These phrases will give you the basics on browsing and buying; help you shop for various items, including souvenirs, clothes, and jewelry; and assist you in shipping items home.
| opening hours | Öffnungszeiten urf-noongs-tsī-tehn |
| sale | Schlussverkauf shloos-fehr-kowf |
| special offer | Angebot ahn-geh-boht |
| cheap | billig bil-lig |
| affordable | günstig gewn-stig |
| (too) expensive | (zu) teuer (tsoo) toy-ehr |
| good-value | preiswert prīs-vehrt |
| Pardon me. | Entschuldigung. ehnt-shool-dig-oong |
| Where can I buy ____? | Wo kann ich ____ kaufen? voh kahn ikh ____ kow-fehn |
| How much is it? | Wie viel kostet das? vee feel kohs-teht dahs |
| I’m just browsing. | Ich sehe mich nur um. ikh zay-eh mikh noor oom |
| We’re just browsing. | Wir sehen uns nur um. veer zay-ehn oons noor oom |
| I’d like... | Ich hätte gern... ikh heh-teh gehrn |
| Do you have...? | Haben Sie...? hah-behn zee |
| ...more | ...mehr mehr |
| ...something cheaper | ...etwas günstiger eht-vahs gewn-stig-ehr |
| ...something nicer | ...etwas schöner eht-vahs shurn-ehr |
| May I see more? | Darf ich mehr sehen? darf ikh mehr zay-ehn |
| This one. | Dieses. dee-zehs |
| I’ll think about it. | Ich überlege es mir. ikh ew-behr-lay-geh ehs meer |
| I’ll take it. | Ich nehme es. ikh nay-meh ehs |
| What time do you close? | Um wie viel Uhr schliessen Sie? oom vee feel oor shlee-sehn zee |
| What time do you open tomorrow? | Wann öffnen Sie morgen? vahn urf-nehn zee mor-gehn |
Bargain hunters keep an eye out for sales: Angebot (special offer; you’ll see this word everywhere), Sonder-Preis (special price), or Sonderangebot (extra-special offer).
German speakers have several ways to say “inexpensive.” Billig (cheap) can have a negative connotation. Preiswert means “worth the price.” And günstig (affordable) implies a good deal. You may see ads promoting a product as gut und günstig (good and affordable).
| Where do I pay? | Wo kann ich zahlen? voh kahn ikh tsah-lehn |
| cashier | Kasse kah-seh |
| Do you accept credit cards? | Akzeptieren Sie Kreditkarten? ahkt-sehp-teer-ehn zee kreh-deet-kar-tehn |
| Value-Added Tax (VAT) | Mehrwertsteuer (Mwst) mehr-vehrt-shtoy-ehr |
| Is a VAT refund possible here? | Ist das “Tax Free” Schema hier möglich? ist dahs “tax free” shay-mah heer murg-likh |
| Do you have the paperwork for a VAT refund? | Haben Sie ein “Tax Free” Formular? hah-behn zee īn “tax free” for-moo-lar |
| Can you ship this? | Können Sie das versenden? kurn-ehn zee dahs fehr-zehn-dehn |
When you’re ready to pay, look for a Kasse (cashier). The cashier might ask you something like Haben Sie fünfzehn Cent? (Do you have 15 cents?), or Möchten Sie eine Tüte? (Would you like a bag?). At larger stores such as supermarkets, a flimsy little bag (Beutel, boy-tehl) is usually free, but if you want a sturdier Tüte (tew-teh) or Plastiktüte, you‘ll be charged a token amount.
If you make a major purchase from a single store, you may be eligible for a VAT refund; for details, see www.ricksteves.com/vat. While the German word for the Value-Added Tax is a mouthful, all shopkeepers recognize the English words “tax free” to mean the system that allows tourists to get a refund.
