In this lesson
Clothes, the Mexican way
Some clothing words in Mexico are different from what your textbook says:
| English | Mexico | (Textbook / Spain) |
|---|---|---|
| T-shirt | playera | camiseta |
| shirt (with buttons) | camisa | |
| jacket | chamarra | chaqueta |
| sneakers | tenis | zapatillas |
| jeans | jeans / pantalón de mezclilla | vaqueros |
| pants | pantalón | |
| dress / skirt | vestido / falda | |
| sweater | suéter | jersey |
| shoes | zapatos | |
| cap | gorra |
Clothes
- una playeraa T-shirt
- una chamarraa jacket
- unos tenisa pair of sneakers
- un pantalón de mezclillaa pair of jeans
- unos zapatos negrosa pair of black shoes
Notice un pantalón: in Spanish, pants are one thing, not a "pair".
Sizes: talla and número
Clothes come in tallas (sizes), usually S, M, L, said in Spanish:
| S | chica |
| M | mediana |
| L | grande |
| XL | extra grande |
In Mexico it's chica, not pequeña. And because talla is feminine, it's talla chica, talla mediana.
Shoes are different. They use a número, and in Mexico shoe numbers are in centimeters: the length of your foot. A US men's 9 is about a 27; a US women's 7 is about a 24. The question is ¿Qué número calza? (what size do you wear?), and the answer is Calzo del 27.
Sizes
- ¿Qué talla es?What size are you?
- Soy talla mediana.I'm a medium.
- ¿Qué número calza?What shoe size do you wear?
- Calzo del veintisiete.I wear a 27.
Colors
Colors are adjectives, so they match the noun like in the gender class, and they go after it: una playera negra, unos tenis blancos.
| negro (black) | blanco (white) | rojo (red) | azul (blue) |
| verde (green) | gris (gray) | amarillo (yellow) | café (brown) |
| rosa (pink) | morado (purple) | naranja (orange) |
Azul, verde and gris only change for plural (azules, verdes, grises). Café, rosa and naranja usually don't change at all: unos zapatos café.
In the store
The phrases you'll actually use, from the door to the register:
In the store
- Solo estoy viendo, gracias.I'm just looking, thanks.
- ¿Tiene esta camisa en talla mediana?Do you have this shirt in a medium?
- ¿La tiene en negro?Do you have it in black?
- ¿Me la puedo probar?Can I try it on?
- ¿Dónde están los probadores?Where are the fitting rooms?
Me queda: how it fits
To say how something fits, Mexicans use quedar: me queda + how.
How it fits
- Me queda bien.It fits me.
- Me queda grande.It's too big on me.
- Me queda chico.It's too small on me.
- ¿Cómo me queda?How does it look on me?
- Te queda muy bien.It looks really good on you.
Me queda for one thing, me quedan for more than one: los zapatos me quedan chicos.
Quedar has a second job in stores: "to be left". ¿Quedan medianas? (are there any mediums left?). Ya no quedan (there are none left). It's a cousin of hay from the hay class: hay is "there is", quedan is "there are… left".
✍️ Quick check
0/3
1.A T-shirt in Mexico is…
2.The pants are too big. You say…
3."Do you have it in a small?" (a shirt)
Common mistakes
✗Mi número es nueve. (for shoes in Mexico)
✓Calzo del veintisiete.
Mexican shoe sizes are in centimeters.
✗Me queda bueno.
✓Me queda bien.
How it fits: bien, not bueno.
✗Una playera rojo.
✓Una playera roja.
The color matches the noun.
✗¿Puedo probar la?
✓¿Me la puedo probar?
Me la goes before the verb. Learn it as a block.
✗Los zapatos me queda chicos.
✓Los zapatos me quedan chicos.
More than one thing: quedan.
✗Un par de pantalones. (one pair of pants)
✓Un pantalón.
One pair of pants is un pantalón.
Put it together
Here's the sentence from class:
¿Tiene esta camisa en talla mediana?
- tiene: usted, because you're talking to a salesperson
- talla mediana: medium, talla is feminine
And now a complete trip to a store:
Buenas tardes. ¿Le puedo ayudar en algo?
Good afternoon. Can I help you with anything?
Sí, gracias. ¿Tiene esta camisa en talla mediana?
Yes, thanks. Do you have this shirt in a medium?
Déjeme ver… Sí, aquí está. ¿Se la quiere probar?
Let me see… Yes, here it is. Do you want to try it on?
Sí. ¿Dónde están los probadores?
Yes. Where are the fitting rooms?
Al fondo. ¿Cómo le queda?
In the back. How does it fit?
Me queda un poco grande. ¿La tiene en chica?
It's a little big on me. Do you have it in a small?
En chica ya no quedan en azul. ¿La quiere en negro?
There are no more smalls in blue. Do you want it in black?
Sí, perfecto. ¿Cuánto cuesta?
Yes, perfect. How much is it?
Now make it yours: describe what you're wearing right now, with colors. Then ask for one thing in your size and say how it fits.
Test yourself
✍️ Six quick questions
0/6
1.Chamarra is…
2.A Mexican shoe size of 27 is about…
3."Can I try it on?" (a jacket)
4.Ya no quedan means…
5.Unos tenis ___ (white)
6.A salesperson asks if you need help. You're browsing:
All the forms
Shopping: the cheat sheet
| Spanish | |
|---|---|
| sizes (clothes) | talla chica / mediana / grande / extra grande |
| shoe size | número (in cm): ¿Qué número calza? — Calzo del 27. |
| Do you have it in…? | ¿Lo / la tiene en talla mediana? ¿En negro? |
| Can I try it on? | ¿Me lo / la puedo probar? |
| fitting rooms | los probadores |
| it fits / it's too big / too small | me queda bien / grande / chico |
| there are none left | ya no quedan |
| just looking | solo estoy viendo |
Mexican clothing words: playera, chamarra, tenis, pantalón de mezclilla, suéter, gorra.