German · Real conversations
Cafés: German 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
Was möchten Sie in Ihrem Kaffee?
Show English translation
What would you like in your coffee?
You
Könnte ich das ohne Zucker haben?
Show English translation
Could I have it without sugar?
Partner
Ist das zum Hieressen oder zum Mitnehmen?
Show English translation
Is this for here or to take away?
You
Zum Mitnehmen, bitte.
Show English translation
To take away, please.
Partner
Gern. Möchten Sie normalen Kaffee?
Show English translation
Certainly. Would you like regular coffee?
You
Könnten Sie ihn koffeinfrei machen?
Show English translation
Could you make it decaf?
Partner
Ja, das geht. Möchten Sie noch etwas trinken?
Show English translation
Yes, we can do that. Anything else to drink?
You
Könnte ich Leitungswasser bekommen?
Show English translation
Can I have tap water?
Partner
Hier ist Ihr Wasser. Der Gesamtbetrag steht hier.
Show English translation
Here's your water. The total is shown here.
You
Ist die Bedienung inbegriffen?
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
Könnte ich das ohne Zucker haben?
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
Zum Mitnehmen, bitte.
To take away, please.
Partner says: Certainly. Would you like regular coffee? Your goal: Could you make it decaf?
Reveal a sample reply
Könnten Sie ihn koffeinfrei machen?
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
Könnte ich Leitungswasser bekommen?
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
Ist die Bedienung inbegriffen?
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 German
Use Sie for formal address and du with people you address informally. Könnten Sie …? is a useful polite request. Keep noun capitals and the verb position shown in each complete sentence.
The examples preserve German accents and ß. Read a full sentence before replacing a detail: a subordinate clause can move the verb to the end, and case can change an article or pronoun.
