The latest episode of Le Jour où tout a basculé begins with a homeless man asking pedestrians for une petite pièce, which is not "a little piece," but rather "a small coin" or "some small change":

Monsieur, s'il vous plaît, une petite pièce, un petit ticket restaurant.

Sir, please, a small coin, a small restaurant voucher.

Caption 30, Le Jour où tout a basculé - Mon père s'oppose à ma passion - Part 1

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BANNER PLACEHOLDER

Vous n'auriez pas une petite pièce?

You wouldn't have some small change?

Caption 35, Le Jour où tout a basculé - Mon père s'oppose à ma passion - Part 1

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Une pièce is short for une pièce de monnaie, "a piece of change." Monnaie is where we get the English word "money" (l'argent in French), but it actually means "change" or "currency":

Nous allons récupérer de la monnaie.

We're going to retrieve some change.

Caption 50, Lionel - Voyage en train - Part 1

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Une pièce can also be short for une pièce de théâtre ("a theater piece"), that is, "a play":

En général, on prenait la pièce d'un auteur connu.

We usually picked a play from a well-known author.

Caption 33, Flora - et le théâtre

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And its meanings don't stop there. Une pièce is also "a room," which you might think of as a "piece" of a building:

Mais venez avec moi, dans l'autre pièce.

But come with me into the other room.

Caption 25, Il était une fois - Notre Terre - 9. Les écosystèmes - Part 7

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Sometimes, une pièce is just a plain old "piece," whether referring to a piece or part of something else:

Ce puzzle a cinq cents pièces. 
This puzzle has five hundred pieces.

J'ai besoin d'une pièce détachée pour mon vélo. 
I need a spare part for my bike. 

Or referring to an item or object, such as a piece of art or an article of clothing:

Ici, chaque pièce "d'art de la table" est unique.

Here, every piece of "table art" is unique.

Caption 9, Canal 32 - Mesnil-Saint-Loup : moines artisans

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Alors que c'est un ciré de création en pièce unique, quoi.

Although it's a unique piece, a designer raincoat, you know.

Caption 27, Lyon - La Croix-Rousse - Part 2

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BANNER PLACEHOLDER

You might also see pièce used as an adverb, generally when referencing the price of something. In this case it means "each" or, in a more direct translation, "apiece": 

Les livres d'occasion coûtent un euro pièce. 
The used books cost one euro each [or: apiece]. 

For even more pieces of information about the word pièce, see this extensive Larousse entry.

In one of our latest videos, our friends Margaux and Manon revisit their childhood for a bit by playing shop. Margaux, the customer, sees a pair of shoes she likes, and Manon, the shopkeeper, asks her what size she is:

Vous faites du combien?

What shoe size are you?

Un bon trente-sept.

A solid thirty-seven [American size seven].

Captions 21-22, Margaux et Manon - Magasin de chaussures

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If it’s not quite obvious what Manon’s question has to do with shoe sizes, keep in mind that the phrase "faire du + [shoe size]" means "to wear a size x."

(And if Margaux’s size thirty-seven seems impossibly large, note that shoe-sizing scales vary from one region of the world to another. You can use this handy chart for all your future foreign shoe purchases.)  

BANNER PLACEHOLDER

Another way of saying "to wear a size x" is "chausser du + [shoe size]":

Vous chaussez du combien?

What shoe size are you?

Je chausse du trente-sept.

I wear a size thirty-seven.

The French word for "shoe size" is la pointure (as opposed to the word for clothing size, la taille). So yet another way of rephrasing Manon’s question would be: 

Quelle est votre pointure?

What shoe size are you?

Chausser is a pretty important verb when it comes to shoes (les chaussures). Besides its meaning above, it can also refer to "putting on" shoes or anything that covers your feet... even rollerblades!

La chose qui me fait le plus plaisir, c'est de chausser, d'aller rouler.

The thing that gives me the most pleasure is to put on my blades, to go and roll.

Caption 6, Cap 24 - Démonstration de roller freestyle

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Manon takes the verb even further when describing how Margaux’s shoes might fit:

Je vais vous prendre un trente-sept et un trente-huit,

I'll get you a thirty-seven and a thirty-eight,

mais elles chaussent grand.

but they run big.

Caption 23, Margaux et Manon - Magasin de chaussures

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Luckily, Margaux’s shoes chaussent bien (fit well)!

If you’re talking about wearing shoes (or any other article of clothing), the verb to use is porter:

Margaux porte des escarpins noirs.

Margaux is wearing black pumps.

J'ai plus besoin de porter cette écharpe.

I don't need to wear this scarf anymore.

Caption 27, Flora - et le théâtre

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If black pumps aren't your thing, you can try some of these on for size:            

les sandales - sandals

les chaussons/les pantoufles - slippers

les chaussures de sport/de tennis - sneakers

les mocassins - loafers, flats              

les bottes - boots

les ballerines - ballet shoes

les chaussures à talons hauts - high heels

les tongs - flip-flops 

les chaussures de marche - hiking boots 

les sabots - clogs

BANNER PLACEHOLDER

Now that you know all about buying shoes in France, why not try reenacting Margaux and Manon’s dialogue with a friend? You can go shopping after!