Coffee, please: your first order with ください
A short conversation for ordering coffee at a café. Let us look at the words you can use in a shop, one by one.
Scene: a café. Hitomi, this site's guide, orders coffee from a shop clerk. The conversation is written for learners.
Conversation
- Clerkいらっしゃいませ。Irasshaimase.Welcome.
- Hitomiすみません。コーヒーをふたつください。Sumimasen. koohii o futatsu kudasai.Excuse me. Two coffees, please.
- Clerkはい。コーヒーをふたつですね。Hai. koohii o futatsu desu ne.Yes. Two coffees, right?
- Hitomiはい、お願いします。Hai, onegai shimasu.Yes, please.
- Clerk六百円です。Roppyaku en desu.That is six hundred yen.
- Hitomiはい、どうぞ。Hai, douzo.Here you are.
- Clerkありがとうございます。Arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you very much.
Key points
"A o kudasai"
ください means "please give me". Add を to the name of the thing you want, then say ください: "Koohii o kudasai."
Put the number after を
Put the number after を: "Koohii o futatsu kudasai." ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ… are words for counting things.
Sumimasen, onegai shimasu, douzo
すみません calls a shop clerk. お願いします works as a polite "yes, please" when you are asked to confirm. どうぞ goes with handing something over, such as money.
A small tip
You can ask the price with "Ikura desu ka."
Words in this conversation
Read next
The price is an example made for learning. It does not refer to a real shop.