All The French You Need To Order Coffee (And Describe It)

Author
Written byAmélie Pinon

So you're in France and you want to know how to order a coffee in French?

I've got you covered in today's lesson.

Here you'll learn the different styles of coffee that French people prefer, how to ask for a coffee in French and some other related grammatical info to help you get it right.

How do you say coffee in French?

If you need to say coffee in French, here's how to say it.

The word café means coffee in French. It's a masculine word, so you need to use the article le (le café).

Different styles of coffee in French

As you would expect, in France there are many styles of coffee that people drink.

The most common is probably le café express (espresso).

Here are the most common coffee prefences in France:

FrenchEnglishDescription
Le caféCoffeeThe most common way to refer to coffee in French
Le petit noirThe little black oneA colloquial term for a strong black coffee
Le café au laitCoffee with milkA coffee with milk, similar to a latte
Le café crèmeCream coffeeA coffee with milk, similar to a cappuccino
Le café filtreFilter coffeeDrip coffee
Le café glacéIced coffeeIced coffee
Le café solubleInstant coffeeInstant coffee
Le café allongéExtended coffeeAn espresso with added hot water, similar to an Americano
Le café noirBlack coffeeA black coffee without any milk or sugar added
Le café expressEspressoEspresso

How to ask for a coffee in French

The most common and simplest way to ask for a coffee in French uses this formula:

Un ___ s'il vous plaît.

A ___, please.

Insert your coffee preference.

Here's an example interaction (ordering a latte) to demonstrate:

Bonjour, un café au lait s'il vous plaît.

Hello, a latte please.

Très bien, un café au lait. Grand ou petit?

Very well, a latte. Large or small?

Grand, s'il vous plaît.

Large, please.

D'accord, ça fait quatre euros, s'il vous plaît.

Alright, that's four euros, please.

Very straightforward!

Essential verbs you'll need in a French cafe

Here are the most important verbs to use in this context.

I recommend learning these with their conjugations.

FrenchEnglishDescription
CommanderTo orderTo ask for something from a server or bartender
PrendreTo take/to haveTo order something to eat or drink
ChoisirTo chooseTo select from a list of options
AttendreTo waitTo stay in a place until someone or something arrives
ServirTo serveTo provide food or drinks to customers
PayerTo payTo give money in exchange for something
DemanderTo askTo inquire or request something
RecommanderTo recommendTo suggest a particular item or option to a customer
AjouterTo addTo request something extra be added to a dish or drink
AnnulerTo cancelTo remove an order or reservation

Some grammar points you should remember

In French, we say "of the" for "some".

We say we have "some" coffee ("du cafe"). The expression is formed by "of" (de) and "the" (le).

Don't forget that "the" changes depending on whether we are talking about a feminine, masculine or neuter or singular or plural nouns.

In the case of our coffee, it's masculine so it gets "le".

The French, however, don't like the sound of "duh luh", so they combine "de" and "le" and use "du".

Neuter nouns work the same, but feminine nouns keep "de", because the sound is nicer. (The French like their language to sound pretty!)

"Some cream" would therefore be "de la creme" (crem).

You are now seeing how important it is to learn a noun with its article so you always know the gender.

Memorize the word with its article, and you will always know how to treat it in a sentence.

So when you looked up milk, you should have memorized "le lait" and when you looked up cream, you should have memorized "la creme".

What about plural nouns?

Well, the French must also have a problem with "de les", because this construction changes to "des" (day).

"Cafe au lait" is an expression you may have heard before.

The expression "a la" means "with" or "in the style of".

Let's compare Cafe au lait with Pie a la mode (half English, half French).

Since, as we now know, milk is masculine, it should be le lait, but the French don't use a le, they use au, hence we have "cafe au lait".

Mode, which means "style", is feminine, and so the a la can stay as it is.

The same rule that exists for "de" with the plural exists for "a" with the plural.

So, rather than "a les", we say "aux" for the plural.

Discover your French fluency score by taking our popular free quiz:
Take Our Quiz
  • Partager l'amour (share):
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
All The French You Need To Order Coffee (And Describe It)
Here you'll learn the different styles of coffee that French people prefer, how to ask for a coffee in French and some other related grammatical info to help you.
Subscribe
Get the French content that I don't share publicly to your inbox:
🇫🇷 Learn French
This online learn French resource guide is for anyone who wants to learn the French language. My goal is to help you learn French grammar and phrases, and share the best French resources to help you learn.
Test your French:
Take our quiz
Get the French content that I don't share publicly to your inbox
SUBSCRIBE:
French Language Guide
Amélie Pinon
Une langue différente est une vision différente de la vie.Learn French here.Make sure to subscribe.
© French Language Guide, 2024. Privacy Disclaimer Contact