🤔🍹

How to Say ‘Hmm, I'd prefer coffee to a drink.’ in Japanese

うーん、お酒よりコーヒーがいいです。

uun o sake yori koohii ga ii desu

[OON oh sah-KEH yoh-REE ko-oh-hee ga ee-ee dess]

💬 Usage Tip: Use the pattern AよりBがいい to say you prefer B to A. Note that the thing you don't want comes first, before より.

Phrase Breakdown

うーん、お酒より

uun o sake yori

hmm, rather than alcohol

うーん is a thinking sound, 'hmm'. より means 'than / rather than'. Draw out うーん, then say o-sake-yo-ri.

Example

肉より魚が好きです。

I like fish more than meat.

Words in this phrase

うーん

uun

[OON]

hmm; well

A filler sound showing hesitation or thinking.

Example

うーん、むずかしいですね。

Hmm, that's difficult.

お

[oh]

honorific prefix used in polite expressions

The polite prefix お makes the following word sound more courteous.

Example

お願いできますか。

Could you please do that?

酒

sake

[sah-KEH]

alcohol; sake

General word for alcoholic drinks, usually with polite お.

Example

お酒を飲みます。

I drink alcohol.

より

yori

[yoh-REE]

rather than

Particle used in comparisons; after 'to iu', it means 'rather than saying...'.

Example

痛いというより、だるいです。

Rather than painful, it feels sluggish.

コーヒーがいいです。

koohii ga ii desu

coffee would be better

Shows a preference. Hold the long vowels in ko-o-hi-i.

Example

バスより電車がいいです。

The train is better than the bus.

Words in this phrase

コーヒー

koohii

[ko-oh-hee]

coffee

A popular beverage made from roasted coffee beans.

Example

毎朝コーヒーを飲みます。

I drink coffee every morning.

が

[ga]

subject marker

A particle marking the subject of the sentence.

Example

興味がある分野を教えてください。

Please tell me the field you are interested in.

いい

[ee-ee]

good; nice

A common adjective used to show approval or a positive impression.

Example

その考えはいいですね。

That idea is nice.

です

desu

[dess]

is; polite copula

A polite sentence ending used in formal conversation.

Example

少し伺いたいです。

I would like to ask a little.

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