French Lessons

20 French Phrases for Ordering Coffee

Twenty beginner French phrases for a café: how to greet, order a coffee, ask for the bill and say thank you. Practise them at your next coffee stop.

The café is the best classroom for beginner French: short sentences, polite formulas and an immediate reward. Learn these twenty and you can get through a whole visit.

Hello and please

1. Bonjour. Hello. Always say it first.
2. Bonsoir. Good evening.
3. S'il vous plaît. Please.
4. Merci beaucoup. Thank you very much.

Ordering

1. Je voudrais... I would like...
2. Un café, s'il vous plaît. A coffee, please. In France this gets you an espresso.
3. Un café allongé. A longer, milder black coffee.
4. Un café crème. Coffee with steamed milk.
5. Un café au lait. Coffee with milk.
6. Un déca. A decaf.
7. Un thé. A tea.
8. Un café glacé. An iced coffee.
9. Un croissant, s'il vous plaît. A croissant, please.
10. Avec du lait. With milk.
11. Sans sucre. Without sugar.

Questions

1. Sur place ou à emporter ? For here or to take away? You will be asked this.
2. C'est combien ? How much is it?
3. Je peux payer par carte ? Can I pay by card?

Leaving

1. L'addition, s'il vous plaît. The bill, please.
2. Bonne journée ! Have a good day!

How to practise

• Say your real order in French under your breath every time you buy coffee.
• Write the phrases in the back of your notebook. A page of French in your coffee journal is a nice touch.
• Role-play with a friend: one is the barista, one is the customer, then swap.

Marikina has plenty of places to rehearse. Pick a café from the Marikina coffee shop directory and order silently in French before you order out loud in Filipino or English. If you want to try these with real people, join a French conversation session at the studio. We will happily play the barista.