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How to Say ‘I would like a coffee’ in French

Je voudrais un café

zhuh voo-dray uhn kah-fay

[zhuh voo-dray uhn kah-fay]

💬 Usage Tip: Je voudrais is a ready-made polite way to order anything: just swap the item, as in Je voudrais un croissant "I would like a croissant". It's softer than Je veux "I want", which can sound blunt at a counter.

🇫🇷 In France: In a French café, un café gets you a small espresso, not a mug of filter coffee. Add s'il vous plaît "please" and a Bonjour first, or the order can land as rude.

Phrase Breakdown

Je voudrais

zhuh voo-dray

I would like

A polite way to order. Say 'zhuh voo-dreh', with a silent final 's'.

Example

Je voudrais une baguette.

I would like a baguette.

Words in this phrase

Je

[zhuh]

I

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

voudrais

[voo-dray]

would like

A polite conditional form of vouloir, used to say would like.

Example

Je voudrais une table près de la fenêtre.

I would like a table near the window.

un café

uhn kah-fay

a coffee

'Un' is a nasal sound. 'Café' sounds like 'ka-fay'. In France this usually means an espresso.

Example

Un café et l'addition, s'il vous plaît.

A coffee and the bill, please.

Words in this phrase

un

[uhn]

a / an

Masculine singular indefinite article.

Example

Un supplément peut être ajouté la nuit.

A surcharge can be added at night.

café

[kah-fay]

coffee

A coffee; in networking, it often suggests an informal conversation over coffee.

Example

Un café après le salon permet de continuer l'échange.

A coffee after the fair allows the conversation to continue.

Related guides

How to Learn to Speak French, Not Just Read ItWhy reading French doesn't make you speak it, and a practical way to learn to speak French: real conversations, speaking out loud from day one, and practice with people.“Do You Speak English?” in French, and What to Say When You Don't Speak FrenchHow to say “do you speak English?” in French politely, what you'll hear back, and the phrases for “I don't speak French” and “can you repeat that?”, with audio.

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