🥂

How to Say ‘Let's have a drink’ in French

On boit un verre

on bwah uhn vair

[on bwah uhn vair]

💬 Usage Tip: On literally means "one" but in speech it nearly always means "we". Said as a question, it becomes a suggestion: On y va ? "Shall we go?"

🇫🇷 In France: Boire un verre "have a drink" doesn't have to mean alcohol. It's a relaxed invitation to meet up, and coffee is fine too.

Phrase Breakdown

On boit

on bwah

We drink / Let's drink

In everyday speech, 'on' often means 'we'. Say it as 'ohn bwah', with a silent 't'.

Example

On boit du café.

We're drinking coffee.

Words in this phrase

[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.

boit

[bwah]

drink(s)

Form of 'boire' (to drink); with 'on' it means we drink.

Example

Il boit un café.

He drinks a coffee.

un verre

uhn vair

a drink (a glass)

'Un verre' literally means a glass, but it also means a drink. Say it as 'uhn vehr'.

Example

Je voudrais un verre d'eau.

I'd like a glass of water.

Words in this phrase

[uhn]

Indefinite article used before a singular noun.

Example

Un petit garçon joue.

A little boy is playing.

verre

[vair]

glass

A drinking container made from glass.

Example

Un verre de vin est sur la table.

A glass of wine is on the table.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.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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