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French · Cafés & restaurants · Beginner

How to order coffee in French

Say “Bonjour” first, then order at the counter: “Bonjour, un café, s'il vous plaît”. Un café is an espresso; for a milky coffee ask for un crème. The waiter may ask “Sur place ou à emporter ?”. When you’ve finished, ask “Je vous dois combien ?” and pay at the counter.

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 waiter speaks French. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

The conversation

  1. Waiter

    Qu'est-ce que je vous sers ?

    What can I get you?

    You

    Bonjour, un café, s'il vous plaît.

    Hello, a coffee, please.

  2. Waiter

    Vous le voulez avec du lait ?

    Would you like it with milk?

    You

    Oui, juste un nuage, s'il vous plaît.

    Yes, just a dash, please.

  3. Waiter

    Sur place ou à emporter ?

    For here or to take away?

    You

    Je le prends sur place.

    I’ll have it here.

  4. Waiter

    Et avec ça ?

    Anything else?

    You

    C'est tout, merci.

    That’s all, thanks.

  5. Your coffee is ready on the counter. Time to pay.

    You

    Je vous dois combien ?

    How much do I owe you?

  6. Waiter

    Deux euros, s'il vous plaît.

    Two euros, please.

    You

    Je peux payer par carte ?

    Can I pay by card?

Key phrases

  • Qu'est-ce que je vous sers ?

    What can I get you?

  • Bonjour, un café, s'il vous plaît.

    Hello, a coffee, please.

  • Je voudrais un cappuccino, s'il vous plaît.

    I’d like a cappuccino, please.

  • Vous le voulez avec du lait ?

    Would you like it with milk?

  • Avec du lait, s'il vous plaît.

    With milk, please.

  • Sur place ou à emporter ?

    For here or to take away?

  • À emporter, s'il vous plaît.

    To take away, please.

  • Et avec ça ?

    Anything else?

  • C'est tout, merci.

    That’s all, thanks.

  • C'est combien ?

    How much is it?

Good to know in France

Three coffees to know

  • un café

    a small espresso

  • une noisette

    espresso with a drop of milk

  • un crème

    espresso with plenty of hot milk

How it goes in a café

  1. 1

    Say “Bonjour” to the staff before anything else.

    Hello, a coffee, please.
  2. 2

    Order at the counter, or sit at a table and wait for the waiter.

  3. 3

    Pay when you’ve finished: at the counter, or ask for the bill at your table.

    The bill, please.

Counter or terrace

In many cafés a coffee costs a little less at the counter (au comptoir) than at a table or on the terrace. The price list often shows both.

More situations in French

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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.