Grocery Store English Terms for Practice

Going to the grocery store is something we all do. Whether you’re buying fruit, bread, or something for dinner, it’s part of everyday life.

In this lesson, we’ll explore useful grocery store English terms for practice that can help beginners feel more confident when shopping or talking about food.

To wrap things up, we’ve included in the end of this post a quick exercise to help you recall what you’ve learned.

Grocery Store English Terms for Practice

Maria goes to the grocery store on Saturday morning. She wants to buy a few things for the week. When she enters the store, she picks up a shopping basket and walks to the produce section.

A store employee approaches her.

“Good morning. Do you need any help today?” he asks.

“Yes, please,” Maria says. “Where can I find the tomatoes?”

“They’re right over here,” he replies, pointing to a large display. “They are fresh today.”

Maria smiles. “Thank you.” She chooses four tomatoes, some onions, and a bunch of bananas. Then she walks to the dairy section.

She sees another customer looking confused.

“Excuse me,” the woman says to Maria. “Do you know where the eggs are?”

“I think they’re on the next aisle, next to the milk,” Maria replies.

The woman thanks her and leaves. Maria takes a carton of eggs, a bottle of milk, and some cheese. After that, she goes to the bread aisle. She picks whole-grain bread and a pack of tortillas.

Maria still needs pasta, rice, and cooking oil. She finds them easily. Then she stops by the snacks section to buy a small bag of chips.

At the checkout, the cashier greets her.

“Did you find everything you were looking for?”

“Yes, everything,” Maria answers.

“Do you need bags?”

“Yes, two bags, please.”

The cashier scans the items. “Your total is twenty-eight dollars and fifty cents.”

Maria pays and takes her bags.

“Have a nice day!” the cashier says.

“You too,” Maria replies as she leaves the store.

Rewrite the phrases and correct all grammatical errors.

Common Grocery Store Sections

Most grocery stores are divided into sections. Knowing the names of each part of the store helps you find things faster and talk about them more easily.

Here are a few common sections:

• Produce – fruits and vegetables
• Bakery – bread, cakes, cookies
• Dairy – milk, cheese, butter, yogurt
• Frozen foods – ice cream, frozen vegetables, ready meals
• Meat & Seafood – chicken, beef, fish, shrimp
• Canned goods – food in metal cans like beans or soup
• Snacks – chips, chocolate, cookies
• Beverages – juice, soda, water, tea

Next time you walk through a store, look at the signs above each aisle. You’ll probably see some of these words!

Everyday Phrases You Can Use at the Store

Start using simple phrases at the grocery store. Here are a few you might say or hear:

• “Where can I find the milk?”
• “Do you have fresh bread today?”
• “How much is this?”
• “Can I pay with a card?”
• “I need a bag, please.”
• “That will be five dollars and seventy-five cents.”
• “Would you like a receipt?”

Memorizing phrases like these helps you feel more confident to speak.

Actions and Phrases

Here are some common verbs and phrases used in the grocery store:

• Buy – to pay for something and take it home.
• Pick up – to take an item and put it in your cart or basket.
• Check out – to pay for your groceries.
• Scan – what the cashier does with each item.
• Bag – to put items into bags after paying.

Start using simple phrases at the grocery store. Here are a few you might say or hear:

• “Where can I find the milk?”
• “Do you have fresh bread today?”
• “How much is this?”
• “Can I pay with a card?”
• “I need a bag, please.”
• “That will be five dollars and seventy-five cents.”
• “Would you like a receipt?”

These are useful to keep in mind.

Learn from Videos

Check out the video below for a little more practice. Try to get the context and what is being said.

Video channel

Find here more english texts to practice.

Vocabulary