🛍️ Shopping Vocabulary

Part 1: Shopping Collocations

Collocations are words that naturally go together. Native speakers use these combinations automatically!

Collocation	Example	Meaning
bargain price	"I got this dress at a bargain price!"	Very cheap price
window shopping	"We're just window shopping today."	Looking without buying
impulse buy	"That was an impulse buy, I didn't need it."	Unplanned purchase
retail therapy	"I need some retail therapy after this week!"	Shopping to feel better
shopping spree	"She went on a shopping spree and spent £500."	Buying many things
special offer	"There's a special offer on shoes this week."	Temporary discount

Collocation	Example
browse the shops	"Let's browse the shops this afternoon."
try something on	"Can I try this on in a size medium?"
shop around	"I always shop around for the best price."
splash out	"I splashed out on a new laptop."
get a refund	"I returned the item and got a full refund."

1. I got this jacket at a price! (bargain/cheap)

2. We're just shopping, not buying. (window/looking)

3. That was an buy, I didn't plan it. (impulse/sudden)

4. She went on a shopping and spent a fortune. (spree/trip)

5. I need some retail after this stressful week. (therapy/treatment)

Idioms are expressions with meanings different from the literal words. They make your English sound natural!

Cost an arm and a leg - Very expensive
"That designer bag cost an arm and a leg!"
Dirt cheap - Very inexpensive
"I got these shoes dirt cheap in the sale."
Pay through the nose - Pay too much
"We paid through the nose for those concert tickets."
Shop till you drop - Shop for a long time
"Let's shop till we drop this weekend!"
A steal - Very good price
"At £20, this coat is a steal!"
Rip-off - Overpriced/unfair price
"£10 for a coffee? That's a rip-off!"
Money to burn - Lots of money to spend
"He must have money to burn, buying such expensive things."
Get your money's worth - Good value
"This jacket is quality - you'll get your money's worth."

1. "That car cost an arm and a !" (leg/foot)

2. "These jeans were dirt in the sale." (cheap/free)

3. "At £5, this shirt is a !" (steal/bargain)

4. "£15 for a sandwich? That's a !" (rip-off/steal)

5. "Let's shop till we this weekend!" (drop/stop)

Phrasal verbs are verbs combined with prepositions or adverbs that create new meanings!

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
try on	Test clothes before buying	"Can I try on this dress?"
shop around	Compare prices at different stores	"I always shop around before buying electronics."
pick up	Buy casually	"I picked up some milk on the way home."
splash out	Spend a lot of money	"I splashed out on a new phone."
take back	Return an item	"I need to take back these shoes, they don't fit."
snap up	Buy quickly (good deal)	"I snapped up those tickets before they sold out."
sell out	All items sold	"The new iPhone sold out in hours."
knock down	Reduce price	"They knocked down the price by 50%."

Try on is only for clothes/shoes - not for other products

Splash out is informal - use "spend a lot" in formal contexts

Shop around shows you're a smart shopper looking for deals

1. Can I on this jacket? (try/put)

2. I always around for the best price. (shop/look)

3. I out on a new laptop. (splashed/spent)

4. I need to back these shoes. (take/bring)

5. The concert tickets out in minutes. (sold/went)

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