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How to Say ‘May I buy you a drink, or am I bothering you?’ in French

Je peux vous offrir un verre, ou je vous embête ?

zhuh puh voo aw-FREER uhn vair oo zhuh voo ahn-BET

[zhuh puh voo aw-FREER uhn vair oo zhuh voo ahn-BET]

🇫🇷 In France: Adding ou je vous embête ? gives the other person an easy way to say no. It comes across as considerate rather than pushy.

Phrase Breakdown

Je peux vous offrir un verre,

zhuh puh voo aw-FREER uhn vair

Can I buy you a drink,

'Offrir un verre' is the usual way to offer to buy someone a drink. 'Vous' is polite. Link 'vous offrir' with a z sound: 'vou-zoffrir'.

Example

Je peux vous offrir un café ?

Can I buy you 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 / may

From the verb pouvoir; used to ask permission or say what you are able to do.

Example

Est-ce que je peux vous parler après le cours ?

May I speak to you after class?

vous

[voo]

to you

Indirect object pronoun: the person receiving something.

Example

Je vous donne la monnaie.

I give you the change.

offrir

[aw-FREER]

to offer

To present something for someone to accept or reject.

Example

Il veut offrir un verre à son ami.

He wants to offer his friend a drink.

[uhn]

a / an

An indefinite article used before a masculine singular noun.

Example

Un casque est important pour le roller.

A helmet is important for inline skating.

verre

[vair]

drink

Literally 'glass'; 'un verre' commonly means a drink.

Example

On prend un verre ce soir ?

Shall we grab a drink tonight?

ou je vous embête ?

oo zhuh voo ahn-BET

or am I bothering you?

'Embêter' means to bother or annoy, and it's informal but polite enough. Link 'vous embête' with a z sound: 'vou-zembête'.

Example

Pardon, je vous embête ?

Sorry, am I bothering you?

Words in this phrase

[oo]

Used to link alternatives.

Example

Tu veux du thé ou du café?

Do you want tea or coffee?

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

vous

[voo]

you

Used to refer to the person or people being addressed.

Example

Vous aimez le film?

Do you like the movie?

embête

[ahn-BET]

bothers / annoys

Informal verb embêter, to bother.

Example

Ce bruit m'embête.

This noise bothers me.

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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