How to Say 'I Want' and 'Can I Have' in French for Food and Drink
Learn to ask for any food or drink in French with 'je voudrais' and 'est-ce que je peux avoir', plus the indefinite articles un, une and des.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you want a coffee, an apple or some water in French, you do not need a cafe to use the right phrases. This lesson teaches two safe, polite patterns you can use anywhere: a shop, a friend's kitchen, a train, a market stall or a restaurant. You will learn 'je voudrais' (I would like) and 'est-ce que je peux avoir' (can I have), plus the little words un, une and des that go before the food or drink. By the end you will be able to ask for common items without sounding rude or too direct.
By the end, you can…
- ask for a food or drink politely using 'je voudrais' and 'est-ce que je peux avoir'.
- choose the correct article un, une or des before a French food or drink noun.
- name at least six common foods and drinks and ask for them in any setting.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.
I would like a coffee, please.
zhuh voo-DREH u(n) ka-FEH, seel voo PLEH
The safest polite way to ask for one item. Use it in a cafe, at a friend's home or at a counter. The final 's' in voudrais is silent.
Est-ce que je peux avoir une pomme ?
Can I have an apple?
ess-kuh zhuh puh ah-VWAHR ewn POM
A clear question form. 'Est-ce que' turns a statement into a question, so you do not need to change word order. Pomme is feminine, so use une.
Je voudrais de l'eau, s'il vous plaît.
I would like some water, please.
zhuh voo-DREH duh LOH, seel voo PLEH
Use de l' before a vowel sound. Water is not counted in units here, so French uses the partitive, not un or une.
Est-ce que je peux avoir des frites ?
Can I have some fries?
ess-kuh zhuh puh ah-VWAHR deh FREET
Des is the plural indefinite article, used for more than one item. Frites is plural, so des is correct.
Un thé, s'il vous plaît.
A tea, please.
u(n) TEH, seel voo PLEH
A short, natural order. In many shops and cafes, saying the item plus 's'il vous plaît' is enough. Thé is masculine, so use un.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is: je voudrais + article + food or drink. Je voudrais means 'I would like' and is softer than je veux, which can sound blunt. Choose the article by the noun's gender and number: un for masculine singular (un café, un thé, un sandwich), une for feminine singular (une pomme, une orange, une bière), des for plural (des frites, des biscuits), and de l' before a vowel sound for uncountable items (de l'eau). For a question, use est-ce que je peux avoir + the same article + noun: Est-ce que je peux avoir un café ?
When to use it
Use je voudrais when you are ordering, requesting or buying one or more items in almost any setting: a bakery, a market, a friend's kitchen, a train, a hotel or a restaurant. Use est-ce que je peux avoir when you want to sound a little more like you are asking permission, for example at someone's home: Est-ce que je peux avoir un verre d'eau ? Both are polite. In very casual French among friends, tu peux me passer un café ? (can you pass me a coffee?) is common, but for learners je voudrais is the safest choice. In Quebec, je voudrais is also standard; for takeaway coffee you may hear un café pour emporter.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Bonjour, je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.
Hello, I would like a coffee, please.bo(n)-ZHOOR, zhuh voo-DREH u(n) ka-FEH, seel voo PLEHBien sûr. Et avec ça ?
Of course. And with that?bya(n) SEWR. eh ah-VEK SAEst-ce que je peux avoir une pomme aussi ?
Can I have an apple too?ess-kuh zhuh puh ah-VWAHR ewn POM oh-SEEOui, voilà. Ça fait trois euros.
Yes, here you are. That comes to three euros.wee, vwah-LA. sa feh trwah uh-ROHA little context goes a long way
In France, bonjour is expected before any request in a shop, bakery or cafe; starting with je voudrais without bonjour can seem abrupt. In Quebec and parts of Canada, bonjour works too, and service is often equally polite but a little more informal. S'il vous plaît is standard with strangers; with friends you can use s'il te plaît. Tipping is not required in French cafes, though rounding up is common.
One thing to watch for
Je veux un café.
Try this instead: Je veux is grammatically correct but can sound demanding or childish in a service setting. Use Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît for a polite request. If you want to be more casual with a friend, Je voudrais still works; reserve Je veux for strong statements like Je veux partir (I want to leave).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask for an apple politely using 'je voudrais'?
Show a sample answer
Je voudrais une pomme, s'il vous plaît.
Pomme is feminine singular, so it takes une. Je voudrais is the polite request form, and s'il vous plaît makes it courteous. You could also say Est-ce que je peux avoir une pomme ?
2Which article goes before 'eau' in 'I would like some water'?
Show a sample answer
de l' — Je voudrais de l'eau.
Eau starts with a vowel sound, so de l' is used instead of de la. Water is uncountable here, so un or une would be wrong.
3Translate: 'Can I have some fries?'
Show a sample answer
Est-ce que je peux avoir des frites ?
Frites is plural, so it takes des. Est-ce que je peux avoir is a clear question form. In a casual setting, Des frites, s'il vous plaît is also acceptable.
Use je voudrais + un, une, des or de l' + food or drink for a polite request anywhere, and est-ce que je peux avoir when you want to ask permission. Always add s'il vous plaît with strangers.
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