Ordering Coffee in English: 7 Easy Phrases

Ben, do you drink coffee every day?

Every day. Two cups, sometimes three.

Ha! Me too. Coffee is my best friend.

Hi everyone, welcome to English Easy Steps. I'm Anna.

And I'm Ben. Today, we order coffee in English.

It's easy, I promise. You only need a few short phrases.

Okay, first, you're at the counter. What do you say?

Say hello, then say, 'Can I have a latte, please?'

'Can I have' is very useful. You can use it for anything.

Can I have a tea? Can I have a muffin?

Yes! And always say 'please' at the end.

Here's a common mistake. Some people say, 'Give me a coffee.'

Hmm, that sounds a little rude, right?

A little, yes. 'Can I have a coffee, please?' is much better.

Okay. Then the barista asks me a question.

'For here or to go?' What does that mean?

Good question. 'For here' means you drink it in the cafe.

'To go' means you take it with you.

So in the morning, I say 'to go.' I'm always late.

Ha, yes. And on the weekend?

On the weekend, I say 'for here.' I sit and relax.

Nice. Next, maybe you want less sugar.

Oh, yes. I don't like very sweet coffee.

Then you say, 'Less sugar, please.'

Less sugar, please. That's easy.

Or no sugar at all. 'No sugar, please.'

Got it. And milk? Can I say 'more milk'?

Yes. More milk, less milk, no milk. All good.

Okay, next step. Paying.

You ask, 'How much is it?'

Or, 'How much is a large latte?'

How much is it? Okay, I can say that.

Then the barista says a price. Maybe five dollars.

And I give the money. What do I say?

You can say, 'Here you go.'

'Here you go' means 'Take this, it's for you.'

Oh, and the barista says it too, with the coffee.

Exactly. Here you go, here's your latte.

And then I say, 'Thank you!' Simple.

One more phrase. The barista asks, 'Anything else?'

And I say, 'No, that's all, thanks.'

Perfect. 'That's all' means you don't want anything more.

Can I try the whole thing now?

Sure. I'm the barista. Hi! What can I get you?

Hi! Can I have an iced coffee, please? Less sugar.

Sure. For here or to go?

To go, please. How much is it?

It's four dollars. Anything else?

No, that's all. Here you go.

Thank you! Here you go, your iced coffee.

Great job, Ben! Okay, quick recap.

To order, say, 'Can I have a coffee, please?'

'For here' means in the cafe. 'To go' means you take it.

To ask the price, say, 'How much is it?'

And at the end, say, 'That's all, thanks.'

Now, a question for you. What's your coffee order?

Say it out loud, in English, right now.

The transcript and vocabulary are on our website.

See you next time on English Easy Steps!

Bye, everyone!