French · Real conversations
Cafés: French conversation practice
Order a drink and clarify a small detail. Read the exchange, reveal the translations when you need them, then try your part before looking at the sample answers.
A1 · Read and rehearse
Your role: A customer ordering at a café.
Goal: Order a drink and clarify a small detail.
Read the conversation
Partner
Que souhaitez-vous dans votre café ?
Show English translation
What would you like in your coffee?
You
Je pourrais l'avoir sans sucre ?
Show English translation
Could I have it without sugar?
Partner
C'est sur place ou à emporter ?
Show English translation
Is this for here or to take away?
You
À emporter, s'il vous plaît.
Show English translation
To take away, please.
Partner
Bien sûr. Vous voulez un café normal ?
Show English translation
Certainly. Would you like regular coffee?
You
Pourriez-vous le faire décaféiné ?
Show English translation
Could you make it decaf?
Partner
Oui, c'est possible. Autre chose à boire ?
Show English translation
Yes, we can do that. Anything else to drink?
You
Est-ce que je pourrais avoir de l'eau du robinet ?
Show English translation
Can I have tap water?
Partner
Voici votre eau. Le total est indiqué ici.
Show English translation
Here's your water. The total is shown here.
You
Le service est compris ?
Show English translation
Is service included?
Try your part first
Partner says: What would you like in your coffee? Your goal: Could I have it without sugar?
Reveal a sample reply
Je pourrais l'avoir sans sucre ?
Could I have it without sugar?
Partner says: Is this for here or to take away? Your goal: To take away, please.
Reveal a sample reply
À emporter, s'il vous plaît.
To take away, please.
Partner says: Certainly. Would you like regular coffee? Your goal: Could you make it decaf?
Reveal a sample reply
Pourriez-vous le faire décaféiné ?
Could you make it decaf?
Partner says: Yes, we can do that. Anything else to drink? Your goal: Can I have tap water?
Reveal a sample reply
Est-ce que je pourrais avoir de l'eau du robinet ?
Can I have tap water?
Partner says: Here's your water. The total is shown here. Your goal: Is service included?
Reveal a sample reply
Le service est compris ?
Is service included?
Make it your own
- Change the drink.
- Ask for a different ingredient to be left out.
- Stay at the café instead of taking the order away.
Keep the useful expression and change the detail. There can be several appropriate answers; the revealed replies are examples to learn from.
This rehearsal in other languages
A note on speaking French
Use vous with strangers, staff, and people you address formally; use tu when that relationship is established. Je voudrais and pourriez-vous can make a request considerate. The most appropriate choice depends on the person and the situation.
Keep accents and apostrophes. A familiar spoken expression may differ from its literal English translation. Read the complete line, including the pronoun and the words that connect the request.
