Asking cute stranger out to a date: Breaking the ice at a cafe
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Key Phrases
Entschuldigung, ist der Platz hier noch frei?
Excuse me, is this seat still free?
Kommst du oft in dieses Café?
Do you come to this café often?
Nächsten Samstag, hier um drei?
Next Saturday, here at three?
Skills You'll Learn
Politely approaching someone and asking about a free seat
Jemanden höflich ansprechen und nach einem freien Platz fragen
Starting a casual conversation and asking about habits
Ein lockeres Gespräch beginnen und Fragen zu Gewohnheiten stellen
Proposing and confirming a meetup
Eine Verabredung vorschlagen und bestätigen
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you're in a busy café and want to sit at a table with a friendly stranger. You'd like to chat and maybe make plans to meet again.
Entschuldigung, ist der Platz hier noch frei?
Excuse me, is this seat still free?
Ja, klar. Setz dich ruhig.
Yes, sure. Go ahead and sit down.
Danke! Was trinkst du da? Sieht lecker aus.
Thanks! What are you drinking? It looks tasty.
Einen Chai Latte. Den mache ich hier immer.
A chai latte. I always get that here.
Kommst du oft in dieses Café?
Do you come to this café often?
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
Entschuldigung
ent-SHOOL-dee-goong
Excuse me
Ist der Platz hier noch frei?
ist dair plats heer nokh fry
Is this seat still free?
Entschuldigung, ist der Platz hier noch frei?
ent-SHOOL-dee-goong ist dair plats heer nokh fry
Excuse me, is this seat still free?
🇩🇪 In busy German cafés it's normal to ask to share a table with a stranger. That makes this a natural, low-pressure way to end up sitting near someone.
See breakdown →Ja
yah
Yes
Ja, klar.
yah klar
Yes, sure.
Setz dich ruhig.
zets dikh ROO-ikh
Go ahead and sit down.
💬 ruhig normally means "calm" or "quiet", but after an instruction it softens it into a friendly "go ahead". Same use: Frag ruhig "feel free to ask".
See breakdown →Was trinkst du da?
vas trinkst doo dah
What are you drinking there?
Sieht lecker aus.
zeet LEK-er ows
It looks tasty.
💬 The verb is aussehen "to look (like)", and the aus jumps to the end of the sentence. Same pattern: Das sieht gut aus "That looks good".
See breakdown →Einen Chai Latte.
EYE-nen chy LAH-teh
A chai latte.
💬 When you name the thing you're drinking or ordering, ein becomes einen for der words like der Latte. Same with Einen Kaffee, bitte.
See breakdown →Learn this vocabulary list the easy way
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Guides for German learners
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