How to Say ‘I would like a coffee, please.’ in French
Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.
zhuh voo-DREH uhn ka-fay seel eel voo pleh
[zhuh voo-DREH uhn ka-fay seel eel voo pleh]
🇫🇷 In France: This is polite and natural in a café, but in everyday French people also often order more briefly, like just the item plus [s'il vous plaît]. Using the full sentence sounds courteous, not stiff.
Phrase Breakdown
Je voudrais
zhuh voo-DREH
I would like
Polite way to say you want something in French.
Je voudrais un thé.
I would like a tea.
Words in this phrase
Je
[zhuh]
I
Subject pronoun for the speaker.
Je commence la phrase Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. avec Je.
I begin the sentence I would like a coffee, please. with Je.
voudrais
[voo-DREH]
would like
Polite verb form used to order something.
Dans Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît., voudrais rend la demande polie.
In I would like a coffee, please., voudrais makes the request polite.
un
[uhn]
a / an
Masculine singular indefinite article used before a noun like café.
Dans Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît., un introduit café.
In I would like a coffee, please., un introduces café.
café
[ka-fay]
coffee
The drink you are ordering in a café.
Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. est une commande simple avec café.
I would like a coffee, please. is a simple order with coffee.
S'il vous plaît
seel eel voo pleh
please
Polite phrase used to make a request courteous.
Un café, s'il vous plaît.
A coffee, please.
Words in this phrase
s'
[seel]
if
Part of the fixed expression s'il vous plaît used for politeness.
Dans Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît., s' commence la formule polie.
In I would like a coffee, please., s' begins the polite expression.
il
[eel]
he / it
Part of the fixed phrase s'il vous plaît; not translated literally here.
Dans Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît., il appartient à une expression figée.
In I would like a coffee, please., il belongs to a fixed expression.
vous
[voo]
you
Formal you, included in the phrase s'il vous plaît.
Dans Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît., vous fait partie de la politesse.
In I would like a coffee, please., vous is part of the politeness.
plaît
[pleh]
pleases
Part of the idiomatic polite phrase meaning please.
Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. se termine par plaît pour être poli.
I would like a coffee, please. ends with plaît to be polite.
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