Walking In: Deflect the Pitch, Ask to Try On
The moment you walk in, a clerk approaches: "Hi, can I help you find anything?" Just browsing? Use the universal deflector: "I'm just looking, thanks." — polite, effective, works everywhere. Want to try something: "Could I try this on?"; find the room: "Where's the fitting room?"
Hi there! Can I help you find anything?
I'm just looking, thanks.
Sizes, Colors, Prices
The size question runs on in: "Do you have this in a medium?" — and the same pattern covers everything: in a small / in a large / in black / in another color. Price: "How much is this?" Discounts: "Is this on sale?"
Do you have this in a medium? And do you have it in black?
Returns, Exchanges, Tax Refunds
Your number-one document is the receipt. To get money back: "I'd like to return this." To swap size or color: "Could I exchange this for a different size?" For tax-free shopping, ask in the store first: "Do you offer tax-free shopping?", then handle it at the airport's tax refund counter.
Hi, I'd like to return this — here's the receipt.
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The clerk approaches: "Can I help you find anything?" You just want to browse. Best response?
答案：I'm just looking, thanks.
Just looking is the universal "just browsing" — clerks hear it and step back. A bare "No" is brusque; "I don't want to buy anything" slams a door you might want open; "don't follow me" treats service as stalking and starts a conflict.
You want to try on the shirt in your hand. You say?
答案：Could I try this on?
Trying on clothes is try on. Test is for equipment and performance, and "this clothes" doesn't exist (clothes has no singular); "wear this now" sounds like walking out in it; "open the fitting room" is the open trap again — you'd ask Where's the fitting room?
You want this in a medium. The natural question?
答案：Do you have this in a medium?
Sizes are small / medium / large, and the pattern is in a + size. Middle means a position, not a clothing size — middle size and "my size is middle" are literal translations; "Give me the M one" is understandable but blunt.
What's the difference between "I'd like to return this." and "Could I exchange this?"?
答案：Return = give it back for money; exchange = swap it for another size or color
Return sends the item back and the money to you; exchange trades it for another one (exchange this for a medium). They point in opposite directions — mix them up and the clerk starts the wrong process. Decide first: money or goods?
At the airport, you're looking for this counter (one word): Where's the tax ___ counter?
答案：refund
It's the tax refund counter (also tax-free or VAT refund). Remember refund — it powers both refunds and tax refunds.
True or false: when a clerk greets you with "How are you today?", they want to chat — you should genuinely describe your day.
答案：False
It's a greeting, functionally a "hello" — the standard reply is "Good, thanks!" (bouncing back How are you? is even better). Same family as the restaurant's How is everything?: a courtesy, not a question. An earnest status report just makes it awkward.