Words (Core Vocabulary)
- zero / one / two / three… / ten / hundred / thousand / million
- half / quarter / third; percentage; fraction
- total / subtotal / balance / budget
- price / cost / fee / fare / rate
- discount / sale / deal / promo / coupon
- bill / receipt / invoice / estimate / quote
- cash / debit / credit / tap / refund / exchange
- change (n.) – coins you get back.
- loonie / toonie (CAD $1 / $2 coins); nickel (5¢), dime (10¢), quarter (25¢)
- tip / gratuity (n.) – extra money for service.
- quantity words: a couple of / a few / several / many / lots of
- pack / box / carton / case / bundle / jar / can / bottle / tub
- kilogram (kg) / gram (g) / litre (L) / millilitre (mL)
Phrases (At the store, café, or market)
- How much is it? / What’s the price on this?
- It’s $9.99 plus tax.
- Can I pay by card? / Do you take tap?
- Could you split the bill?
- Do you have change for a ten?
- Is this on sale? / Do you price-match?
- Can I get a receipt, please?
- I’d like a refund / exchange.
- About how much does it cost? (estimate)
- Could you round up to the nearest dollar (for charity)?
Contextual Examples (Natural, everyday)
- How much is the bus fare? It’s $3.15—tap your card when you board.
- Can I pay debit? Sure—tap to pay is fine.
- *We’ll split the bill three ways.
- It comes to $18.50 before tax. Do you want to add a tip?
- Could I get a case of sparkling water and a dozen eggs?
- About how much is a monthly phone plan? Around $45–$60 depending on data.
Collocations & Phrases (bold the key words)
Paying
- pay by card/debit/credit
- pay in cash
- tap to pay
- cover the bill
- split the bill
- leave a tip
Prices & totals
- add tax
- before / after tax
- apply a discount
- on sale
- price-match a deal
- give change
- round up/down
- rough estimate
- stick to a budget
Quantities
- a couple of items
- a few pieces
- several boxes
- a pack of batteries
- a carton of milk
- a case of water
- a head of lettuce
- a pinch of salt
- half a kilo / a pound of apples
Canadian Cultural Context (How to sound natural & polite)
- Prices are often shown before tax; the final price is higher at checkout.
- Tipping is common in restaurants, cafés, and taxis (often 15–20%).
- “Buck(s)” is casual for dollar(s): “About twenty bucks.”
- Canada uses metric for packages (kg/L), but pounds appear in markets too.
Extra Mini-Patterns (plug-and-play)
- Price + tax: “It’s $12.99 before tax.”
- Payment: “Can I pay by card? I’ll tap.”
- Quantity: “I’ll take a case of water and a dozen eggs.”