Ordering snacks in a café is a delightful part of French culture. Therefore, learning how to say “I would like in French” and other key expressions will ensure you get exactly what you want.
So, whether you’re looking for a quick bite or a leisurely meal, knowing how to order snacks in French will enhance your café experience. In this blog post, we will cover essential phrases and vocabulary to help you confidently place your order.
“I would like” in French: common phrases for ordering food
When you walk into a café, the server might greet you with:
- Qu’est-ce que je vous sers ? What can I get you?
- Qu’est-ce que vous désirez ? What would you like?
- Qu’est-ce que vous voudriez ? What would you like?
To respond politely and express what you want, you can use the phrase “I would like” in French:
- Je voudrais… I would like…
- Je vais prendre… I’ll have…
“I would like” in French + name of a popular snack
Here are some popular snacks you can order in a French café:
- un sandwich a sandwich
- au jambon ham
- au fromage cheese
- un croque monsieur a toasted ham and cheese sandwich
- un croque madame a toasted ham and cheese sandwich with a fried egg on top
- des frites French fries
For example:
- Je prends un sandwich au jambon, s’il vous plaît. I’ll have a ham sandwich, please.
- Je voudrais un croque monsieur, s’il vous plaît. I would like a croque monsieur, please.
Expressing hunger and thirst
To make your experience even more authentic, you might want to express your hunger or thirst:
- J’ai faim. I’m hungry.
- J’ai soif. I’m thirsty.
For instance, if you are very thirsty, you might say:
- Je prends une limonade, s’il vous plaît. I’ll have a lemonade, please.
- Je voudrais encore un café. I would like another coffee.
Would you like to learn the pronunciation of these phrases? In episode 16 of Season 1 of the Coffee Break French podcast, you will learn how to pronounce properly the phrase “I would like” in French. You will also get more insight into these phrases and also learn other useful phrases. Listen to it now:
Asking for more
If you’d like another drink or snack, you can use “I would like in French” again:
- Je voudrais encore un verre de vin rouge, s’il vous plaît. I would like another glass of red wine, please.
Checking if you can eat at the café
Sometimes, you might want to confirm if you can eat at the café:
- On peut manger ici ? Can we eat here?
Enjoying your snacks
When your snacks arrive, the server might say:
- Bon appétit ! Enjoy your meal!
If you are enjoying a drink with friends, you can toast by saying:
- Santé ! Cheers!
Requesting the bill
When you’re ready to leave, don’t forget to ask for the bill:
- L’addition, s’il vous plaît. The bill, please.
Example dialogue
To illustrate how to order snacks and use the phrase “I would like” in French, here’s an example dialogue:
- You: Bonjour, qu’est-ce que je vous sers ?
- Server: Bonjour ! Qu’est-ce que vous désirez ?
- You: Je voudrais un sandwich au jambon et des frites, s’il vous plaît.
- Server: Très bien. Et pour boire ?
- You: Je prends une limonade, s’il vous plaît.
- Server: D’accord. Un sandwich au jambon, des frites et une limonade. C’est tout ?
- You: Oui, merci. J’ai très faim !
- Server: Bon appétit !
- You: Merci !
Translation:
- You: Hello, what can I get you?
- Server: Hello! What would you like?
- You: I would like a ham sandwich and some fries, please.
- Server: Very well. And to drink?
- You: I’ll have a lemonade, please.
- Server: Okay. A ham sandwich, fries, and a lemonade. Is that all?
- You: Yes, thank you. I’m very hungry!
- Server: Enjoy your meal!
- You: Thank you!
Ordering snacks in a café is a pleasant and necessary skill for anyone spending time in a French-speaking area. By learning how to say “I would like in French” and other key phrases, you can ensure you get exactly what you want and enjoy your café experience to the fullest. Practice these phrases, and you’ll soon feel more confident and comfortable ordering snacks in French. Bon appétit!
Do you want to keep improving your French skills and learn how to order food at the restaurant in French? Then check the article we prepared to help you order food in French.
7 thoughts on “Ordering snacks in a café with the phrase “I would like” in French”
Merci a vous deux! Je n´ai jamais pris cours de francais, mais Coffee Break French m´aide beaucoup (Je aussi ecoute livres audio et regarde series tele preferes en francais). CBF m´a fait parler pour la premiere fois. Bon travail et salut de Prague!
bravo. you are super….merci
You use ‘Un peu mange ici?’ to mean ‘Is it possible to eat here?’ – but how can that be right when the phrase for ‘I speak a little French’ is ‘Je parle un peu Français?’ Un peu means a little.
I thought you said we’d be learning genuine French here
That would be because “on peut manger ici” is completely different from “un peu”. “Peut” comes from the verb “pouvoir” and means “can” as in “can one eat here?” whereas the unrelated word “peu” means “a little”. You are indeed learning genuine French here…
Ah this is where being able to easily afford to buy the premium content would have helped me :). I checked what you said and, as you know, you are correct. Thanks.
I’ve noticed that with the word ‘vin’ the ‘n’ isn’t pronounced, but with the word ‘vingt’ the ‘n’ is pronounced and that also helps me to tell the difference apart from the context of the conversation.