How prepared are you feeling for your next trip to a German supermarket? Knowing key phrases and what to ask employees if you need help, will ensure that your shopping trip is a success.

Below, we'll introduce you to phrases that you can use the next time you head to the grocery store. Let's dive in and get ready for your next shopping trip!

Questions From an Employee

Store employees are usually very busy in German supermarkets, but don't worry, they're still there to help you with your shopping. We have gathered examples of what employees might say to you in the table below. Check them out!
German German English English
Kann ich Ihnen helfen?
Can I help you?
Womit kann ich Ihnen behilflich sein?
How can I help you?
Suchen Sie etwas Bestimmtes?
Are you looking for something in particular?
Kümmert sich schon jemand um Sie?
Is someone looking after you?
Kann ich Ihnen helfen?
You'll often hear this question while in a German store. Alternatively, you might also hear: Womit kann ich Ihnen behilflich sein? or Wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?. There are lots of ways you could respond to any of these questions. Here is an example: Könnten Sie mir zeigen, wo das Bio-Gemüse ist?.
Kümmert sich schon jemand um Sie?
Here is a common question that you might hear an employee ask. It is used when an employee is trying to be helpful and wants to know if you are already being helped by someone. Again, you could respond in a number of ways. For example like this: Im Moment nicht, aber ich glaube nicht, dass ich Hilfe brauche, danke.

Asking an Employee for Help

Need to find out where items are in a store or how much something costs? Stores in Germany can sometimes have a confusing layout, which means it's important to be able to ask employees for help. The phrases we've collected for you below will help you get what you need!
German German English English
Entschuldigung, arbeiten Sie hier?
Excuse me, do you work here?
Entschuldigung, können Sie mir helfen?
Excuse me, could you help me?
Haben Sie Vollkornmüsli?
Do you have any whole-grain cereals?
Verkaufen Sie Salz- und Essig-Chips?
Do you sell salt and vinegar chips?
Können Sie mir sagen, wo ich Müsliriegel finde?
Could you tell me where granola bars are?
Wo finde ich die internationale Lebensmittelabteilung?
Where can I find the international food section?
Ich suche indische Gewürze.
I need to find some Indian spices.
Ich suche Kartoffelchips.
I'm looking for potato chips.
Ich hätte gerne eine Flasche Milch, bitte.
I'd like a bottle of milk, please.
Haben Sie Käse?
Have you got any cheese?
Wie viel kostet eine Flasche Milch?
How much is a bottle of milk?
Ist dieses Produkt im Angebot?
Is this item on sale?
Entschuldigung, arbeiten Sie hier?
This question is a polite way to find out whether someone works at a store you're in. It might be a good idea to ask someone this question first in order to avoid confusion. If the person works at the store they might say: Ja, das tue ich. You could then ask: Dürfte ich Sie etwas fragen? or Könnten Sie mir helfen?.
Haben Sie Vollkornmüsli?
Use the sentence pattern Haben Sie + GEGENSTAND ? to form questions in order to find out if a store has an item that you are looking for. For example you could ask: Haben Sie Kartoffelchips?. Führen Sie + GEGENSTAND ? is another sentence pattern that you can use to do the same thing. An example using this pattern is: Führen Sie lokal produzierte Marmelade?. There could be many answers to either of these questions, such as: Ja, in Gang drei or Nein, das ist uns leider ausgegangen.
Wo finde ich die internationale Lebensmittelabteilung?
If you want to find out where something is in a store, use the sentence pattern Wo finde ich + GEGENSTAND ?. Here is an example: Wo finde ich Bio-Produkte?. You might also use: In welchem Gang befinden sich + GEGENSTÄNDE ? to do the same thing. For example: In welchem Gang befinden sich internationale Lebensmittel?. There are, of course, many ways to answer these questions. Here is just one possibility: In Gang vier in der Nähe der Suppenabteilung.
Wie viel kostet eine Flasche Milch?
Do you want to know how much an item costs? Then try asking a question using Wie viel kostet + GEGENSTAND ? to find out a product's price. Here is another example question using this sentence pattern: Wie viel kosten diese Blaubeeren?. There are lots of answers that you might get, such as: Eine Packung Blaubeeren kostet 2,99 €.

