![](https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltacc1a01c4d280f24/blteade2bc8ff367090/633bd3781434a77dfebf7579/pexels-cottonbro-4787607.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&quality=80&width=900&height=500&fit=crop)
How to order coffee in French like a proper connoisseur
![Elinor Zucchet](https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltacc1a01c4d280f24/bltead85c438dc6c92f/62906475fa2a6858998665cc/Portrait.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&quality=80&width=96&height=96&fit=crop&crop=96:96,smart)
Author
Is there anything more cliché than a café and a croissant at a Parisian café terrace? As in many countries, coffee is an important part of French culture.
Therefore, itâs very useful to learn the terminology around coffee in French, whether youâre a coffee person or not. And if youâre not, check out these other drinks in French.
This article covers:
- How do you say coffee in French? This is a very important, and probably one of the most international hot beverages, a quintessential drink for many, so weâll teach you a few various types.
- How to order coffee in French, so youâre always prepared when you really need your coffee fix.
- Things to know about coffee in France, to have a better understanding of the language AND culture.
- And many more!
So grab a cup of joe and letâs dive in!
How to say coffee in French
You probably already know the word âcafĂ©â, which means both the drink and the place that serves it. Plural is âcafĂ©sâ. A cup of coffee in French is literally âUne tasse de cafĂ©â, but most people will just say âUn cafĂ©â.
Although thereâs no word for coffee in French slang, some people just say âcafââ or âcawaâ.
Below is a practical table for all your coffee needs.
Note: Unless youâre in a large city â where youâll find your typical Seattle coffee chain and other similar ones â coffee options in France are generally more limited than in the US. Basically, donât expect to find your PSL, or anything fancy, at a random French cafĂ©!
Types of coffee you can order in French
From iced coffee in French to black coffee in French, weâve included options for all tastes.
English | French | IPA |
Coffee | Café | kafe |
Latte / coffee with milk | Café au lait | kafe o le |
Iced coffee | CafĂ© glacĂ©/CafĂ© frappĂ© | kafe glase/kafe fÉŸape |
Black coffee | CafĂ© noir | kafe nwaÉŸ |
A cup of coffee | Une tasse de cafĂ© | ynÉ tasÉ dÉ kafe |
Decaf coffee | Café décaféiné | kafe dekafeine |
Espresso | Expresso | ÉkspÉŸÉso |
Cappuccino | Cappuccino | kapykino |
Coffee with cream | CafĂ© crĂšme | kafe kÉŸÉmÉ |
Americano | CafĂ© allongĂ© | kafe alĂ”Êe |
Ristretto | CafĂ© serrĂ© | kafe sÉre |
Viennese coffee (with whipped cream) | CafĂ© viennois | kafe vjÉnwa |
Filtered coffee/Regular coffee | CafĂ© filtre/CafĂ© rĂ©gulier (QuĂ©bec only) | kafe filtÉŸÉ/kafe ÉŸeglje |
More notable coffee vocab
Sometimes, the call of coffee is very strong. Almost as strong as a ristretto. From âI need coffee in Frenchâ to âcoffee break in Frenchâ, here are a few handy expressions for when your batteries are low.
![Man reading blog article on how to Order Coffee in French Like a Proper Connoisseur.](https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltacc1a01c4d280f24/blt1ee81973650682e1/633bd523cc7d9253c4886ff9/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4559593.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&quality=80&)
English | French | IPA |
Do you want coffee? | Voulez-vous un cafĂ© ?/Veux-tu un cafĂ© ? | vule-vuzâż ĆÌ kafe ?/vĂž-ty ĆÌ kafe ? |
Coffee break | Pause cafĂ© | pozÉ kafe |
I need coffee! | Jâai besoin dâun cafĂ© ! | Êe bÉswÉÌ dĆÌ kafe ! |
Iâm sure you want a coffee! | Vous prendrez bien un petit cafĂ© ! | vu pÉŸÉÌdÉŸe bjÉÌnâż ĆÌ pÉti kafe ! |
Can I offer you a coffee? | Je peux vous offrir un cafĂ© ?/Je peux tâoffrir un cafĂ© ? | ÊÉ pĂž vuzâż ÉfÉŸiÉŸ ĆÌ kafe ?/ÊÉ pĂž tÉfÉŸiÉŸ ĆÌ kafe ? |
Letâs talk over a cup of coffee. | On peut en discuter autour dâun cafĂ©. | Ă” pĂžtâżÉÌ diskyte otuÉŸ dĆÌ kafe. |
Do you want to have coffee? | Voulez-vous aller boire un cafĂ© ? Tu veux aller boire un cafĂ© ? | vule-vuzâż ale bwaÉŸ ĆÌ kafe ? ty vĂžxâż ale bwaÉŸ ĆÌ kafe ? |
Letâs have coffee. | On se prend un cafĂ© ? | Ă” sÉ pÉŸÉÌdâż ĆÌ kafe ? |
Letâs meet at the coffee machine. | On se retrouve Ă la machine Ă cafĂ© ? | Ă” sÉ ÉŸÉtÉŸuv a la maÊin a kafe ? |
Do you want to take a coffee break? | Voulez-vous prendre une pause cafĂ© ?/Tu veux prendre une pause cafĂ© ? | vule-vu pÉŸÉÌdÉŸ ynÉ pozÉ kafe ?/ty vĂž pÉŸÉÌdÉŸ ynÉ pozÉ kafe ? |
How to order coffee in French
Knowing how to order coffee in French is almost â almost â as important as knowing how to ask where the bathroom is. What? It can save your life!
