Lesson goal
After the lesson, the student will be able to politely ask about product availability, size, quality, discounts, and return conditions, as well as understand typical answers from a shop assistant in a store.
Usage context
This topic is used in clothing stores, shoe stores, electronics shops, home goods stores, and supermarkets. Typical situations: asking whether the needed size is available, finding out the price or discount, clarifying product quality, asking for a receipt, explaining a problem with a purchase, asking about a return or exchange.
New vocabulary
butikk — store — a general word for any shop
tilbud — sale, special offer — often used in the expression «på tilbud»
kvittering — receipt — needed for returns, exchanges, and proof of purchase
bytte — exchange — usually about replacing an item with another size or variant
størrelse — size — used for clothes, shoes, and sometimes objects
kvalitet — quality — helps ask about material, reliability, and product level
kunde — customer, buyer — a neutral word in a store and service context
rabatt — discount — can be permanent or temporary
utsolgt — sold out, out of stock — said about a product that has run out
pris — price — a basic word for asking about cost
vare — product, item — often used in more formal store language
passer — fits, suits — important when choosing a size, shape, or model
Useful phrases
Har dere denne i en annen størrelse? — Do you have this in another size? — when you need a different size
Har dere den i svart? — Do you have it in black? — when you are asking about a product variant
Kan jeg bytte varen hvis den ikke passer? — Can I exchange the item if it does not fit? — when you want to know the exchange conditions in advance
Det er tilbud på flere produkter i dag. — There is a sale on several products today. — when talking about special offers
Jeg har dessverre mistet kvitteringen. — Unfortunately, I have lost the receipt. — when you need to explain a problem during a return
Kan jeg få kvitteringen? — Can I have the receipt? — at payment or after the purchase
Har dere rabatt for studenter? — Do you have a student discount? — when asking about a special discount
Denne er utsolgt. — This is sold out. — when the shop assistant says the product is no longer available
Kunne jeg få se en annen modell? — Could I see another model? — a polite request in a store
Kunne du hjelpe meg? — Could you help me? — a polite way to address a shop assistant
Grammar
In this lesson, polite questions with «kunne» and the question pattern with «har dere» are important. Both variants are often used in a store, but they serve different functions.
«Har dere ...?» — the standard way to ask whether something is available in the store: «Har dere denne i medium?»
After «har dere», the product, color, size, or model usually comes: «Har dere den i blått?»
«Kunne jeg ...?» — a more polite form of request than the direct «kan jeg ...?»: «Kunne jeg få kvitteringen?»
«Kunne du ...?» and «Kunne dere ...?» — a polite request to a shop assistant or staff: «Kunne du hjelpe meg?»
«Kan jeg ...?» is also correct and often used, but «kunne» sounds softer and more service-oriented
For return and exchange conditions, a subordinate clause with «hvis» is often used: «Kan jeg bytte varen hvis den ikke passer?»
Do not mix up availability and a request: «Har dere ...?» — about availability, «Kunne jeg få ...?» — about being given or shown something
Examples with explanation
Har dere denne i en større størrelse? — Do you have this in a larger size? Here «har dere» asks about availability, and «i en større størrelse» specifies the needed variant.
Har dere den samme jakken i svart? — Do you have the same jacket in black? First comes the question about availability, then the model and color are specified.
Kunne jeg få se denne varen nærmere? — Could I take a closer look at this item? «Kunne jeg få» makes the request polite and natural for a store.
Kan jeg bytte skoene hvis de ikke passer? — Can I exchange the shoes if they do not fit? Here «kan jeg» works because it is a direct question about exchange conditions.
Kunne du sjekke om den er utsolgt? — Could you check whether it is sold out? «Kunne du» is a polite request to a staff member, and «om» introduces an indirect question.
Det er tilbud på flere produkter denne uken. — There is a sale on several products this week. The expression «på tilbud» and the construction with «det er» are often found in advertising and in stores.
Jeg vil gjerne vite mer om kvaliteten. — I would like to know more about the quality. «Vil gjerne» softens the phrase, and «kvaliteten» refers to the specific quality of the product.
Har dere rabatt hvis man kjøper to? — Do you have a discount if you buy two? Here the question about a discount is linked with a condition through «hvis».
Jeg har dessverre mistet kvitteringen, men jeg vil gjerne bytte varen. — Unfortunately, I have lost the receipt, but I would like to exchange the item. This phrase is useful for explaining a problem calmly and politely.
Kunne jeg få hjelp til å finne riktig størrelse? — Could I get help finding the right size? «Få hjelp til å ...» is a common pattern for asking for help in a store.
Typical mistakes
Har du denne i en annen størrelse? → Har dere denne i en annen størrelse? — in a store, people usually address the staff as representatives of the store: «dere» sounds more natural
Kan du hjelpe meg? → Kunne du hjelpe meg? — both forms are possible, but «kunne» is more polite in a service situation
Jeg mistet kvittering. → Jeg mistet kvitteringen. — in this context, the definite article is usually needed because it refers to a specific receipt
Den er på rabatt. → Det er rabatt på den. / Den er på tilbud. — «rabatt» and «tilbud» are used differently; «på tilbud» is a fixed expression
Kan jeg bytte den hvis den passer ikke? → Kan jeg bytte den hvis den ikke passer? — in a subordinate clause, negation comes before the verb
Har dere denne på stor størrelse? → Har dere denne i stor størrelse? — with size, «i» is usually used
Mini-summary
«Har dere ...?» — used to ask about the availability of a product, size, color, or model
«Kunne jeg ...?» and «Kunne du ...?» — polite requests in a store
«Kvittering», «bytte», «rabatt», «tilbud», «utsolgt» — key words for shopping and returns
For a condition, use «hvis»: «hvis den ikke passer»