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How to Say ‘We could have a coffee’ in French

On pourrait prendre un café

on poo-REH prond-ruh uhn kah-FAY

[on poo-REH prond-ruh uhn kah-FAY]

🇫🇷 In France: Prendre un café is often just a light professional meeting, not necessarily literally about coffee. In France it sounds natural and less heavy than proposing a full meeting right away.

Phrase Breakdown

[on]

Used by a speaker to refer to themself and one or more other people considered together.

Example

On y va maintenant.

We are going now.

pourrait

[poo-REH]

could

Conditional of 'pouvoir', used for suggestions.

Example

On pourrait sortir ce soir.

We could go out tonight.

prendre

[prond-ruh]

To take

To get or hold something with one's hands.

Example

Il va prendre un café.

He will have a coffee.

Un café

uhn kah-FAY

A coffee

Refers to going for coffee as a social invitation.

Example

Je vous propose un café.

I’m offering you a coffee.

Words in this phrase

[uhn]

Indefinite article used before a singular noun.

Example

Un petit garçon joue.

A little boy is playing.

café

[kah-FAY]

coffee

Masculine noun for the drink; also a café where you drink it.

Example

Je bois un café le matin.

I drink a coffee in the morning.

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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