التَّسَوُّقShopping
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Recognize and produce the Arabic dual for nouns referring to exactly two people or things.
- Use sound masculine, sound feminine, and common broken plurals with correct human and nonhuman adjective and verb agreement.
- Compare two items using the comparative pattern أَفْعَل, such as أَرْخَص (cheaper) and أَكْبَر (bigger).
- Attach object pronoun suffixes directly to verbs to avoid repeating a noun, such as أُرِيدُهُ (I want it).
- Ask for and state prices, sizes, and colors while shopping for clothing and everyday goods.
- Request a different size or color politely, using previously studied request forms.
- Read a store receipt, a price tag, and a short shopping dialogue.
- Write a short description comparing two items you might buy.
Communication Scenario
It is Saturday morning, and Tom needs to buy a few things before an end-of-month gathering at the institute: a shirt, a pair of shoes, and a small gift for his host family. He and his classmate Nūr walk together to a clothing shop near the market in downtown Amman, where a shopkeeper greets them and helps them compare a few options.
- Think about the last time you compared two items before buying one — a size, a color, a price. What questions did you ask?
- You can already name colors, count from 0 to 20, and make simple requests. This chapter adds the language you need to talk about pairs of things, larger groups of things, comparisons, and objects you want without repeating their names each time.
Core Vocabulary
مَلَابِس — Clothing
| Arabic (singular) | Plural | Transliteration | English meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| قَمِيص | قُمْصَان | qamīṣ — qumṣān | shirt (broken plural) |
| فُسْتَان | فَسَاتِين | fustān — fasātīn | dress (broken plural) |
| بَنْطَلُون | بَنْطَلُونَات | banṭalūn — banṭalūnāt | trousers (sound feminine plural) |
| حِذَاء | أَحْذِيَة | ḥidhāʾ — aḥdhiya | shoe (broken plural) |
| حَقِيبَة | حَقَائِب | ḥaqība — ḥaqāʾib | bag (broken plural) |
| سَاعَة | سَاعَات | sāʿa — sāʿāt | watch, clock (sound feminine plural) |
Most clothing nouns above take a broken plural, a pattern you began recognizing in Chapter 4. This chapter treats each plural as a supported vocabulary item rather than a rule to derive; you are not expected to predict a new noun's broken plural on your own yet.
فِي المَحَلّ — In the shop
| Arabic | Transliteration | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| مَحَلّ / مَحَلّات | maḥall — maḥallāt | shop / shops |
| سُوق / أَسْوَاق | sūq — aswāq | market / markets |
| سِعْر / أَسْعَار | siʿr — asʿār | price / prices |
| مَقَاس | maqās | size |
| لَوْن / أَلْوَان | lawn — alwān | color / colors (review from Chapter 2) |
| رَخِيص / غَالٍ | rakhīṣ / ghālin | cheap / expensive |
| بَائِع / بَائِعَة | bāʾiʿ / bāʾiʿa | salesman / saleswoman |
صِيَغ الطَّلَب — Shopping request formulas
| Arabic | Transliteration | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| بِكَمْ هَذَا؟ | bikam hādhā? | How much is this? (formulaic) |
| هَلْ عِنْدَكُم مَقَاس أَكْبَر؟ | hal ʿindakum maqās akbar? | Do you have a bigger size? (formulaic) |
| أُرِيد أَنْ أُجَرِّب هَذَا | urīd an ujarrib hādhā | I would like to try this on (formulaic) |
| غَالٍ جِدًّا | ghālin jiddan | very expensive |
بِكَمْ؟ builds on the question word كَمْ؟ from Chapter 3 and the numbers you activated in Chapter 8. It is introduced here as a fixed shopping formula; the full range of كَمْ constructions continues to expand later in the volume.
Writing the Dual and Plural Endings
You completed the 28-letter Arabic alphabet in Chapter 3, so this chapter introduces no new letters. It does introduce two new word-final patterns that are important to write accurately.
نِهَايَة المُثَنَّى — The dual ending
The dual ending is written ـَان in most sentence positions, added directly to the singular noun: قَمِيص → قَمِيصَان. Keep the ending attached to the full singular form; do not drop or alter the base word when adding it.
