Siopadóireacht agus Airgead (Shopping and Money)

Shopping vocabulary helps us navigate stores and markets in Ireland. These practical terms and phrases will help you make purchases, ask about prices, and talk about different types of shops in Irish.

Shopping Basics

• Siopadóireacht (shup-a-dore-ocht) = Shopping
• Siopa (shup-a) = Shop
• Siopadóir (shup-a-dore) = Shopkeeper
• Custaiméir (kus-tim-air) = Customer
• Margadh (mar-ga) = Market
• Ionad siopadóireachta (in-ad shup-a-dore-akhta) = Shopping center

Types of Shops

• Búistéir (boosh-chair) = Butcher
• Siopa bácúis (shup-a baw-koosh) = Bakery
• Ollmhargadh (ull-var-ga) = Supermarket
• Siopa bia (shup-a bee-a) = Food shop/Grocery
• Cógaslann (kogue-a-slan) = Pharmacy
• Siopa leabhar (shup-a lyow-ar) = Bookshop
• Siopa éadaigh (shup-a ay-dig) = Clothing shop
• Siopa bróg (shup-a broag) = Shoe shop
• Siopa bláthanna (shup-a blaw-ha-na) = Flower shop

Money Vocabulary

• Airgead (ar-i-gad) = Money
• Euro (yur-oh) = Euro
• Cent (sent) = Cent
• Praghas (pry-as) = Price
• Costas (kus-tas) = Cost
• Admháil (ad-vawl) = Receipt
• Cárta creidmheasa (kaar-ta kred-vasa) = Credit card
• Airgead tirim (ar-i-gad tir-im) = Cash

Useful Shopping Phrases

Asking for Items

• Ba mhaith liom... (Ba wah lum...) = I would like...
  • Ba mhaith liom arán, le do thoil = I would like bread, please
  • Ba mhaith liom é sin = I would like that one

Asking About Price

• Cé mhéad? (Kay vade?) = How much?
• Cé mhéad atá air? (Kay vade a-taw air?) = How much is it?
• Cé mhéad atá ar an...? (Kay vade a-taw er an...?) = How much is the...?

Describing Value

• Tá sé daor (Taw shay deer) = It's expensive
• Tá sé saor (Taw shay seer) = It's cheap
• Tá sé ar phraghas maith (Taw shay er fry-as mah) = It's a good price
• Tá sé ar díol (Taw shay er dee-ul) = It's on sale

More Useful Phrases

• An bhfuil ___ agat? (On will ___ a-gut?) = Do you have ___?
• Tá mé ag lorg... (Taw may eg lur-ug...) = I am looking for...
• An féidir liom é a thriail? (On fay-dir lum ay a hree-al?) = Can I try it?
• Glacaim leis (gla-kim lesh) = I'll take it
• Go raibh maith agat (Guh rev mah a-gut) = Thank you

Sample Shopping Dialogue

A: Dia duit. An bhfuil cáca ag an siopa seo? (Jee-a gwitch. On will kaw-ka eg an shup-a sho?) = Hello. Does this shop have cake?

B: Dia is Muire duit. Tá, ar ndóigh. (Jee-a iss mwir-a gwitch. Taw, ar noe.) = Hello. Yes, of course.

A: Ba mhaith liom cáca seacláide, le do thoil. (Ba wah lum kaw-ka shak-law-da, le duh hul.) = I would like a chocolate cake, please.

B: Sin é €12.50. (Shin ay daw-deg yuro go leith.) = That's €12.50.

A: Tá sé beagán daor. An bhfuil cáca níos saoire agat? (Taw shay bag-awn deer. On will kaw-ka nees seer-a a-gut?) = It's a bit expensive. Do you have a cheaper cake?

B: Tá cáca úll ar €8. (Taw kaw-ka ool er ocht yuro.) = There's an apple cake for €8.

A: Glacaim leis sin. Seo duit an t-airgead. (Gla-kim lesh shin. Sho gwitch an tir-gad.) = I'll take that one. Here's the money.

B: Go raibh maith agat. Slán leat! (Guh rev mah a-gut. Slawn lat!) = Thank you. Goodbye!

Exercise: Practice Shopping Phrases

Try these shopping activities by:

1. Writing a dialogue at a shop using "Ba mhaith liom..." (I would like...)
2. Asking about price using "Cé mhéad atá air?"
3. Naming three types of shops in Irish
4. Using "Tá sé daor/saor" (It's expensive/cheap)

Example answer:

1. A: Dia duit. Ba mhaith liom leabhar faoi stair na hÉireann, le do thoil. B: Tá leabhair staire ar an tseilf sin thall. A: Go raibh maith agat. Ba mhaith liom an ceann seo. B: Ceart go leor. Sin €25.
2. Cé mhéad atá ar an gcóta seo? An bhfuil sé ar díol?
3. Siopa bróg, búistéir, agus siopa bláthanna
4. Tá an fón póca seo an-daor ach tá an ceann eile níos saoire.

(1. A: Hello. I would like a book about Irish history, please. B: History books are on that shelf over there. A: Thank you. I would like this one. B: Alright. That's €25. 2. How much is this coat? Is it on sale? 3. Shoe shop, butcher, and flower shop. 4. This mobile phone is very expensive but the other one is cheaper.)