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How to Say ‘To have a coffee’ in French

Prendre un café

prahn-dr uhn kah-fay

[prahn-dr uhn kah-fay]

💬 Usage Tip: French uses prendre "to take" for having food or drink. The same goes for prendre un verre "to have a drink".

Phrase Breakdown

Prendre

[prahn-dr]

to have / to take

Common verb for taking or ordering food in a restaurant.

Example

Si j'ai faim, je demande : Je peux prendre l'entrée ?

If I’m hungry, I ask: Can I have the starter?

un

[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.

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.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.

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