نِهَايَة الجَمْع المُؤَنَّث السَّالِم — The sound feminine plural ending
The sound feminine plural ending is written ـَات, replacing a final ة (tāʾ marbūṭa) if the singular has one: سَاعَة → سَاعَات. If the singular has no ة, the ending is simply added: بَنْطَلُون → بَنْطَلُونَات.
تَدْرِيب — Practice: Copy each of the following three times, then circle the dual or plural ending: قَمِيصَان، سَاعَتَان، بَنْطَلُونَات، حَقِيبَتَان.
Pronunciation
The dual ending in connected speech
The dual ending ـَان is pronounced -ān, with a clear long vowel, in ordinary pause pronunciation: قَمِيصَان is pronounced qamīṣān. Do not shorten this vowel or confuse it with the shorter sound of the definite article's initial syllable.
Comparative stress
Comparative words built on the أَفْعَل pattern, such as أَرْخَص (cheaper) and أَكْبَر (bigger), carry stress on the first syllable. Practice these aloud slowly before using them in the dialogue below: ARkhaṣ, AKbar, ASghar (smaller).
غَالٍ (expensive) ends in a weak final sound that is often pronounced simply ghālī-like in ordinary pause speech, though its written form is slightly different from a regular ي ending. For now, simply learn its pronunciation as a whole word; the underlying spelling pattern belongs to a later volume.
تَدْرِيب — Practice: Read each price aloud using numbers from Chapters 3 and 8: خَمْسَة دَنَانِير، عَشَرَة دَنَانِير، خَمْسَة عَشَر دِينَارًا.
Grammar Instruction
9.1 المُثَنَّى — The dual
Purpose: refer to exactly two people or things without using a plural or repeating the number "two."
Arabic has a special dual form used only for exactly two of something. Unlike English, which uses the same plural for two or more items, Arabic marks "two" directly on the noun by adding ـَان to the singular:
- قَمِيص → قَمِيصَانqamīṣ → qamīṣān — shirt → two shirts
- سَاعَة → سَاعَتَانsāʿa → sāʿatān — watch → two watches
- حَقِيبَة → حَقِيبَتَانḥaqība → ḥaqībatān — bag → two bags
Notice that a feminine noun ending in ة keeps that letter, pronounced as t, before the dual ending is added. You do not need the number اِثْنَان ("two") when the dual ending is already present.
The dual ending changes to ـَيْن in some grammatical positions, reflecting the Arabic case system that you will begin studying formally later in the volume. For now, use ـَان as the default productive form and simply notice, without needing to explain, if you encounter ـَيْن in a reading passage or a set phrase.
9.2 مُوَافَقَة الجَمْع — Expanding plural agreement
Purpose: correctly match adjectives and demonstratives to plural nouns, reviewing and expanding the nonhuman plural pattern from Chapter 6.
You learned in Chapter 6 that plural nonhuman nouns take feminine singular agreement on adjectives and demonstratives. This pattern applies directly to shopping vocabulary:
- هَذِهِ القُمْصَان جَمِيلَة.hādhihi l-qumṣān jamīla. — These shirts are beautiful. (feminine singular agreement, nonhuman plural)
- هَذِهِ الأَحْذِيَة رَخِيصَة.hādhihi l-aḥdhiya rakhīṣa. — These shoes are cheap.
Human plurals, by contrast, take true plural agreement, a pattern you first met in Chapter 6 and now recycle here:
- البَائِعُون مُتَعَاوِنُون.al-bāʾiʿūn mutaʿāwinūn. — The salesmen are cooperative. (human plural, sound masculine agreement)
9.3 اسْم التَّفْضِيل — Comparing with the elative pattern
Purpose: compare two items using a single adjective form, without a separate word for "more."
Arabic forms a comparative from many adjectives using the pattern أَفْعَل. Unlike English, one word does the work of both "more ___" and "___er":
| Base adjective | Comparative (أَفْعَل) | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| رَخِيص | أَرْخَص | cheap → cheaper |
| غَالٍ | أَغْلَى | expensive → more expensive |
| كَبِير | أَكْبَر | big → bigger |
| صَغِير | أَصْغَر | small → smaller |
To compare two specific items, use the comparative followed by مِنْ ("than"):
- هَذَا القَمِيص أَرْخَص مِنْ ذَلِكَ القَمِيص.hādhā l-qamīṣ arkhaṣ min dhālika l-qamīṣ. — This shirt is cheaper than that shirt.
