Phrasal Verbs for Shopping and Bargaining

When you’re shopping, whether it’s at a local market or online, you might hear or use certain phrasal verbs that can make your experience easier and more fun.

Phrasal verbs are expressions made up of a verb and one or two particles (like prepositions or adverbs).

These particles change the meaning of the verb, making them an important part of learning English.

In this post, I’ll teach you some common phrasal verbs for shopping and bargaining.

You will learn how to use them in simple sentences and understand their meanings.

Whether you’re buying clothes, groceries, or anything else, these phrasal verbs will help you communicate better in English.

1. Pick Out

Meaning: To choose something from a group of things.

When you’re shopping, you often have to pick out what you want to buy from many options. For example:

I’m going to pick out a new shirt today.
She picked out a beautiful pair of shoes.

2. Try On

Meaning: To put on clothes or accessories to see if they fit or look good.

Trying on clothes is a key part of shopping for clothes. Here’s how to use “try on”:

I’m going to try on this jacket before buying it.
He tried on a few pairs of jeans but didn’t like any of them.

3. Look Around

Meaning: To walk through a store or area and look at the products.

When you’re not sure what you want to buy, you might look around to see what’s available. For example:

We’re just looking around, not ready to buy yet.
I like to look around before I decide what to buy.

4. Put Back

Meaning: To return an item to where it was after deciding not to buy it.

Sometimes, after picking something up in a store, you may decide not to buy it. You then put it back. Here are examples:

She didn’t like the dress, so she put it back on the shelf.
I’m going to put this book back. I don’t need it anymore.

5. Ask For

Meaning: To request something from someone.

When bargaining or shopping, you often ask for things like discounts or specific products. For example:

I asked for a discount, but the shopkeeper said no.
Can I ask for a refund?

6. Go With

Meaning: To choose or select something, often after considering different options.

You may go with one product or choice after considering others. Here’s how it’s used:

I’m going to go with the red dress instead of the blue one.
They decided to go with the cheaper option.

7. Pick Up

Meaning: To buy something, especially in a casual way.

Sometimes, you may hear “pick up” when people talk about quickly buying something. For example:

I’m going to pick up some groceries after work.
He picked up a nice watch from the sale.

8. Talk Down To

Meaning: To try to make someone feel less important by being overly critical or patronizing.

While bargaining, some salespeople may try to talk down to customers to make them feel like they must accept a high price. Here’s how you can use it:

The salesperson tried to talk down to me when I asked for a discount.
Don’t let them talk down to you. You have the right to negotiate.

9. Mark Up

Meaning: To increase the price of an item.

In some stores, the price of a product might be higher than what it’s worth, a practice known as marking up the price. For example:

They marked up the price of the shoes by 30% because they are trendy.
This brand always marks up its products, but I still like them.

10. Come Down To

Meaning: To reach a final decision after considering various factors, especially in a negotiation.

When bargaining, the final decision on price or conditions often comes down to a few key factors. For example:

It comes down to whether you can pay the full price or not.
The decision to buy the laptop came down to its battery life.

11. Check Out

Meaning: To look at or examine something carefully.

When shopping online or in-store, you might check out the details of a product before buying it. For example:

I want to check out the reviews before I buy this phone.
We should check out the new store in the mall.

Meaning 2: To pay for the items you are buying, especially when you’re ready to leave the store.

When you’re ready to finish your shopping, you go to the counter to pay. This is called “checking out”. Here’s how to use it:

I’ll go to the counter to check out.
After picking out all the groceries, I went to check out.

12. Drop By

Meaning: To visit a store or place for a short time, often without a specific plan.

Sometimes, you might just drop by a store to see what’s new, especially when you’re not planning a big shopping trip. For example:

I’m going to drop by the bakery to pick up some bread.
Let’s drop by the mall on our way home.

13. Ask Around

Meaning: To ask many people about something, such as the best place to shop or get a good deal.

If you’re not sure where to find something or want the best deal, you might ask around. For example:

I’ll ask around to see which store has the best deals on electronics.
We asked around and found a store with a great sale.

14. Cut Down On

Meaning: To reduce the amount of something, like how much you spend while shopping.

Sometimes, you need to cut down on spending, especially when you’re trying to save money. Here’s how it’s used:

I’m trying to cut down on my shopping this month to save money.
She cut down on buying clothes and focused more on necessities.

15. Try For

Meaning: To attempt to get or achieve something.

When you’re shopping, you may try for a discount or a special offer. For example:

I’m going to try for a better price on this jacket.
She tried for a refund but couldn’t get one.

16. Settle For

Meaning: To accept something that is not exactly what you wanted, usually because you can’t find anything better.

Sometimes, you might have to settle for something less than perfect. Here’s how to use it:

I didn’t find the perfect dress, but I settled for one that was on sale.
He couldn’t find the phone he wanted, so he settled for the next best model.

17. Talk Into

Meaning: To persuade someone to do something.

A salesperson might try to talk you into buying something you don’t need. For example:

I wasn’t planning to buy anything, but the salesman talked me into getting this coat.
Don’t let them talk you into spending too much money.

18. Run Out Of

Meaning: To finish all of something, leaving none behind.

Sometimes, stores run out of popular items, meaning they don’t have any left. For example:

I wanted to buy that red dress, but they ran out of my size.
We’ve run out of stock, so we can’t offer the discount anymore.

19. Talk Up

Meaning: To praise something or tell people that something is good.

Salespeople often talk up their products to make them seem better than they really are. Here’s how you might use it:

The salesman talked up the phone’s features, but I wasn’t impressed.
Don’t talk up that brand. It’s not as good as it seems.

20. Show Off

Meaning: To display something in a way that attracts attention, often to impress others.

Sometimes, people show off their new purchases or good deals. For example:

She loves to show off her new handbag.
He always shows off the latest gadgets he buys.

Conclusion

Now that you know 20 phrasal verbs for shopping and bargaining, you can improve your English and feel more confident the next time you go shopping.

Using these phrases will help you sound more natural in conversations and understand more of what others are saying.

Whether you’re picking out clothes, trying to get a discount, or simply browsing, these phrasal verbs are a great addition to your vocabulary.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Try using these phrasal verbs next time you shop, and soon, they will feel like second nature!

Resources: