This particular question and explanation frustrate me a bit because I've seen it so often in other "teaching" apps. It seems to me, perhaps incorrectly, that the lessons should be geared toward the student in NOT assuming that the student knows or will stop to look up the many nuances of what type of shopping one is doing, especially since it often will not be indicated. Since there are two such distinct intents for these "going shopping" phrases, it seems to me that neither "faire les courses" nor "faire les magasins" should be marked incorrect. "The sales are on" does not exclude non-personal-goods locations. In this instance, perhaps a hint needs to be included.
Look at these examples:
Elodie a fait du shopping avec sa mère. / Elodie a fait les magasins avec sa mère.Elodie went shopping with her mum.
In French, you have more than one way to say "to go shopping", depending on the context:
"Faire les courses"
This expression refers exclusively to food and utilities shopping, like going to the supermarket.
Basically, any "not leisure" shopping!
"Faire les magasins/Faire du shopping"
These expressions both refer to the pleasure side of shopping, such as clothes, entertainment shopping. "Faire du shopping" is more commonly used in speech.
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Q&A Forum 9 questions, 11 answers
Hi Diane,
The lesson clearly states that you will use 'faire les courses' for food (grocery) shopping and 'faire les magasins/faire du shopping' for other things like clothes.
In the case of 'the sales' in my mind, it would be clothes or house items like furniture or a television set which would entail the visit of several shops to find a bargain, so only -
faire les magasins/faire du shopping would be accepted.
Hope this helps!
Diane asked:View original
Re "I'm going shopping"
This particular question and explanation frustrate me a bit because I've seen it so often in other "teaching" apps. It seems to me, perhaps incorrectly, that the lessons should be geared toward the student in NOT assuming that the student knows or will stop to look up the many nuances of what type of shopping one is doing, especially since it often will not be indicated. Since there are two such distinct intents for these "going shopping" phrases, it seems to me that neither "faire les courses" nor "faire les magasins" should be marked incorrect. "The sales are on" does not exclude non-personal-goods locations. In this instance, perhaps a hint needs to be included.
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GraceKwiziq community member
Quiz: faire les magasins vs faire du shopping
The sales are on, I'm going shopping ! : C'est les soldes, je vais ___ !
J'ai répondu avec "du shopping," mais la réponse était "les magasins." Mais dans la leçon, les deux semblent plutôt égales.
Dans ce contexte, ça doit être "les magasins" ? :)
Asked 7 months ago
Grace asked:View original
Quiz: faire les magasins vs faire du shopping
The sales are on, I'm going shopping ! : C'est les soldes, je vais ___ !
J'ai répondu avec "du shopping," mais la réponse était "les magasins." Mais dans la leçon, les deux semblent plutôt égales.
Dans ce contexte, ça doit être "les magasins" ? :)
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EmilyKwiziq community member
Faire des achats
How about the expression, "faire des achats"?
Asked 7 months ago
Hi Emily,
I would use -
Faire des achats, if I had a few specific things to buy...
Hope this helps!
Tom Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Hi Emily,
I agree "faire des achats" could be used as well as "faire son marché"
Tom
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PattiKwiziq community member
Faire les courses
I don't know if this is important, but in English (at least, American) we don't usually say "food shopping" but "grocery shopping". =)
Asked 1 year ago
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
I guess this is just used as a simple way to illustrate the meaning of the two french terms "faire les courses" and "faire les magasins".
Patti asked:View original
Faire les courses
I don't know if this is important, but in English (at least, American) we don't usually say "food shopping" but "grocery shopping". =)
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Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Why faire and not fais?
From the quiz - C'est les soldes, je vais faire les magasins.
Why is faire used here instead of fais?
Asked 1 year ago
Because le future proche (the near future tense) is formed by aller + infinitive.
Je vais faire le ménage.
Tu vas faire le ménage.
Il va faire le ménage.... and so on.
Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Thank you, Chris. If I've had le future proche lessons before, I've forgotten them, so I'm off to brush up!
Melisa asked:View original
Why faire and not fais?
From the quiz - C'est les soldes, je vais faire les magasins.
Why is faire used here instead of fais?
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StevenKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Faire les magasins
Can someone explain why it's faire DU shopping and faires LES magasins? Why is it not consistent and faire des magasins?
Asked 1 year ago
Hi Steven,
Strictly speaking 'faire les courses' and 'faire les magasins' is to go shopping, the first one normally relating to food and essentials and the second one more for department stores and boutiques.
'Faire du shopping' is an addition to our vocabulary and to me means to go to the shops, not necessarily with the intention of buying. There is another expression meaning the same thing 'faire du lèche-vitrine' (to go window-shopping) which uses 'du' too. Maybe that's the reason?
Hope this helps!
Steven asked:View original
Faire les magasins
Can someone explain why it's faire DU shopping and faires LES magasins? Why is it not consistent and faire des magasins?
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Kwiziq community member
Faire les course v. Faire des courses
I learned that the difference here is:
faire les courses = grocery shopping
faire des courses = running errands (still not leisure shopping but includes things like pharmacy, dry cleaning, dog to groomer etc.j
Is this correct?
Asked 1 year ago
Hi D,
'Faire les courses' is to go shopping, usually for grocery but not exclusively it will be in the shops you find on the high street. You would use 'faire des courses' if you had some shopping to do.
e.g. "Demain, je fais les courses et on part en weekend ..."
"J'ai des (quelques) courses à faire ce matin. Je dois passer au supermarché et à la pharmacie...."
Hope this helps!
DeAnna asked:View original
Faire les course v. Faire des courses
I learned that the difference here is:
faire les courses = grocery shopping
faire des courses = running errands (still not leisure shopping but includes things like pharmacy, dry cleaning, dog to groomer etc.j
Is this correct?
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AaronKwiziq community member
Pour ceux qui visitent le Canada, ici, on dit « magasiner » au lieu de « faire du shopping » :)
Asked 2 years ago
Merci de cette précision Aaron !
[to Ron: "Merci de nous avoir donné cette information."
See lesson:
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/how-to-use-merci-de-pour-to-say-thank-you-for ]
Bonne journée !
[to Ron: "Merci de nous avoir donné cette information."
See lesson:
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/how-to-use-merci-de-pour-to-say-thank-you-for ]
Bonne journée !
Ron Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Bonjour Aaron,
Merci pour avoir donné cette information.
Bonne chance.
Aaron asked:View original
Pour ceux qui visitent le Canada, ici, on dit « magasiner » au lieu de « faire du shopping » :)
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ChristyKwiziq community member
Ma mère et moi avons fait du shopping aux États-Unis aujourd'hui.
Asked 3 years ago
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