- هَذِهِ الحَقِيبَة أَكْبَر مِنْ هَذِهِ.hādhihi l-ḥaqība akbar min hādhihi. — This bag is bigger than this one.
The comparative form أَفْعَل does not change for gender or number when used this way. You will study the full elative system, including its use as a superlative, later in the volume.
9.4 ضَمَائِر المَفْعُول المُتَّصِلَة — Attached object pronouns on verbs
Purpose: replace a previously mentioned direct object with a suffix attached to the verb, avoiding repetition.
You learned attached possessive pronouns in Chapter 4 (ـِي, ـُهُ, and so on) to show possession. The same set of suffixes can attach to a verb to mean "it," "him," "her," or "them" as the direct object:
| Arabic | Transliteration | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| أُرِيدُهُ | urīduhu | I want it / him (masculine) |
| أُرِيدُهَا | urīduhā | I want it / her (feminine) |
| هَلْ تُرِيدُهُ؟ | hal turīduhu? | Do you want it? (masculine) |
- هَذَا القَمِيص جَمِيل. أُرِيدُهُ.hādhā l-qamīṣ jamīl. urīduhu. — This shirt is beautiful. I want it.
- هَذِهِ الحَقِيبَة رَخِيصَة. أُرِيدُهَا.hādhihi l-ḥaqība rakhīṣa. urīduhā. — This bag is cheap. I want it.
Compare قَمِيصُهُ ("his shirt," from Chapter 4) with أُرِيدُهُ ("I want it," this chapter). The suffix ـُهُ is identical in both. What changes is where it attaches: to a noun, it shows possession; to a verb, it shows the direct object. You will continue meeting this same suffix set attached to prepositions in a later chapter.
One suffix set, several jobs. This chapter's four grammar points connect through a single idea: Arabic marks meaning through endings and attachments rather than separate words. The dual ending marks "two" directly on the noun. Plural agreement is carried by the adjective or demonstrative form itself. The comparative is a single reshaped adjective, not a separate word for "more." And the object pronoun is an ending on the verb, not a separate pronoun word. Recognizing this pattern will help you read and produce Arabic more efficiently as the course continues.
Practice — Singular, dual, or plural?
Give the correct form of each noun for the number shown.
- قَمِيص (two shirts)
- سَاعَة (two watches)
- حِذَاء (shoes, more than two — use the vocabulary table)
- حَقِيبَة (two bags)
Practice — Comparing two items
Complete each sentence with the correct comparative form.
- هَذَا القَمِيص _____ (رَخِيص) مِنْ ذَلِكَ القَمِيص.
- هَذِهِ الحَقِيبَة _____ (كَبِير) مِنْ هَذِهِ.
- ذَلِكَ الحِذَاء _____ (غَالٍ) مِنْ هَذَا الحِذَاء.
Model Dialogue
Setting: A clothing shop near the market in downtown Amman. Tom and Nūr are looking for a shirt, and the shopkeeper, Ustādh Fādī, helps them compare two options.
السِّيَاق: مَحَلّ مَلَابِس قُرْب السُّوق فِي وَسَط عَمَّان. يَبْحَث تُوم وَنُور عَنْ قَمِيص، وَيُسَاعِدُهُمَا البَائِع أُسْتَاذ فَادِي فِي المُقَارَنَة بَيْنَ خِيَارَيْن.
أَسْئِلَة الفَهْم — Comprehension questions:
- كَمْ سِعْر القَمِيص الأَزْرَق؟ (What is the price of the blue shirt?)
- أَيّ قَمِيص أَرْخَص؟ (Which shirt is cheaper?)
- How many pairs of shoes does Tom want, and for whom?
- Find one example in the dialogue of an object pronoun attached to a verb, and state what it refers to.
Tom says حِذَاءَيْن rather than حِذَاءَان because the noun follows the word أُرِيد as a direct object, one of the grammatical positions where the dual ending shifts to ـَيْن, as noted in Grammar section 9.1. You are not expected to derive this shift yourself yet; simply recognize both dual endings when you encounter them.
Listening
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following four short exchanges aloud at a moderate pace. Listen twice without reading along. Then answer the questions below.
