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How to Say ‘Excuse me, can I order?’ in French

Excusez-moi, je peux commander ?

eks-kew-zey mwah zhuh puh koh-mahn-DAY

[eks-kew-zey mwah zhuh puh koh-mahn-DAY]

Phrase Breakdown

Excusez-moi,

eks-kew-zey mwah

Excuse me,

A polite way to get a waiter's attention.

Example

Excusez-moi, monsieur !

Excuse me, sir!

Words in this phrase

Excusez

[eks-kew-zey]

Excuse

A polite request for forgiveness or attention.

Example

Excusez-moi, je dois passer.

Excuse me, I need to pass through.

-moi

[mwah]

Used to refer to oneself, asking for attention or pardon.

Example

Excusez-moi de vous déranger.

Excuse me for disturbing you.

je peux commander ?

zhuh puh koh-mahn-DAY

can I order?

Asks to order. Use a rising tone at the end.

Example

Je peux commander un café ?

Can I order a coffee?

Words in this phrase

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

peux

[puh]

can

Form of pouvoir meaning to be able to or can.

Example

Je peux vous présenter mes compétences en quelques minutes.

I can present my skills to you in a few minutes.

commander

[koh-mahn-DAY]

order

Infinitive verb meaning to order food or drinks.

Example

On va commander deux cafés.

We're going to order two coffees.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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