Skip to content

"shopping (for food and household things)" in seven languages

Meaningshopping (for food and household things)

Spanish

compra

/ˈkompɾa/

fem.other source · comprar, from Latin COMPARĀRE 'to procure'

Hacer la compra; ir de compras is shopping for fun.

French

courses

/kuʁs/

fem.other source · course 'errand', ultimately Latin CURSUM 'running'

Always plural in this sense: faire les courses.

Italian

spesa

/ˈspesa/

fem.other source · Latin EXPĒNSAM 'outlay'

Fare la spesa; fare shopping is shopping for clothes.

Portuguese

compras

/ˈkõpɾas/

fem.other source · comprar 'to buy', from Latin COMPARĀRE 'to procure'

Romanian

cumpărături

/kumpərəˈturʲ/

fem.other source · cumpăra 'to buy', from Latin COMPARĀRE 'to procure'

Catalan

compra

/ˈkompɾə/

fem.other source · comprar 'to buy', from Latin COMPARĀRE 'to procure'

English

shopping

/ˈʃɑpɪŋ/

native English · English shop + -ing

English → Italianshopping (for food and household things)spesaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: compare (es); course (fr); expense (it).What English and Italian share

The story

Three different pictures: Spanish 'the purchase', French 'the errands', Italian 'the expense'. All three now also borrow English shopping for browsing in shops.

English relatives: compare (es); course (fr); expense (it)

Learn it

Practice the Town & city deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esHago la compra los sábados.
  • frJe fais les courses le samedi.
  • itFaccio la spesa il sabato.
  • ptFaço as compras aos sábados.
  • roFac cumpărăturile sâmbăta.
  • caFaig la compra els dissabtes.
  • enI do the shopping on Saturdays.

More in Town & city

All Town & city words