Lesson 6 - chat with the cashier at the supermarket

Welcome back to another lesson! Slowly, but surely, we're starting to build up a decent vocabulary: Introductions, weather, directions, time, meetings… all highly useful, but also quite broad topics. Today, we're tackling a much more specific, real-life situation: going grocery shopping.

When it comes to supermarkets in Luxembourg, you will find several Belgian and French chains, such as Delhaize or Auchan, as well as well-known German discounters such as Aldi or Lidl. But of course, there's also Cactus, one of the most prestigious Luxembourg-based family businesses and a staple of local culture.

You can check out a vocabulary list with a lot of supermarket-related words (as well as some common goods sold at supermarkets) in this separate article, which also features the fifth entry in our Language Basics series! Language Basics 6 tackles formal and informal speech, a feature of the Luxembourgish language which can sometimes be a little bit confusing to English speakers – so, if you want to hone your Luxembourgish skills that little bit further, be sure to give it a read.

Phrases…

Alright, you're at the supermarket and ready for some talking – okay, maybe not, but let's just pretend you are for now. During the actual shopping, there's usually not much need for any phrases or questions. However, once you reach the cashier, you may want to have some common statements and answers ready.

Now, we should point out that, as with a lot of jobs in Luxembourg, the cashier in your local supermarket may not speak Luxembourgish. Depending on where you are in the country, they may speak French or German instead. However, there is still a good chance to run across a Luxembourgish-speaking cashier, so without further ado, here's what you need to know, conversation-wise:

…you might hear from the cashier

€XX.XX, please -> €XX.XX, wannechgelift

Next, please -> Den nächste, wannechgelift

Do you have XX cents by any chance? -> Hutt Dir vläicht XX Cent?

Do you have a customer card? -> Hutt Dir eng Clientskaart / Clientskäertchen?

…you might want to use

I'm looking for… -> Ech sichen no…

May I have a (plastic) bag, please? -> Kéint ech eng Plastikstut kréien, wannechgelift?

*number* packet(s) of cigarettes, please. -> … Pack / Päck Zigaretten, wannechgelift.

In some supermarkets, some more expensive bottles of alcohol are often locked behind glass doors. If you want to signal an employee to open it for you, you could say something like:

Excuse me, could you open this for me, please? -> Entschëllegt, kéint Dir mir dat hei opmaachen, wannechgelift?