Clothing sizes are not the same everywhere, and the number or letter you wear can change from one country or brand to another.
When you shop for clothes, you need to be able to ask for your size and say whether something fits. A few common expressions cover most of these situations.
Talking about clothing size
The French word taille means "size" when you are talking about clothing:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la taille | size |
| la bonne taille | the right size |
| une autre taille | another size |
| une taille au-dessus | one size up |
| une taille en dessous | one size down |
To ask what size someone wears, you may hear:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Quelle taille faites-vous ? | What size are you? |
| Vous faites quelle taille ? | What size are you? |
| Je fais du 38. | I'm a size 38. |
| Je fais du 42. | I'm a size 42. |
French and European clothing often uses numbered sizes such as 38, 40, and 42. The equivalent size may have a different number in another country.
Asking for your size
When you find something you like, you can ask whether the shop has it in your size:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Vous l'avez en taille 38 ? | Do you have it in a size 38? |
| Vous l'avez en taille 40 ? | Do you have it in a size 40? |
| Je cherche cette veste en taille 42. | I'm looking for this jacket in a size 42. |
If the item does not fit, you do not need to know the next size number. You can simply ask for a size up or down:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Vous avez une taille au-dessus ? | Do you have one size up? |
| Vous avez une taille en dessous ? | Do you have one size down? |
| Vous avez une autre taille ? | Do you have another size? |
These phrases are useful when sizes vary between brands or when you are not familiar with the local sizing system.
Small, medium, and large
Many clothes also use international letter sizes. In a French-speaking shop, you will usually see the same letters:
| Size | French |
|---|---|
| XS | très petit |
| S | petit |
| M | moyen |
| L | grand |
| XL | très grand |
In practice, the letters themselves are commonly used. You can ask for un S, un M, or un L:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Vous l'avez en M ? | Do you have it in medium? |
| Je cherche un L. | I'm looking for a large. |
| Il me faut un S. | I need a small. |
Talking about shoe size
Shoes use numbered sizes rather than S, M, and L. In France and much of Europe, you will commonly see sizes such as 38, 39, 40, and 41.
To ask someone's shoe size, use pointure:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la pointure | shoe size |
| Quelle pointure faites-vous ? | What shoe size are you? |
| Je fais du 39. | I'm a size 39. |
| Vous faites quelle pointure ? | What shoe size are you? |
When shopping, you can ask for a pair of shoes in a particular size:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Vous les avez en 39 ? | Do you have them in a size 39? |
| Je cherche ces chaussures en 40. | I'm looking for these shoes in a size 40. |
| Vous avez la pointure au-dessus ? | Do you have the next size up? |
| Vous avez la pointure en dessous ? | Do you have the next size down? |
Shoe sizes also vary between countries. A European shoe size will usually have a different number from its equivalent in the United States or United Kingdom.
Saying that clothes fit
When you try something on, aller is commonly used to talk about fit:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Cette veste me va. | This jacket fits me. |
| Ce pantalon me va. | These pants / trousers fit me. |
| Cette robe me va bien. | This dress fits me well. |
| Ces chaussures me vont bien. | These shoes fit me well. |
Ça me va is also useful when you do not need to repeat the item:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Ça me va. | It fits me. |
| Ça me va bien. | It fits me well. |
Saying something is too big or too small
If something does not fit, trop grand and trop petit let you explain the problem:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Cette veste est trop grande. | This jacket is too big. |
| Ce pantalon est trop grand. | These pants / trousers are too big. |
| Cette robe est trop petite. | This dress is too small. |
| Ces chaussures sont trop petites. | These shoes are too small. |
This gives you a simple way to ask for a better size:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| C'est trop grand. Vous avez une taille en dessous ? | It's too big. Do you have one size down? |
| C'est trop petit. Vous avez une taille au-dessus ? | It's too small. Do you have one size up? |
Saying something is the right size
When something fits, you can say that it is the right size:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| C'est la bonne taille. | It's the right size. |
| Cette veste est à la bonne taille. | This jacket is the right size. |
| Ces chaussures sont à la bonne taille. | These shoes are the right size. |
You can also use me va bien when something fits you well:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Cette veste me va bien. | This jacket fits me well. |
| Ce pantalon me va bien. | These pants / trousers fit me well. |
| Ces chaussures me vont bien. | These shoes fit me well. |
From learning to practice
When you shop for clothes, look at the sizes and try to say them in French. If you try something on, decide whether it is trop grand, trop petit, or la bonne taille.