English | French | IPA |
Coffee, please. | Un cafĂ©, sâil vous plaĂźt. | ĆÌ kafe, sil vu ple. |
Iâd like a coffee, please. | Je voudrais un cafĂ©, sâil vous plaĂźt. | ÊÉ vudÉŸÉzâż ĆÌ kafe, sil vu ple. |
Black coffee, please. | Un cafĂ© noir, sâil vous plaĂźt. | ĆÌ kafe nwaÉŸ, sil vu ple. |
Do you want coffee with this? Yes, Iâd like a coffee, thanks. |
Voulez-vous un café avec ceci ? Oui merci, je veux bien un café. |
vule-vuzâż ĆÌ kafe avÉk sÉsi ? wi mÉÉŸsi, ÊÉ vĂž bjÉÌnâż ĆÌ kafe. |
How would you like your coffee? With milk, please. |
Comment souhaitez-vous votre cafĂ© ? Au lait, sâil vous plaĂźt. |
kÉmÉ su(e)te-vu vÉtÉŸÉ kafe ? o le, sil vu ple. |
Could you please bring coffee with dessert? | Pouvez-vous sâil vous plaĂźt amener le cafĂ© et le dessert ensemble ? | puve-vu sil vu plÉtâż amÉne lÉ kafee lÉ dÉsÉÉŸtâż ÉÌsÉÌblÉ ? |
Two Americanos, please. | Deux cafĂ©s allongĂ©s, sâil vous plaĂźt. | dĂž kafezâż alĂ”Êe, sil vu ple. |
Two coffees, black, no sugar please. | Deux cafĂ©s noirs sans sucre, sâil vous plaĂźt. | dĂž kafe nwaÉŸ sÉÌ sykÉŸÉ, sil vu ple. |
Coffee in France: cultural considerations
- Much like alcohol, coffee is a social drink and often associated with meals.
- Coffee is a great way to socialize with someone you donât know very well â yet. Itâs less formal and less of a commitment than a meal. It also works for romantic interests!
- Speaking of romance, itâs a good idea to make coffee and go get croissants if you spent the night with someone. You might also want to learn to say âbonjourâ the proper way in this situation.
- If youâre invited to a French personâs house, youâll most likely be offered a coffee. Youâre expected to do the same when having a French friend over.
- The word âcafĂ©â is masculine. Thatâs interesting, because in 90% of the restaurants, the waiter or waitress will bring a coffee to the man, even if a woman ordered it. Iâm not sure where this coffee discrimination comes from, but Iâve observed it since I was little!
- In many French restaurants, youâll see âcafĂ© gourmandâ on the dessert menu. Itâs usually a coffee with 2-3 tiny pastries, which, in my opinion, is rarely worth it as opposed to a full-size dessert. And believe me, you want that full-size mousse au chocolat.
- When following a recipe in French, you might see that âteaspoonâ is âcuillĂšre Ă cafĂ©â (coffee spoon). Learn another interesting French cooking word here!
- In the âNordâ region of France, itâs customary to dip âMaroillesâ, a strong cheese, in coffee. I can see your disgusted face right now. But you know, coffee: good, cheese: good.
Learning how to order a coffee can be useful anywhere in the world, so make sure to have a look at our multilingual coffee tour.
And if you had trouble learning the French words in this article, wake up and smell the coffee: itâs time to take a French course!
To top off our ode to coffee, listen to this beautiful song interlacing the French and Tunisian cultures: