Spanish · Real conversations
Cafés: Spanish 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
¿Qué desea en su café?
Show English translation
What would you like in your coffee?
You
¿Podría pedirlo sin azúcar?
Show English translation
Could I have it without sugar?
Partner
¿Es para comer aquí o para llevar?
Show English translation
Is this for here or to take away?
You
Para llevar, por favor.
Show English translation
To take away, please.
Partner
Claro. ¿Desea un café con cafeína?
Show English translation
Certainly. Would you like regular coffee?
You
¿Podría hacerlo descafeinado?
Show English translation
Could you make it decaf?
Partner
Sí, podemos hacerlo. ¿Algo más de tomar?
Show English translation
Yes, we can do that. Anything else to drink?
You
¿Podría darme agua de la llave?
Show English translation
Can I have tap water?
Partner
Aquí tiene su agua. El total está indicado aquí.
Show English translation
Here's your water. The total is shown here.
You
¿El servicio está incluido?
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
¿Podría pedirlo sin azúcar?
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
Para llevar, por favor.
To take away, please.
Partner says: Certainly. Would you like regular coffee? Your goal: Could you make it decaf?
Reveal a sample reply
¿Podría hacerlo descafeinado?
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
¿Podría darme agua de la llave?
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
¿El servicio está incluido?
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 Spanish
These guides use broadly understandable Latin American Spanish. Tú is familiar and usted is respectful or formal, with important regional variation. Me gustaría and ¿podría …? are useful for considerate requests.
Keep accent marks and opening question marks. Some regions choose different everyday words. Follow the complete example rather than substituting English words one by one, especially with pronouns and expressions of preference.