١. أ: بِكَمْ هَذِهِ الحَقِيبَة؟ ب: هَذِهِ الحَقِيبَة بِثَمَانِيَة دَنَانِير.
٢. أ: هَلْ عِنْدَكُم مَقَاس أَصْغَر؟ ب: نَعَمْ، تَفَضَّل.
٣. أ: أَيّ فُسْتَان أَغْلَى؟ ب: الفُسْتَان الأَحْمَر أَغْلَى مِنَ الفُسْتَان الأَصْفَر.
٤. أ: أُرِيد سَاعَتَيْن، وَاحِدَة لِي وَوَاحِدَة لِأُخْتِي. ب: تَفَضَّلِي، عِنْدَنَا سَاعَات كَثِيرَة.
مُهِمَّة الاسْتِمَاع — Listening task:
Listen and complete the table.
| Exchange | Item(s) | Price or comparison | Other detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| 2 | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| 3 | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| 4 | ______ | ______ | ______ |
Bonus question: In exchange 4, is the speaker using the dual, the plural, or both? Identify each example.
Reading
Read the following price tags and a short shopping note. Then answer the questions below.
Price tags
قَمِيص أَزْرَق — ١٠ دَنَانِير
قَمِيص أَبْيَض — ١٥ دِينَارًا
حِذَاء أَسْوَد — ٢٠ دِينَارًا
حَقِيبَة صَغِيرَة — ٨ دَنَانِير
Shopping note — Layla to her sister
أُخْتِي العَزِيزَة، ذَهَبْتُ اليَوْم إِلَى السُّوق. اشْتَرَيْتُ فُسْتَانَيْن: وَاحِد أَحْمَر وَوَاحِد أَزْرَق. الفُسْتَان الأَحْمَر أَجْمَل، لَكِنَّ الأَزْرَق أَرْخَص. اشْتَرَيْتُ أَيْضًا حَقِيبَتَيْن جَمِيلَتَيْن. أُحِبُّهُمَا كَثِيرًا!
أَسْئِلَة الفَهْم — Comprehension questions:
- مَا سِعْر الحِذَاء الأَسْوَد؟ (What is the price of the black shoe?)
- According to the price tags, which item is the most expensive?
- How many dresses did Layla buy, and what colors are they?
- According to Layla's note, which dress is more beautiful, and which is cheaper?
Layla's note uses ذَهَبْتُ ("I went") and اشْتَرَيْتُ ("I bought"), forms of the Arabic past tense that this volume introduces productively beginning in Chapter 16. For now, treat them as glossed vocabulary supported by context, and focus on the dual, plural, and comparative forms that this chapter has activated.
Writing Workshop
In this chapter you will write a short comparison of two items you might buy, using the dual, plural agreement, comparative forms, and an attached object pronoun.
- Study the model. Look again at Layla's shopping note above. Notice how it names two items, compares them, and states a preference.
- Choose two items. Pick two items from this chapter's vocabulary, such as two shirts or two bags, that differ in price, size, or color.
- Describe each item. Write one sentence about each item using a color or size adjective you already know.
- Compare them. Write one sentence using a comparative form and مِنْ.
- State your choice. Write one sentence using an attached object pronoun, such as أُرِيدُهُ or أُرِيدُهَا, to say which one you want.
- Revise. Check your draft against the editing checklist below.
قَائِمَة المُرَاجَعَة — Editing checklist:
- I used the dual ending ـَان correctly if I mentioned exactly two items.
- I matched adjectives and demonstratives to nonhuman plural nouns using the feminine singular form.
- I formed the comparative correctly using the أَفْعَل pattern and مِنْ.
- I attached the correct object pronoun suffix to my verb instead of repeating the noun.
- I wrote prices clearly using numbers from Chapters 3 and 8.
- I wrote all endings and ligatures with correct right-to-left joining.
Speaking Practice
تَدْرِيب مُوَجَّه — Controlled practice
With a partner, take turns asking and answering these four questions, substituting different clothing items.
- بِكَمْ هَذَا القَمِيص؟
- هَلْ عِنْدَكُم مَقَاس أَكْبَر/أَصْغَر؟
- أَيّ حِذَاء أَرْخَص؟
- هَلْ تُرِيد هَذَا أَمْ ذَلِكَ؟
مُهِمَّة تَوَاصُل — Communicative task: At the shop
With a partner, act out a shopping scene. One partner plays the shopper, the other the shopkeeper.
