Je voudrais — the polite way to ask
Voudrais is the polite conditional of vouloir (to want).
Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît is what you will hear in every café. It is softer than Je veux, and you can put almost any noun after it.
A1 · French
Ordering food
Order, ask the price and pay politely.
Pattern
Je voudrais …, s'il vous plaît.
I'd like …, please.
Try a real sentence
Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.
I'd like a coffee, please.
Je voudrais l'addition, s'il vous plaît.
I'd like the bill, please.
Je voudrais de l'eau, s'il vous plaît.
I'd like some water, please.
Combien ça coûte ?
How much does it cost?
C'est tout, merci.
That's all, thank you.
Sans sucre, s'il vous plaît.
Without sugar, please.
Words in this sentence
- voudraiswould like
- cafécoffee
- s'il vous plaîtplease
- additionbill
- eauwater
- combienhow much
- coûtecosts
- toutall
- mercithank you
- sanswithout
- sucresugar
Grammar
Start my first free lesson
Free to learn. AI can add new lessons in the categories you choose — your progress is saved on this device.
Start for freeLearning path
- Greeting peopleSay hello, give your name and ask for someone else's.
- Your dayDescribe when you get up, work and rest.
- Your dayDescribe a normal day in six sentences.
- At the caféOrder a coffee and ask what it costs.
- Meeting someoneIntroduce yourself and ask where someone is from.
- Expressing what you wantSay what you want, simply and clearly.
Free · forever