Shopping and money

German shops run on a short set of fixed phrases, and knowing them is worth more than a long list of nouns. Ich hätte gern to ask for something, haben Sie ...? to ask whether they stock it, was kostet das? for the price, and zusammen oder getrennt? when a waiter wants to know whether one person is paying for everybody. Two practical things worth knowing before the vocabulary. Cash is still common and many small places do not take cards — nur Bargeld is a sign you will see. And shops close on Sundays across Germany and Austria, with very few exceptions, which is why the Saturday evening supermarket is what it is.