Commerce vocabulary for TCF | TCF Vocabulary

Commerce vocabulary turns up constantly in TCF listening and reading tasks: in shop dialogues, advertisements, invoices, and complaint letters. At B1 level you need more than just "acheter" and "vendre." You need the specific words that appear in the question options and the audio or text, so you can match meaning quickly without translating everything word by word. This lesson groups the core words by sub-theme, shows each one in a real sentence, and tells you how they behave in multiple-choice items.

What you’ll learn

Recognize and understand the most common French commerce words at B1 level.
Connect vocabulary to sub-themes: shops, transactions, prices, and complaints.
Spot synonym traps in TCF multiple-choice options.
Use key words in short spoken or written answers about shopping situations.

Shops and people

TCF tasks often refer to the type of shop and the person behind the counter. Knowing the correct noun pair (shop name and job title) stops you choosing a distractor that has the right activity but the wrong person.

la boulangerie / le boulanger, la boulangère (bakery / baker)
la boucherie / le boucher, la bouchère (butcher's / butcher)
la pharmacie / le pharmacien, la pharmacienne (pharmacy / pharmacist)
la librairie / le libraire (bookshop / bookseller)
la bijouterie / le bijoutier, la bijoutière (jeweller's / jeweller)
le supermarché (supermarket); la grande surface (hypermarket, large retail store)
le commerce de proximité (local, neighbourhood shop)
le commerçant, la commerçante (shopkeeper, trader)
le vendeur, la vendeuse (sales assistant)
le client, la cliente (customer)

What does "le libraire" refer to?

Le libraire a conseillé un roman policier à la cliente.
The bookseller recommended a detective novel to the customer. (Note: "la librairie" is a bookshop, not a library. "La bibliothèque" is a library.)

False friend: librairie vs. bibliothèque

"La librairie" means bookshop, not library.
"La bibliothèque" is the library where you borrow books for free.
TCF items sometimes use both words; choose based on whether money changes hands.

Buying, paying, and prices

Transaction vocabulary is the most common in commerce-themed TCF items. Learn the verbs and nouns together because questions often replace one with a synonym.

acheter (to buy); un achat (a purchase)
payer (to pay); le paiement (payment)
régler (to settle a bill, to pay)
dépenser (to spend); les dépenses (expenditure, spending)
le prix (price); le tarif (rate, set price)
la remise / la réduction / le rabais (discount, reduction)
les soldes (sales, seasonal discounts)
une promotion / une promo (special offer)
gratuit, gratuite (free of charge)
inclus, incluse (included)
hors taxes (excluding tax); toutes taxes comprises / TTC (tax included)
le ticket de caisse / le reçu (receipt)
la facture (invoice)

Ce prix est affiché hors taxes ; vous paierez donc 20 % de plus à la caisse.
This price is shown excluding tax, so you will pay 20% more at the till.

Pendant les soldes, toutes les vestes bénéficient d'une remise de 30 %.
During the sales, all jackets have a 30% discount.

Orders, delivery, and returns

Online shopping and order-related vocabulary has become very common in TCF texts. These words appear in short email or notice extracts.

commander (to order); une commande (an order)
passer une commande (to place an order)
livrer (to deliver); la livraison (delivery)
le délai de livraison (delivery time)
expédier (to dispatch, to ship); l'expédition (shipment)
le colis (parcel)
rembourser (to reimburse, to refund); le remboursement (refund)
échanger (to exchange); un échange (an exchange)
retourner (to return goods); un retour (a return)
en rupture de stock (out of stock)
disponible (available)

Suite à votre retour, nous procéderons au remboursement sous 5 jours ouvrés.
Following your return, we will process the refund within 5 working days.

Synonym swaps in TCF options

"Commander" in the text often becomes "passer une commande" in the correct option.
"Rembourser" in the text may appear as "obtenir un remboursement" in an answer choice.
Train yourself to recognize both the verb form and the noun form of each word.

Complaints and customer service

TCF reading tasks sometimes present a complaint letter or a customer service exchange. You need to understand what the customer wants and what the shop offers.

se plaindre (to complain); une plainte / une réclamation (a complaint)
un défaut (a fault, defect)
endommagé, endommagée (damaged)
défectueux, défectueuse (faulty)
la garantie (warranty, guarantee)
le service après-vente / SAV (after-sales service)
réclamer (to claim, to demand)
exiger (to demand, to insist on)
insatisfait, insatisfaite (dissatisfied)
résoudre un problème (to solve a problem)

L'appareil est défectueux ; le client souhaite le faire réparer sous garantie.
The device is faulty; the customer wants to have it repaired under warranty.

How to practise this

Commerce vocabulary is easy to practise with real materials because you encounter it every time you shop, read receipts, or browse an online shop in French.

Three quick practice moves

Read the French version of any e-commerce confirmation email or invoice and circle every commerce word you recognize from this lesson.
For each word in this lesson, write its synonym or its noun-verb pair (e.g. "acheter" / "un achat") on a flashcard. Test both directions.
When you do a practice TCF item about shopping, underline the key commerce word in each answer option before you listen or read. This trains you to compare options by meaning, not by sound.

Key takeaways

Shop names and job titles come in pairs; knowing both prevents distractor confusion.
"La librairie" is a bookshop, not a library. This is one of the most frequent false friends in commerce vocabulary.
TCF answer choices often replace a verb in the text with its noun form, or vice versa.
Complaint vocabulary clusters around a few key words: défectueux, garantie, remboursement, réclamation.
Practise reading real French receipts, invoices, and online shop pages to build passive recognition fast.