At Checkout

This is the final stop of your shopping trip! You have all your items and now just need to pay. Take a look at the following phrases that will be useful when going through checkout.
German German English English
Haben Sie alles, was Sie wollten?
Did you find everything you needed?
Das macht insgesamt 55 €.
That's 55 € altogether.
Kann ich mit Kreditkarte bezahlen?
Can I pay with a credit card?
Sie haben nicht zufällig Kleingeld, oder?
You don't happen to have any change, do you?
Hier ist Ihr Wechselgeld.
Here's your change.
Stimmt so.
Keep the change.
Könnten Sie mir bitte mit der Selbstbedienungskasse helfen?
Could you help me with the self-checkout please?
Möchten Sie eine Tüte?
Would you like a bag?
Möchten Sie einen Beleg?
Would you like a receipt?
Danke, schönen Tag noch!
Thank you, have a nice day!
Haben Sie alles, was Sie wollten?
This is a sentence that you might hear when you go to check out from a store. It's a polite way to ask if there is anything more that you need help with. Similar questions you might hear include: Haben Sie alles gut gefunden? or Haben Sie alles gefunden, wonach Sie gesucht haben?. There are several different ways to respond to questions like these. For example, like this: Ja, das Personal war sehr hilfreich.
Kann ich mit Kreditkarte bezahlen?
In Germany it is often more common to pay with cash than with a credit card. You'll be able to pay using a card in most supermarkets, but if you are in any smaller grocery stores or local shops then this won't be possible. So make sure you always have some emergency cash on hand while out shopping. If you can't pay with a credit card, then a cashier will probably say: Entschuldigung, wir nehmen nur Bargeld. There are two other ways to ask if you can pay with a credit card: Nehmen Sie Kreditkarte? or Akzeptieren Sie Kreditkarten?.
Sie haben nicht zufällig Kleingeld, oder?
Cashiers in Germany are usually told by their supervisors to not give out too much change so that they don't run out of coins. This is why they will often ask you for more change so that they can give you back bills. If you don't have any smaller change then you can say: Entschuldigung, ich habe kein Kleingeld.
Könnten Sie mir bitte mit der Selbstbedienungskasse helfen?
There are very few stores in Germany that have self-checkouts. You'll really only find them in very big supermarkets or hardware stores. However, if you do find one and want to use it, this is a question that you could use to get some help. An employee might say something like: Klar, ich bin gleich bei Ihnen in return.

Relax while Listening to the Phrases

Keep calm and learn German! Listen to the phrases again with relaxing background music. This will help you improve your listening skills and remember the phrases. Choose your favorite style, then kick back and relax!


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Phrases
Dialogue
Phrases
Dialogue
  • All sentences about "At the Supermarket" are part of our Anki import file. You can learn these phrases by selecting the following tag in Anki: #lingoneo German Topic AtTheSupermarket
Phrases
  • All sentences about "At the Supermarket" are part of our Anki import file. You can learn these phrases by selecting the following tag in Anki: #lingoneo German Topic AtTheSupermarket
Dialogue

Practice & Record a Dialogue

Take the next step and use what you’ve learned! Check out this topic’s dialogue unit and practice the phrases in a variety of exercises. Test your knowledge and get ready for real life conversations!
Hey Stefanie, wo ist die Einkaufsliste?en
Sie ist in meiner Tasche. Was brauchen wir noch?en
Wir brauchen noch Milch, Mehl und Zucker. Oh, und Blaubeeren.en

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most essential German phrases that I should know when I go to a supermarket?
  • Womit kann ich Ihnen behilflich sein?
    How can I help you?
  • Entschuldigung, können Sie mir helfen?
    Excuse me, could you help me?
  • Können Sie mir sagen, wo ich Müsliriegel finde?
    Could you tell me where granola bars are?
  • Wo finde ich die internationale Lebensmittelabteilung?
    Where can I find the international food section?
  • Ich suche Kartoffelchips.
    I'm looking for potato chips.
  • Haben Sie alles, was Sie wollten?
    Did you find everything you needed?
  • Möchten Sie einen Beleg?
    Would you like a receipt?
  • Danke, schönen Tag noch!
    Thank you, have a nice day!
How do I ask how much something costs?
Do you want to know how much an item costs? Then try asking a question using Wie viel kostet + GEGENSTAND ? to find out a product's price.
  • Wie viel kostet eine Flasche Milch? (How much is a bottle of milk?)
  • Wie viel kostet eine Tüte Äpfel? (How much is a bag of apples?)
  • Wie viel kostet dieser Saft? (How much is this juice?)
How do I ask if a store has a specific item that I'm looking for?
Here are a couple of different ways to ask if a store has an item:

Haben Sie + GEGENSTAND ?
  • Haben Sie Vollkornmüsli? (Do you have any whole-grain cereals?)
  • Haben Sie internationale Schokolade? (Do you have any international chocolates?)
  • Haben Sie Bio-Erdbeeren? (Do you have any organic strawberries?)

Führen Sie + GEGENSTAND ?
  • Führen Sie lokal produzierte Marmelade? (Do you carry local made jams?)
  • Führen Sie Kartoffelchips? (Do you carry potato chips?)
  • Führen Sie internationale Lebensmittel? (Do you carry any international foods?)
How do I ask where something is in a store?
Here are a two ways to ask where something is:

Wo finde ich + GEGENSTAND ?
  • Wo finde ich die internationale Lebensmittelabteilung? (Where can I find the international food section?)
  • Wo finde ich die Tiefkühlkost? (Where can I find frozen section?)
  • Wo finde ich Reis? (Where can I find rice?)

In welchem Gang befinden sich + GEGENSTÄNDE ?
  • In welchem Gang befinden sich internationale Lebensmittel? (What aisle are international foods in?)
  • In welchem Gang befinden sich Suppen? (What aisle are soups in?)
  • In welchem Gang befinden sich Getränke? (What aisle are drinks in?)

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