In Germany, most shops are open from about 9:00 until 18:00-20:00 on weekdays, but close early on Saturday (about 12:00 in towns and as late as 17:00 in bigger cities). In small towns, a few shops may take a mid-afternoon break on weekdays (roughly between 12:00 and 14:00). Throughout Germany, most shops close entirely on Sundays. For tips and phrases on shopping for a picnic—at grocery stores or open-air markets—SEE HERE.
| department store | Kaufhaus kowf-hows |
| floor | Etage / Stock / Geschoss ay-tah-zheh / shtohk / geh-shohs |
| Where is / are ____? | Wo ist / sind ____? voh ist / zint ____ |
| the men’s / women’s department | die Herrenabteilung / Damenabteilung dee hehr-ehn-ahp-tī-loong / dah-mehn-ahp-tī-loong |
| the children’s department | die Kinderabteilung dee kin-dehr-ahp-tī-loong |
| accessories | Accessoires ah-sehs-swahrz |
| books | Bücher bewkh-ehr |
| electronics | Elektronik eh-lehk-troh-nik |
| fashion | Mode moh-deh |
| footwear | Schuhe shoo-eh |
| groceries | Lebensmittel lay-behns-mit-tehl |
| housewares / kitchenware | Haushaltswaren hows-hahlts-wah-rehn |
| intimates | Wäsche / Dessous veh-sheh / deh-soo |
| jewelry | Schmuck shmook |
| maternity wear | Umstandsmode oom-shtahnds-moh-deh |
| mobile phones | Handys hehn-dees |
| stationery (office supplies, cards) | Bürobedarf bew-roh-beh-darf |
Department stores, such as the popular Karstadt, Galleria Kaufhof (both in Germany), and Manor (Switzerland), sell nearly everything and are good places to get cheap souvenirs and postcards. Most have a directory (often with English) by the escalator or elevator.
Specifically Germanic Souvenirs
Types of Clothes and Accessories
Here are some of the items you might buy, ranging from souvenirs to clothing to jewelry. For personal care items, SEE HERE. For electronics, SEE HERE.
| Do you have a...? | Haben Sie...? hah-behn zee |
| I’m looking for a... | Ich suche... ikh zoo-kheh |
| book | ein Buch īn bookh |
| guidebook | einen Reiseführer ī-nehn rī-zeh-fewr-ehr |
| children’s book | ein Kinderbuch īn kin-dehr-bookh |
| bookmark | ein Lesezeichen īn lay-zeht-sīkh-ehn |
| calendar | einen Kalender ī-nehn kah-lehn-dehr |
| candle | eine Kerze ī-neh kehrt-seh |
| doll | eine Puppe ī-neh poo-peh |
| journal | ein Tagebuch īn tah-geh-bookh |
| magnet | einen Magnet ī-nehn mahg-neht |
| notecards | Notizkarten noh-teets-kar-tehn |
| pen / pencil | ein Schreibstift / ein Bleistift īn schrīb-shtift / īn blī-shtift |
| postcard | eine Postkarte ī-neh pohst-kar-teh |
| poster | ein Poster īn “poster” |
| einen Kunstdruck ī-nehn koonst-drook | |
| toy | ein Spielzeug īn shpeel-tsoyg |
| umbrella | einen Regenschirm ī-nehn ray-gehn-sheerm |
| beer stein | Steinkrug shtīn-kroog |
| cuckoo clock | Kuckucksuhr koo-kooks-oor |
| cowbell | Kuhglocke koo-gloh-keh |
| Swiss army knife | Taschenmesser tah-shehn-mehs-ehr |
| nutcracker | Nussknacker noos-keh-nah-kehr |
| Christmas pyramid | Weihnachtspyramide vī-nahkhts-pew-rah-mee-deh |
| Christmas-pyramid candles | Pyramidenkerzen pew-rah-mee-dehn-kehrt-sehn |
| Christmas-tree ornament | Christbaumschmuck kreest-bowm-shmook |
| traditional local costume | Tracht trahkht |
Many popular Germanic souvenirs go by the same name in English, including Lederhosen (Bavaria’s short “leather pants,” often with built-in suspenders) and Dirndl (traditional alpine peasants’ dress).
Many English speakers have been surprised to find that their request for a “beer stein” is met with confused looks; that‘s because it’s not a German term (and Stein itself just means “stone”). In German, that fancy mug you’re after is a Steinkrug.
Keep in mind that many local items are regional—for example, Lederhosen and nutcrackers in uniforms are as foreign to the Swiss as they are to us.
For lists of colors and fabrics, SEE HERE.
| extra-small | extra klein “extra” klīn |
| small | klein klīn |
| medium | mittelgross mit-tehl-grohs |
| large | gross grohs |
| extra-large | extra gross “extra” grohs |
| I need a bigger / smaller size. | Ich brauche eine grössere / kleinere Grösse. ikh browkh-eh ī-neh grur-seh-reh / klī-neh-reh grur-seh |
| What’s my size? | Was ist meine Grösse? vahs ist mī-neh grur-seh |
When shopping for clothing, use these US-to-European comparisons as a guideline (but note that no conversion is perfect).
Women’s dresses and blouses: Add 30 (US size 10 = EU size 40)
Men’s suits and jackets: Add 10 (US size 40 regular = EU size 50)
Men’s shirts: Multiply by 2 and add about 8 (US size 15 collar = EU size 38)
Women’s shoes: Add about 30 (US size 8 = EU size 38 1/2)
Men’s shoes: Add 32–34 (US size 9 = EU size 41; US size 11 = EU size 45)
Children’s clothing: Small children, subtract 1 (US size 10 = EU size 9); juniors, subtract 4 (US size 14 = EU size 10)
Girls’ shoes: Add 16-17 (US size 10 = EU size 26); over size 13 use women’s sizes
Boys’ shoes: Add 17.5-18 (US size 11 = EU size 29); over size 13 use men’s sizes
Traveling is hard on clothes.
| I need... | Ich brauche... ikh browkh-eh |
| ...a button. | ...einen Knopf. ī-nehn keh-nohpf |
| ...a needle. | ...eine Nadel. ī-neh nah-dehl |
| ...thread. | ...Faden. fah-dehn |
| ...scissors. | ...eine Schere. ī-neh sheh-reh |
| ...stain remover. | ...Fleckenentferner. fleh-kehn-ehnt-fehr-nehr |
| ...a new zipper. | ...einen neuen Reissverschluss. ī-nehn noy-ehn rīs-fehr-shloos |
| Can you fix it? | Können Sie das reparieren? kurn-ehn zee dahs reh-pah-reer-ehn |
| black | schwarz shvahrts |
| blue | blau blow (rhymes with “cow”) |
| brown | braun brown |
| gray | grau grow (rhymes with “cow”) |
| green | grün grewn |
| orange | orange oh-rahn-zheh |
| pink | rosa roh-zah |
| purple | lila lee-lah |
| red | rot roht |
| white | weiss vīs |
| yellow | gelb gehlb |
| dark / darker | dunkel / dunkler doon-kehl / doon-klehr |
| light / lighter | hell / heller hehl / hehl-ehr |
| bright / brighter | mit satten Farben / mit satteren Farben mit zah-tehn far-behn / mit zah-teh-rehn far-behn |
| jewelry | Schmuck shmook |
| jewelry store | Schmuckgeschäft shmook-geh-shehft |
| bracelet | Armband arm-bahnt |
| brooch | Brosche broh-sheh |
| cuff links | Manschettenknöpfe mahn-sheh-tehn-keh-nurp-feh |
| earrings | Ohrringe or-ring-eh |
| necklace | Halsband hahls-bahnt |
| ring | Ring ring |
| watch | Uhr oor |
| watch battery | Uhren-Batterie ooh-rehn-bah-teh-ree |
| silver / gold | Silber / Gold zil-behr / gohlt |
| Is this...? | Ist das...? ist dahs |
| ...sterling silver | ...echt Silber ehkht zil-behr |
| ...real gold | ...echt Gold ehkht gohlt |
| ...handmade | ...Handgemacht hahnd-geh-makht |
| ...made in Germany / Austria / Switzerland | ...in Deutschland / Österreich / der Schweiz hergestellt in doytch-lahnd / ur-stehr-rīkh / dehr shvīts hehr-geh-shtehlt |
| ...stolen | ...gestohlen geh-shtohl-ehn |
If you need to ship packages home, head for die Post (the post office). Otherwise, you can often get stamps at a Kiosk (newsstand), stamp machine (yellow, labeled Briefmarken), or Tabak (tobacco shop). The German Postal Service is called the Deutsche Post; in Austria, it’s the Österreichische Post; and Switzerland has the Swiss Post.
At the post office, notice how the windows are labeled: Briefmarken is for stamps, Pakete is for packages, and Alle Leistungen handles everything. Or you might need to take a number (Nummer ziehen). After taking your Nummer, watch the board listing the Anruf (number currently being served) and which Schalter (counter) to report to.
German mailboxes often come in pairs: The box for local mail is labeled with its range of zip codes (PLZ, for Postleitzahl), and the other box (labeled Andere PLZ or Alle PLZ) is for everything else.
Post offices sell sturdy boxes, which you can assemble, fill with souvenirs, and mail home...so you can keep packing light.