Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| magasin | /ma.ɡa.zɛ̃/ | masculine |
| boutique | /bu.tik/ /bu.t͡sɪk/ (Quebec) |
feminine |
Both magasin and boutique refer to an establishment that sells goods. While magasin is a general term for any shop, you might use more specific terms for certain types of establishments, such as boulangerie (bakery), librairie (bookstore), épicerie (grocery store), pharmacie (pharmacy), supermarché (supermarket) or marché (market).
Which one should you use?
Magasin is a masculine noun used for any general shop. Boutique is a feminine noun that typically refers to a smaller, more specialized or high-end shop.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the verb magasiner is commonly used to mean 'to shop', whereas this usage is much less common in France.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To make these nouns plural, add an 's' to the end: magasins for shops and boutiques for shops or boutiques. For the activity of shopping, you can use the phrases faire les magasins (to go shopping/window shopping) or faire du shopping.
How do you pronounce it?
/ma.ɡa.zɛ̃/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful when choosing between shopping phrases: use faire les courses specifically for grocery shopping or running errands for essential supplies, rather than using it for leisure shopping. Use faire les magasins for the activity of browsing or shopping for clothes and non-essential goods.
Did you know?
- A French librairie is a place where you buy books, not a place where you borrow them. To borrow books, you must go to a bibliothèque.
- The word magasin traces its history back to the Arabic word maḵzan, meaning 'storeroom'.
Examples in context
- Il a été au magasin.He went to the shop.This sentence shows the use of the masculine noun magasin.Tatoeba #330012 by trotter, translation #371435 by saeb
- Il fermait le magasin.He closed the shop.Tatoeba #2920246 by Amastan, translation #4873910 by zvzuibqx
- Où puis-je magasiner ?Where can I shop?This sentence shows the use of the verb magasiner.Tatoeba #3627865 by fleur74, translation #12160762 by menaud
- Je vais au magasinI am going to the shop
- Je vais à la boulangerie acheter du painI am going to the bakery to buy some bread
- J'adore passer du temps dans la librairieI love spending time in the bookstore
- Je vais faire mes courses à l'épicerieI am going grocery shopping
- Je dois aller à la pharmacie pour acheter mes médicamentsI need to go to the pharmacy to buy my medication
- Je vais à la petite boutique en villeI am going to the small shop in town
- Je vais au supermarché acheter des provisionsI am going to the supermarket to buy groceries
- Je vais à l'échoppe pour acheter des souvenirsI am going to the shop to buy souvenirs
- 180 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are walking in the city center.
- GabrielEst-ce qu'il y a un magasin ici ?Is there a shop here?
- LéaOui, ce magasin est juste là.Yes, this shop is right there.
- GabrielLéa, est-ce qu'il est grand ?Léa, is it big?
- LéaNon, c'est un petit magasin.No, it is a small shop.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shop” translations and entries magasin, boutique, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries boutique, magasin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
