🛎️

How to Say ‘At the counter’ in French

Au comptoir

oh kohn-TWAHR

[oh kohn-TWAHR]

💬 Usage Tip: Au is à "at" plus le "the" merged into one word. French always does this before a masculine noun, as in au café "at the café".

🇫🇷 In France: Drinking your coffee standing at the bar is the quick local habit. It is often cheaper than sitting at a table, where prices can be higher.

Phrase Breakdown

[oh]

at the

A phrase used to indicate location, time, or a condition.

Example

Elle est au parc.

She is at the park.

comptoir

[kohn-TWAHR]

counter / bar

Masculine noun for the bar counter where you order.

Example

Je bois un café au comptoir.

I drink a coffee at the counter.

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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