Shopping for an Item

What you’ll learn

Ask for a product, size, and alternative.

សួររកទំនិញ ទំហំ និងជម្រើសផ្សេង។

Situation and purpose

A shopping conversation often moves from identifying the product to checking size, colour, and price. If an item is unavailable, ask for an alternative. This and that point to one item; these and those point to more than one. Confirm the item before moving to payment.

ការសន្ទនាទិញទំនិញចាប់ពីរកទំនិញ រួចសួរទំហំ ពណ៌ និងតម្លៃ។ បើអស់ស្តុក អាចសួរជម្រើសផ្សេង។ This/that សម្រាប់មួយ ហើយ these/those សម្រាប់ច្រើន។

Useful expressions

Pattern	Example or form
Ask for availability	Do you have this in medium?
Ask the price	How much is it?
Request a trial	May I try it on?
Choose an alternative	Could I see the blue one?

Examples

1. I’m looking for a notebook.

   ខ្ញុំកំពុងរកសៀវភៅកត់ត្រា។

2. Do you have a smaller size?

   តើមានទំហំតូចជាងនេះទេ?

3. How much are these shoes?

   ស្បែកជើងទាំងនេះតម្លៃប៉ុន្មាន?

4. I’ll take this one.

   ខ្ញុំយកមួយនេះ។

Model conversation

Dara: Can I help you?

Maly: Yes, do you have this shirt in medium?

Dara: Only in blue. Would you like to see it?

Maly: Yes, please. How much is it?

Dara: Ten dollars.

Maly: Thank you. May I try it on?

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
How much is these shoes?	How much are these shoes?	Use are with plural shoes.
Can I see the blue it?	Can I see the blue one?	One substitutes for a countable item after a colour modifier.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Ask for the same shirt in a larger size.
2. Ask the price of one bag.
3. Choose a blue notebook rather than a red one.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. Do you have this shirt in a larger size?

   Model answer: identify the product and the needed change.

2. How much is this bag?

   Use is for one item.

3. I’ll take the blue one, please.

   One avoids repeating notebook.

Quick recap

• Identify the product before asking about options.
• Use is for one item and are for plural items.
• One can replace a countable product noun.