Buying a SIM Card｜French Travel Phrases

When traveling, you may need internet access and find yourself buying a SIM card at the airport or in a city mobile shop.

Knowing basic phrases such as “I would like to buy a SIM card,” “How much data is included?” or “Can I pay by card?” will make the process much smoother.

Here, I will introduce common French expressions used when purchasing a SIM card and explain the grammar and phrasing behind them.

Dialogue

A

Bonjour, je voudrais acheter une carte SIM pour mon téléphone.
(Hello, I would like to buy a SIM card for my phone.)

B

Bien sûr. Vous voulez une carte prépayée ou un abonnement ?
(Of course. Would you like a prepaid SIM or a subscription plan?)

A

Une carte prépayée, s’il vous plaît. Combien de données sont incluses ?
(A prepaid one, please. How much data is included?)

B

Il y a 10 gigas d’internet pour un mois.
(It includes 10 GB of data for one month.)

A

Parfait. Est-ce que je peux payer par carte bancaire ?
(Perfect. Can I pay by credit card?)

B

Oui, bien sûr.
(Yes, of course.)

Grammar and Expression Points

1. Expressing “I would like to buy …”

The phrase “Je voudrais acheter 〜” is the standard polite way to say “I would like to buy ….”

The verb voudrais is the conditional form of vouloir (to want). In conversation, it functions as a polite request, equivalent to English “I would like ….”

2. Prepaid or Subscription?

There are two main types of SIM cards:

Example question from staff:

For short stays, the safe answer is:

3. Asking About Data and Validity

When buying a SIM, you will often need to ask about data allowance and usage period.

In the dialogue:

Here, the expression “Il y a …” (there is/are …) is very common in everyday French and worth remembering.

4. Confirming Payment Method

Useful questions at the counter:

The verb payer means “to pay.” The structure “Est-ce que je peux … ?” means “Can I … ?” and is a polite way to ask for confirmation.

Summary

泉（Izumi）

Author

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