Ordering a coffee: Choice of bean which can vary by origin, roast type, or blend.
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Key Phrases
您好
nín hǎo
Hello
一杯咖啡
yī bēi kā fēi
A cup of coffee
請稍等一下
qǐng shāo děng yí xià
Please wait a moment
Skills You'll Learn
Ordering coffee
點咖啡
diǎn kā fēi
Expressing gratitude
表達感謝
biǎo dá gǎn xiè
Describing coffee flavors
描述咖啡風味
miáo shù kā fēi fēng wèi
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine walking into a coffee shop where you and the barista engage in a conversation to place your order. You express your preference for a type of coffee bean and choose between a hot or iced coffee. The barista provides recommendations and confirms your order with courtesy.
您好，我可以幫您什麼？
nín hǎo wǒ kě yǐ bāng nín shén me
Hello, how may I assist you?
你好，我想要一杯咖啡。
nǐ hǎo wǒ xiǎng yào yī bēi kā fēi
Hi, I would like a cup of coffee.
好的，您想要哪種咖啡豆？我們有哥倫比亞豆、義大利烘焙或者是拼配豆。
hǎo de nín xiǎng yào nǎ zhǒng kā fēi dòu wǒ men yǒu gē lún bǐ yà dòu yì dà lì hōng bèi huò zhě shì pīn pèi dòu
Sure, which type of coffee beans would you like? We have Colombian beans, Italian roast, or blends.
哥倫比亞豆是什麼風味的？
gē lún bǐ yà dòu shì shén me fēng wèi de
What is the flavor profile of Colombian beans?
它味道酸甜適中，帶有果香。
tā wèi dào suān tián shì zhōng dài yǒu guǒ xiāng
They are moderately sweet and sour with a fruity aroma.
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
您
nín
You (formal)
💬 [您] is the polite version of [你]. You'll hear it with customers and strangers; swap it into the same sentence: [您要什麼？] instead of [你要什麼？].
🇹🇼 In Taiwan service staff often use [您] to sound respectful. You can reply with [你] to staff and it's usually fine, though [您] sounds extra polite.
See breakdown →好
hǎo
Good
您好
nín hǎo
Hello
🇹🇼 [您好] is a polite, service-style greeting in Taiwan. In a café, staff may say it first; as a customer, you can use it, but a simple [你好] is also common.
See breakdown →我
wǒ
I
可以
kě yǐ
Can
💬 [可以] often means "may/can" in a practical, polite way, not just ability. You can reuse it to soften requests: [我可以看看嗎？] or [可以刷卡嗎？].
See breakdown →幫
bāng
Help
什麼
shén me
What
💬 [什麼] can mean both "what?" and "some kind of ..." depending on position. After a verb or before a noun, it often means "what kind of": [想喝什麼？] or [什麼風味？].
See breakdown →我可以幫您什麼？
wǒ kě yǐ bāng nín shén me
How can I help you?
💬 In [我可以幫您什麼？], the order is literally "I can help you what," which is normal in Chinese. You can reuse the same pattern with other verbs: [您想喝什麼？] = "You want to drink what?".
See breakdown →你
nǐ
You
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Options such as type of milk, depending on dietary preferences or allergies.
Ordering a coffee Part 2
Indicates whether the coffee is for in-store or to be taken out.
Ordering a coffee Part 2
Getting recommendations
Ordering food
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