Buying and Exchanging Clothes in German: The Umtausch Conversation
How to ask for a different size, explain what's wrong, and get your money back — plus why the Kassenbon matters more in Switzerland than almost anywhere else.
Buying clothes in German is easy. Taking them back is the hard part — and that's precisely why FIDE examiners like it.
An exchange is a small negotiation. You have to explain what's wrong, say what you want instead, and then react when the answer is no. That's three separate language skills in about ninety seconds, which is roughly the shape of the whole speaking exam.
This lesson gives you both halves: choosing something, and bringing it back.
Key phrases to know
- Ich möchte diese Hose umtauschen. – I'd like to exchange these trousers.
- Sie ist zu eng / zu weit / zu kurz. – They're too tight / too loose / too short.
- Ich brauche eine Grösse grösser. – I need one size bigger.
- Haben Sie den Kassenbon? – Do you have the receipt?