In this workshop you will practice talking about common drinks in French. You will learn to say what you drink using je bois, choose the right article for each drink, and understand a short conversation about morning drinks. You will hear native examples and then speak them yourself. You can play both roles in the dialogue, but there is no automatic scoring, so use the answer keys to check your own work.
Naming drinks and using je bois
Start with the phrase je bois, which means I drink. After je bois, most drinks need a small word before the noun. For water, the native example is «Je bois de l'eau.». This means I drink water. The word de l' is used because eau starts with a vowel sound. For coffee, the example is «Je bois du café.», meaning I drink coffee. Here du is used because café is a masculine noun. For tea, listen to «Je bois du thé.», which means I drink tea. Thé is also masculine, so du thé means tea in general. For orange juice, the example is «Je bois du jus d'orange.», meaning I drink orange juice. Jus is masculine, and the d' before orange helps the words flow. Practice saying each full line after the recording. Focus on the je bois part and the small word that follows it.
Understanding a morning drinks conversation
Now listen to a short exchange about morning drinks. The first speaker asks a question: «Qu'est-ce que tu bois le matin ?». This means What do you drink in the morning? The second speaker answers with «Je bois du café. Et toi ?», which means I drink coffee. And you? Then the first speaker replies with «Je bois du thé. Parfois je bois du jus d'orange.», meaning I drink tea. Sometimes I drink orange juice. Finally, the second speaker asks «Tu bois du lait aussi ?», which means Do you drink milk too? Notice how each answer uses je bois or tu bois with du or de l'. The question tu bois means you drink. The answer je bois means I drink. Practice the question and the answers separately. Then try to say both roles in order.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Je bois de l'eau.
I drink water.
zhuh bwah duh loh
Je bois du café.
I drink coffee.
zhuh bwah dew kah-fay
Je bois du thé.
I drink tea.
zhuh bwah dew tay
Je bois du jus d'orange.
I drink orange juice.
zhuh bwah dew zhew dor-ahnzh
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Qu'est-ce que tu bois le matin ?
What do you drink in the morning?Je bois du café. Et toi ?
I drink coffee. And you?Je bois du thé. Parfois je bois du jus d'orange.
I drink tea. Sometimes I drink orange juice.Tu bois du lait aussi ?
Do you drink milk too?Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: morning drinks
You will play both roles in a short conversation about morning drinks. Use the recordings to guide your speaking. Speak clearly and pause after each line.
Your task: First, play the role of speaker A. Say the question from «Qu'est-ce que tu bois le matin ?». Then play the role of speaker B and answer with «Je bois du café. Et toi ?». Next, return to speaker A and say «Je bois du thé. Parfois je bois du jus d'orange.». Finally, as speaker B, ask «Tu bois du lait aussi ?». Repeat the whole exchange two times.
Reply comprehension: choose the correct drink
You will hear a question and choose the best reply from two options. This checks if you understand the question and the drink words.
Your task: Listen to «Qu'est-ce que tu bois le matin ?». Which reply fits? Option 1: «Je bois du café.». Option 2: «Je bois du thé.». Both answer the question; choose either and say it aloud. Next, listen to «Tu bois du lait aussi ?». What drink does this question ask about: milk or orange juice? Answer in English, then take the questioner's role and repeat the recorded milk question.
Recall and role swap
Now test your memory. You will say the conversation without looking at the recordings. Then you will swap roles.
Your task: First, say the whole conversation from memory: A asks the morning question, B answers with coffee and asks you, A answers with tea and sometimes orange juice, B asks about milk. Use the recordings «Qu'est-ce que tu bois le matin ?», «Je bois du café. Et toi ?», «Je bois du thé. Parfois je bois du jus d'orange.», and «Tu bois du lait aussi ?» as your guide. Then swap roles: you are B first, then A. Say the lines in the new order.
Common questions
Why do some drinks use du and others use de l'?
The small word before the drink depends on the noun. Masculine nouns usually take du, as in «Je bois du café.» and «Je bois du thé.». If the noun starts with a vowel sound, de l' is used instead, as in «Je bois de l'eau.». So you say du café but de l'eau.
What is the difference between je bois du café and je bois un café?
Je bois du café means I drink coffee in general, like a habit. Je bois un café means I drink one coffee, like a single cup. The recording «Je bois du café.» uses du café for the general idea. Use un when you mean one specific coffee.
Sources and further reading
- french: name common drinksChecked September 2026
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