Can you change two hundred for two hundred?

[mrwroc]

How should I ask a question in a shop if I have 200$ and I want 2 x 100$?
I suppose the following isn't correct? :lol:

Can you change two hundred for two hundred?

 

[slevlife]

Yes, that's incorrect. If you wanted to be cheeky/confusing, you could say "Can you change my two hundred into two hundreds." But don't do that.

Here's one way to say this more clearly: "I have $200 total. Can you change it to two hundred dollar bills?"

 

[mrwroc]

Thank you, I also found an old answer @emsr2d2
https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/...-you-I-need-to-change-my-bill-into-some-coins

What if I simply ask: "Can you change two hundred dollars?" and someone else asks: "How do you want it"? What should I answer?
two hundreds?

 

[slevlife]

What if I simply ask: "Can you change two hundred dollars?" and someone else asks: "How do you want it"? What should I answer?

Natural: "(In) hundreds." (You can leave out the "in.")

More verbose/polite: "Can I get it in hundred dollar bills?"

 

[GoesStation]

In the United States you can say Can you break two hundreds/two hundred-dollar bills? Because this is a common way to pass counterfeit bills, you should only ask someone who knows you pretty well to do it.

 

[SoothingDave]

I would be very suspicious of someone who wants me to break a 200 dollar bill.

It's like the old joke about the counterfeiter who made a batch of $18 bills. He figured he'd have to go to some podunk backwards town to pass them.

Sure enough, he asks the cashier at a store if she can break an 18. She says "Sure! Do you want two nines or three sixes?"

 

[Rover_KE]

slevlife, please read this extract from the forum's Posting Guidelines:

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[Tarheel]

How should I ask a question in a shop if I have $200 in small bills and I want two hundreds?

Like that. (Note the correct position of the dollar sign.)

 

[Tarheel]

It doesn't make sense to say you want hundred-dollar bills in exchange for hundred-dollar bills.

 

[tedmc]

Do you have smaller bills/notes to change a $200 note with me?

You can't expect the other person to have exactly the notes (2 x $100) you want.

 

[mrwroc]

In the United States you can say Can you break two hundreds/two hundred-dollar bills? Because this is a common way to pass counterfeit bills, you should only ask someone who knows you pretty well to do it.

OK, maybe my example with dollars wasn't good. :-D I am going to Mexico on holiday. In my exchange office they had only 500 mexican peso notes of denomination. In Mexico I would like to change it because it is a huge denomination there.

Do you have smaller bills/notes to change a $200 note with me?

You can't expect the other person to have exactly the notes (2 x $100) you want.

You are right, so I will ask "Have you got change for 500 mexican pesos?" and accept whatever they give me.

 

[emsr2d2]

OK, maybe my example with dollars wasn't good. :-D I am going to Mexico on holiday. In my exchange office, they had only [STRIKE]500 Mexican[/STRIKE] 500-peso notes. [STRIKE]of denomination.[/STRIKE] In Mexico, I would like to change it because it is a huge denomination there.

You are right, so I will ask "Have you got change for 500 [STRIKE]Mexican[/STRIKE] pesos?" and accept whatever they give me.

Remember to capitalise all proper nouns. You remembered to do "Mexico" but missed it twice with "Mexican".
It's simply a 500-peso note, not a "500 Mexican peso note of denomination".
Once you're in Mexico, there's definitely no need to specify "Mexican peso". Your question won't work because it doesn't make it clear that you have a single note worth 500 pesos. You could be asking them for change for 25 20-peso notes. Use something like:

- Can you change a 500-peso note into something smaller?
- Can you give me five 100-peso notes for a 500?