you use is and are when stating a price?

Use is for a single item and are for two or more items.

Q: Where does an adjective go in an English shopping phrase?

In English, the adjective (describing word) comes before the noun.

Q: Where do you place the symbol for dollars ($ \$ $) compared to Thai baht?

The dollar symbol ($ \$ $) is written before the number, while "baht" is written after the number.

English · Primary School (Thailand) · 4 min read · Updated: 7 Sept 2026

Welcome to the World of Shopping!

Hello everyone! In this chapter, we are going to learn how to talk about buying and selling. Whether you are at a local market or a big department store, knowing the right words and phrases will help you get exactly what you want. Don't worry if it seems like a lot to learn—we will take it step-by-step!

1. Essential Shopping Vocabulary

Before we start talking, let's look at the words we need to know. These are common words for students in ป.4–ป.6.

Places to Shop

Market: A place where people sell fresh food and things (ตลาด).
Shop / Store: A general place to buy things (ร้านค้า).
Supermarket: A large store for groceries and household items (ซูเปอร์มาร์เก็ต).
Department Store: A very big building with many different sections like clothes, toys, and shoes (ห้างสรรพสินค้า).

People and Money

Customer: The person who buys things (ลูกค้า).
Seller / Shopkeeper: The person who sells things (คนขาย).
Price: How much money something costs (ราคา).
Cheap: Something that costs a little bit of money (ราคาถูก).
Expensive: Something that costs a lot of money (ราคาแพง).
Change: The money you get back if you give the seller too much (เงินทอน).

Quick Review: Remember your numbers! In ป.6, you should be able to count up to 1,000. For example, "This bicycle costs 950 baht."

2. Useful Phrases for the Buyer (The Customer)

When you want to buy something, you need to ask questions politely. Use these simple sentences:

Asking for Help and Prices

"Excuse me, how much is this?" (ใช้ถามราคาสิ่งของ 1 อย่าง)
"How much are these?" (ใช้ถามราคาสิ่งของหลายอย่าง)
"May I have two apples, please?" (ขอซื้อแอปเปิ้ล 2 ลูกค่ะ/ครับ)
"I want to buy a blue pen." (ฉันต้องการซื้อปากกาสีน้ำเงิน)

Expressing Feelings (ป.5 - ป.6)

You can add a reason using because to say why you like or don't like something:

"I like this shirt because it is cheap."
"I don't like those shoes because they are expensive."

3. Useful Phrases for the Seller (The Shopkeeper)

If you are pretending to be a seller in a role-play, you can use these phrases:

"Can I help you?" (มีอะไรให้ช่วยไหมคะ/ครับ?)
"It is 20 baht." (ราคา 20 บาทค่ะ/ครับ)
"They are 100 baht." (ราคา 100 บาทค่ะ/ครับ)
"Here you are." (นี่ค่ะ/ครับ - พูดตอนส่งของให้ลูกค้า)

Memory Tip: Use "is" for one thing (singular) and "are" for many things (plural).
- The apple is 5 baht.
- The apples are 10 baht.

4. Politeness and Culture

In English culture, being polite is very important! Here are some words to make your shopping trip smoother:

Excuse me: Use this to get someone's attention.
Please: Always add this to the end of a request (e.g., "Can I have a bag, please?").
Thank you: Say this after you pay or receive your items.
You're welcome / That's all right / Never mind: These are ways to respond when someone says thank you.

Did you know?

When English speakers pay, they often use "Here you are" or "There you go" when handing over money. It’s a friendly way to complete the deal!

5. Comparing Thai and English (ต ๒.๒)

There are some differences in how we talk about shopping in Thai and English that you should remember:

Word Order: In English, we usually put the adjective (describing word) before the noun.
Thai: ปากกา สีแดง (Noun + Color)
English: Red pen (Color + Noun)
Punctuation: English sentences must start with a Capital Letter and end with a Full Stop (.) or Question Mark (?). Thai sentences do not usually use these marks.
Example: How much is the toy?
Currency Symbols: In Thailand, we write "baht" after the number (20 baht). For dollars, the symbol $ \$ $ is often written before the number, like this: $\$20$.

Key Takeaways

1. Asking Price: Use "How much is...?" for one item and "How much are...?" for more than one.
2. Politeness: Don't forget "Excuse me", "Please", and "Thank you".
3. Describing Items: Put colors and sizes before the object (e.g., "a big hat", "a green shirt").
4. Reasons: Use "because" to explain why you want to buy something (e.g., "I want this because it is beautiful.").

Great job! Now you are ready to practice shopping in English. Try practicing with a friend—one person can be the customer and the other can be the seller!

Quick check

Can you answer these now?

Open each question to check the key ideas from this chapter.

What is the difference between a market and a department store?

A market sells fresh food and general items, while a department store is a large building with separate sections for things like clothes, toys, and shoes.

Who is a customer and who is a seller?

A customer is the person who buys things, and a seller (or shopkeeper) is the person who sells the things.

What is the difference between cheap and expensive?

Cheap means something costs a small amount of money, while expensive means it costs a lot of money.

What is change in a shopping context?

Change is the money a seller gives back to a customer if the customer paid more than the actual price.

How do you ask for the price of one item versus multiple items?

Use "How much is this?" for one item and "How much are these?" for more than one item.

How can you use the word because when shopping?

Use because to give a reason why you like or dislike an item based on its price or quality.

What should a seller say when handing an item to a customer?

A seller should say, "Here you are."

When should you use is and are when stating a price?

Use is for a single item and are for two or more items.

Where does an adjective go in an English shopping phrase?

In English, the adjective (describing word) comes before the noun.

Where do you place the symbol for dollars ($ \$ $) compared to Thai baht?

The dollar symbol ($ \$ $) is written before the number, while "baht" is written after the number.

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