- The shopper asks about two items and their prices.
- The shopkeeper compares the two items using a comparative form.
- The shopper asks for a different size or color.
- The shopper states which item they want, using an attached object pronoun.
لِلْمُتَعَلِّمِينَ المُسْتَقِلِّينَ — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing two items from a real or imagined shop, comparing them, and stating which one you would buy and why, using at least one dual form and one attached object pronoun.
Culture and Communication
Shopping across Arabic-speaking cities ranges from traditional markets, where prices in some stalls may be negotiable, to modern shopping centers and chain stores with clearly marked, fixed prices. Neither model is universal, and the right approach depends on the specific shop, city, and country. This chapter's vocabulary and dialogue reflect a fixed-price shop; negotiation language is introduced separately and clearly labeled later in the series.
This chapter uses دِينَار (dinar), the currency of Jordan, where the chapter's scenario is set. Other Arabic-speaking countries use different currencies with different names, such as the pound, the riyal, the dirham, and the shekel. Your instructor can supply the appropriate currency name and pricing conventions for a different country if needed.
The word تَفَضَّل (and its feminine and plural forms) appears frequently in Arabic shopping and service interactions, functioning as a flexible, polite way to say "here you are," "please, go ahead," or "come this way." You met this word briefly in earlier chapters; notice here how naturally it recurs in a commercial setting.
Common Mistakes
Error: Saying *عِنْدِي قُمْصَان when you mean exactly two shirts.
Correction: When you mean exactly two, use the dual: عِنْدِي قَمِيصَان. Reserve the plural قُمْصَان for three or more.
Error: Saying *هَذِهِ القُمْصَان جَمِيلُون, using a human plural adjective form.
Correction: Nonhuman plurals take feminine singular agreement: هَذِهِ القُمْصَان جَمِيلَة. This pattern was introduced in Chapter 6 and applies here as well.
Error: Saying *هَذَا أَكْثَر رَخِيص مِنْ ذَلِكَ, inserting an extra word for "more" before the adjective.
Correction: The comparative meaning is already built into the أَفْعَل pattern: هَذَا أَرْخَص مِنْ ذَلِكَ. No separate word for "more" is needed.
Error: Saying *أُرِيد القَمِيص a second time after the item has already been named.
Correction: Once the item is clear from context, attach the object pronoun to the verb instead: أُرِيدُهُ. Repeating the full noun is grammatically possible but unnatural once the referent is established.
Chapter Review
Section A — المُفْرَدَات (Vocabulary)
1. Write the singular and plural for: shirt, dress, shoe, bag.
2. Write the Arabic for "cheap," "expensive," and "size."
3. Write the shopping formula for "How much is this?"
Section B — القَوَاعِد (Grammar)
1. Give the dual form of حَقِيبَة.
2. Correct the error: *هَذِهِ الأَحْذِيَة جَمِيلُون.
3. Give the comparative form of كَبِير and غَالٍ.
4. Rewrite using an attached object pronoun: أُرِيد الحَقِيبَة.
Section C — اسْتِيعَاب المَقْرُوء (Reading comprehension)
1. According to the price tags, how many dinars separate the cheapest and most expensive items?
2. According to Layla's note, how many bags did she buy?
Section D — الكِتَابَة (Writing)
1. Write a short comparison of two items using the dual, a comparative form, and an attached object pronoun. Check your draft against the editing checklist in the Writing Workshop.
Section E — التَّعْبِير الشَّفَهِيّ (Speaking)
1. With a partner, act out a shopping exchange covering price, comparison, size, and a final decision using an attached object pronoun.
مُرَاجَعَة تَرَاكُمِيَّة — Cumulative review
Complete the short exchange below, combining Chapters 1-9 language.
أ: أَهْلًا! كَيْفَ أُسَاعِدُك؟
ب: ______________________________________ (say what item you are looking for)
أ: عِنْدِي هَذَا وَهَذَا. أَيّ لَوْن تُرِيد؟
ب: ______________________________________ (state a color and ask the price)
أ: هَذَا أَرْخَص مِنْ ذَلِكَ.
