How to Say ‘I would like...’ in German
Ich hätte gern...
ikh HET-teh gearn
[ikh HET-teh gearn]
💬 Usage Tip: [hätte gern] is a very common polite way to order things in German, softer than just saying [ich will]. You can swap in almost anything after it: [Ich hätte gern einen Tee] or [Ich hätte gern Hafermilch].
Phrase Breakdown
Ich
[ikh]
I
The first-person singular pronoun, used when ordering for yourself.
Ich sage im Café: Ich hätte gern....
I say in the café: I would like...
hätte
[HET-teh]
would have / would like
A polite form of 'have' used in requests; in cafés it means 'would like.'
Ich hätte gern... einen Kaffee mit Hafermilch.
I would like... a coffee with oat milk.
gern
[gearn]
gladly / would like
Used with 'hätte' to make a polite order sound natural: 'would like.'
Ich hätte gern... einen kleinen Kaffee.
I would like... a small coffee.
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