What does it mean word for word?
Literally, j'ai fait du shopping means "I have done some shopping".
Which one should you use?
While faire du shopping refers to leisure shopping, faire les courses is used for essential tasks like buying food or household supplies.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are several ways to express this depending on the setting. For a formal tone, you can say J'ai fait des achats, which translates to "I made some purchases." In informal contexts, you can use j'ai fait du shopping, Je suis allé(e) faire du shopping or the colloquial and idiomatic expression Je suis allé(e) faire les magasins.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec and some regions of France, the phrase Je suis allé(e) faire des emplettes is more commonly used to say "I went shopping."
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase j'ai fait du shopping specifically describes a completed past action. In contrast, the present tense je fais du shopping can be used to express a habitual action or a current activity, such as "I am shopping" or "I go shopping."
Did you know?
- While faire du shopping is common in France, the word shopping is an English loanword that has been fully adopted into the French language as a masculine noun.
- The idiomatic expression faire les magasins literally translates to 'doing the stores', which treats the act of shopping as an activity performed upon the buildings themselves.
- In Quebec, the term emplettes is used for shopping, a word that has largely disappeared from common speech in France. Using faire des emplettes in Montreal is standard, but in Paris it may sound archaic or overly formal.
Examples in context
- J'ai fait du shopping toute l'après-midi.I went shopping all afternoon.
- Hier, j'ai fait du shopping pour mon anniversaire.Yesterday, I went shopping for my birthday.
- J'ai fait du shopping avec mes meilleures amies.I went shopping with my best friends.
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are meeting for coffee.
- ManonSalut Lucas ! Qu'est-ce que tu as fait ?Hi Lucas! What did you do?
- LucasRien de spécial, et toi, Manon ?Nothing special, and you, Manon?
- ManonMoi, j'ai fait du shopping tout l'après-midi.Me, I went shopping all afternoon.
- LucasC'est super ! Tu as acheté quoi ?That's great! What did you buy?
