A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "The size is wrong" in French
Politely inform a shopkeeper that an item's size is incorrect for you.
La taille ne convient pas.
la TAI-yuh nuh kohn-vee-EN pahneutral
French TTS · 0:01
Use this when trying on clothes or shoes and the size you've been given is too big or too small. It's a polite way to ask for a different size.
Alternatives
- Ce n'est pas ma taille.More direct, implies it's simply not your size.
- C'est trop petit / grand.Use if you know *why* it doesn't fit (too small or too big).
Ways to get it wrong
Pronouncing 'taille' like 'tile'
The 'ai' in 'taille' is like the 'e' in 'bet', and the 'lle' is a soft 'yuh' sound.
Forgetting 'ne' with 'pas'
The negation in French is 'ne...pas', so 'pas' alone isn't enough.
A small cultural note
While 'La taille ne convient pas' is perfectly polite, a more casual approach might be 'Ça ne va pas' (It doesn't fit/work).
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
How to ask for a different size?
After saying the size is wrong, you can ask 'Auriez-vous une autre taille ?' (Do you have another size?).
What if the item is just not my style?
You could say 'Ce n'est pas vraiment mon style' (It's not really my style) or 'Ça ne me plaît pas' (I don't like it).
Can I use 'la taille est mauvaise'?
While understandable, 'mauvaise' (bad) is a bit too strong and less common in this context. 'Ne convient pas' is more polite.