ب: ______________________________________ (say which one you want, using an object pronoun)
Chapter Performance Task
مُهِمَّة الأَدَاء
فِي المَحَلّ — At the shop
You are shopping for two items to bring to an end-of-month gathering. Complete the following tasks:
- Written: Write a short shopping note (four to five sentences) describing two items, comparing their price or size, and stating which one you chose, using at least one dual form, one plural agreement pattern, one comparative, and one attached object pronoun.
- Spoken: Act out a full shopping exchange with a partner, from greeting to final decision.
- Reflection: Write one sentence in English identifying which of this chapter's four grammar points — dual, plural agreement, comparison, or object suffixes — you find most challenging.
Assessment focus: accurate dual formation, correct nonhuman plural agreement, correct comparative formation with مِنْ, correctly attached object pronoun suffixes, and intelligible pronunciation of price and size vocabulary.
Answer Key
Practice — Singular, dual, or plural?
1. قَمِيصَان 2. سَاعَتَان 3. أَحْذِيَة 4. حَقِيبَتَان
Practice — Comparing two items
1. هَذَا القَمِيص أَرْخَص مِنْ ذَلِكَ القَمِيص.
2. هَذِهِ الحَقِيبَة أَكْبَر مِنْ هَذِهِ.
3. ذَلِكَ الحِذَاء أَغْلَى مِنْ هَذَا الحِذَاء.
Dialogue — Comprehension
- The blue shirt costs ten dinars.
- The blue shirt is cheaper than the white shirt.
- Tom wants two pairs of shoes: one for himself and one for his brother.
- أُرِيدُهُ refers to the larger-sized blue shirt.
Listening
- 1 — bag — eight dinars — none
- 2 — (size, not an item) — a smaller size is available — speaker B agrees
- 3 — two dresses — the red dress is more expensive than the yellow dress — none
- 4 — two watches — none given — one watch for the speaker, one for her sister
Bonus: Exchange 4 uses both the dual (سَاعَتَيْن, two watches, as a direct object) and, in the shopkeeper's reply, the plural (سَاعَات, watches in general).
Reading — Comprehension
- The black shoe costs twenty dinars.
- The black shoe, at twenty dinars, is the most expensive item on the price tags.
- Layla bought two dresses: one red and one blue.
- The red dress is more beautiful; the blue dress is cheaper.
Chapter Review — Section A
- قَمِيص/قُمْصَان · فُسْتَان/فَسَاتِين · حِذَاء/أَحْذِيَة · حَقِيبَة/حَقَائِب
- رَخِيص · غَالٍ · مَقَاس
- بِكَمْ هَذَا؟
Chapter Review — Section B
- حَقِيبَتَان
- *هَذِهِ الأَحْذِيَة جَمِيلُون → هَذِهِ الأَحْذِيَة جَمِيلَة
- أَكْبَر · أَغْلَى
- أُرِيدُهَا
Chapter Review — Section C
- Twelve dinars separate the cheapest item (the bag, 8 dinars) and the most expensive item (the black shoe, 20 dinars).
- Layla bought two bags.
Chapter Review — Section D, model answer
رَأَيْتُ قَمِيصَيْن فِي المَحَلّ. القَمِيص الأَزْرَق أَرْخَص مِنَ القَمِيص الأَبْيَض. هَذِهِ الأَلْوَان جَمِيلَة. أُرِيدُهُ لِأَنَّهُ رَخِيص. Other well-formed, accurate answers are equally acceptable. Check against the editing checklist in the Writing Workshop.
Cumulative Review — Model responses for Speaker B
ب: أَبْحَث عَنْ حِذَاء.
ب: أُرِيد الأَسْوَد. بِكَمْ هَذَا؟
ب: مُمْتَاز، أُرِيدُهُ.
Exact wording will vary. Check that comparative forms, plural agreement, and the object pronoun suffix are used correctly.
Looking Ahead
مَا الَّذِي تَسْتَطِيعُ فِعْلَهُ الآن — What you can do now
You can talk about exactly two people or things using the dual, correctly match adjectives and demonstratives to plural nouns, compare two items using the comparative pattern, and attach object pronouns to verbs instead of repeating a noun. You can also shop for clothing and everyday goods, ask for prices and sizes, and read a simple price tag or shopping note.