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Catalan · Cafés & restaurants · Beginner

How to order coffee in Catalan

At a bar in Catalonia you order at the counter: say “Hola, em poses un cafè, si us plau?” or “Un tallat, si us plau”. The barista may ask “Vols llet?” and “Aquí o per emportar?”. In many bars you pay when you’ve finished: ask “Què et dec?”.

Try it · about two minutes

You walk up to the counter of a neighbourhood café and order your morning coffee just the way you like it.

Sound on: the barista speaks Catalan. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

The conversation

  1. Barista

    Què et poso?

    What can I get you?

    You

    Hola, em poses un cafè, si us plau?

    Hi, can I have a coffee, please?

  2. Barista

    Vols llet?

    Would you like milk?

    You

    Amb llet, si us plau.

    With milk, please.

  3. Barista

    Aquí o per emportar?

    For here or to take away?

    You

    Ho prendré aquí, gràcies.

    I’ll have it here, thanks.

  4. Barista

    Alguna cosa més?

    Anything else?

    You

    Res més, gràcies.

    Nothing else, thanks.

  5. Your coffee is on the counter. When you’ve finished, it’s time to pay.

    You

    Què et dec?

    What do I owe you?

  6. Barista

    Pagues amb targeta o en efectiu?

    Card or cash?

    You

    Puc pagar amb el mòbil?

    Can I pay with my phone?

Key phrases

  • Què et poso?

    What can I get you?

  • Hola, em poses un cafè, si us plau?

    Hi, can I have a coffee, please?

  • Un cafè sol, si us plau.

    A black coffee, please.

  • Amb llet, si us plau.

    With milk, please.

  • Me'l pots fer amb llet de civada?

    Can you make it with oat milk?

  • Aquí o per emportar?

    For here or to take away?

  • Ho prendré aquí, gràcies.

    I’ll have it here, thanks.

  • Per emportar, si us plau.

    To take away, please.

  • Res més, gràcies.

    Nothing else, thanks.

  • Puc pagar amb targeta?

    Can I pay by card?

Good to know in Catalonia

Three coffees to know

  • cafè sol

    a plain espresso

  • tallat

    espresso with a dash of milk

  • cafè amb llet

    coffee with plenty of milk

How it goes at the bar

  1. 1

    Catch the barista’s eye at the counter, la barra, and order.

  2. 2

    Drink it at the counter, at a table, or take it away.

  3. 3

    In many bars you pay when you’ve finished.

    Can I pay by card?

Tu, not vostè

In a bar

Què et poso?

What can I get you?

Formal

Què li poso?

What can I get you? (formal)

Bar staff usually speak to customers as tu. You can answer the same way.

More situations in Catalan

All situations in Catalan

Keep these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.