Asking for Specific Department Hours
Inside a larger store or mall, a customer asks an employee about the opening hours of a specific department or concession within the premises.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
department
A section of a store that sells specific items, like electronics or clothing. Use it when asking about a particular area in a big shop.
opens
The verb meaning when a place starts business for the day. It's the third person form of 'open' used with times, like 'The store opens at 9 AM.'
usually
An adverb meaning most of the time or normally. It helps describe regular schedules, like 'The shop usually opens at 10 AM.'
closing hours
The time when a store stops business for the day. Ask about it to know when something ends, like 'What are the closing hours?'
weekdays
The days from Monday to Friday, not including weekends. It's useful for talking about work or store schedules.
including
A preposition meaning to include something in a group. Use it to specify parts, like 'All departments, including electronics.'
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Excuse me, I'm looking for the electronics department. Do you know what time it opens today?
This polite question combines asking for directions and hours. Use 'Excuse me' to get attention, and 'what time it opens' to inquire about opening time. Great for starting conversations in stores.
The electronics department usually opens at 10 AM, just like the rest of the store.
This explains a typical schedule using 'usually' for habits and 'just like' for comparison. Useful for giving information about routines; note the time format '10 AM'.
Ah, okay. So, it's not open yet?
A confirmation question using 'So' to connect ideas and 'yet' for something expected but not happened. It's a natural way to check understanding in casual talk.
It's 9:30 AM now, so you'll have to wait about half an hour.
This states current time and estimates wait using 'so' for result and 'about' for approximation. Practice telling time and suggesting waits in service situations.
No, all departments, including electronics, close at 9 PM on weekdays and 7 PM on Sundays.
This denies a difference and lists times with 'including' and 'and' for connections. It's useful for explaining schedules; note plural 'departments' and days like 'weekdays'.
Perfect, thanks for the information!
A positive response showing satisfaction with 'Perfect' and thanks. Use it to end helpfully; 'information' is formal for details given.
You're welcome! Is there anything else I can help you with?
Standard polite reply to thanks, followed by an offer for more help. 'You're welcome' is idiomatic; the question uses 'anything else' to check for further needs.