Lesson 20: At the Restaurant
Au restaurant — Ordering Food · A0 → A1 · Part 3 · Food, Shopping & Going Out
You will order food and drinks like a polite French person with je voudrais. You will understand the whole restaurant flow — a table for two, the menu, the starter, the main dish, the dessert and the bill. You will also learn the polite phrases pourriez-vous and excusez-moi.
In this lesson
- ordering food
- je voudrais
- polite requests
- paying the bill
Vocabulary
| French | Meaning | Say it | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| un restaurant | a restaurant | un res-to-ran اُن ریستوراں | Masculine (un). The final t is silent. The 'an' is nasal. |
| une table | a table | ün tabl اُون تابْل | Feminine (une). One syllable: 'tabl'. The final e is silent. |
| la carte | the menu (list of all dishes) | la kart لا کارت | Feminine (la). 'la carte' = the full list of dishes and prices. 'le menu' = a fixed-price set meal. |
| le menu | the set menu | luh muh-nü * لُہ مُونُو * | Masculine (le). In France it is a fixed-price formula (starter + main + dessert), not the whole list. |
| la commande | the order | la ko-mand لا کوماند | Feminine (la). 'Prendre la commande' = to take the order — what the waiter does. |
| l'entrée | the starter | lan-tray لانْترے | Feminine (une entrée). In France it comes BEFORE the main dish — it is not the main course, like in America. |
| le plat principal | the main dish | luh pla pran-see-pal لُہ پلا پرانسیپال | Masculine (le). 'plat' has a silent final t, and 'principal' has a nasal 'in' at the end. |
| le dessert | the dessert | luh day-sehr لُہ ڈے سیر | Masculine (le). The final t is silent. The 'ss' is a hard s. |
| l'addition | the bill | la-dee-syon لادیسیوں | Feminine (l'addition). 'tion' in French is always 'syon', never 'shun'. |
| le serveur | the waiter | luh sehr-vur * لُہ سیروُر * | Masculine (le). The 'eur' is like the 'u' in English 'fur' — no honest Urdu spelling. Say it with the lips slightly rounded. |
| la serveuse | the waitress | la sehr-vuz لا سیرووز | Feminine (la). The 'se' at the end sounds like 'z' — sehr-VUZ. |
| une boisson | a drink | ün bwa-son اُون بواسوں | Feminine (une). 'oi' = 'wa', and the 'on' is nasal. Very useful word: 'Et comme boisson ?' |
| un verre | a glass | un vehr اُن ویر | Masculine (un). Do not say 'un verre à eau' unless you mean a water glass specifically. Just 'un verre' is a glass to drink from. |
| une serviette | a napkin | ün sehr-vyet اُون سیرْوییت | Feminine (une). Careful: in a hotel 'une serviette' is also a towel. Context tells you which. |
| je voudrais | I would like | zhuh voo-dreh ژُ وُودرے | The polite ordering formula. Almost every order in France starts with these two words. The final s is silent. |
Pronunciation
| Word | Sounds like | Slowly | How to make the sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| je voudrais | zhuh voo-dreh | zhuh ... voo ... dreh | Say it as two syllables at the end: voo-DREH. The final s is silent, and the 'ai' is an open 'eh' sound — not 'voo-dray' with a long ay. |
| une table pour deux | ün tabl poor duh | ün ... tabl ... poor ... duh | The 'eu' of deux is a rounded 'uh' made with the lips forward. It is not Urdu و and not English 'oo'. Link 'pour deux' smoothly: poor-DUH. |
| l'addition | la-dee-syon | la ... dee ... syon | 'tion' is always pronounced 'syon' in French. Never say 'ad-di-shun' — that immediately sounds English. |
| pourriez-vous | poo-ryay voo | poo ... ryay ... voo | The 'rr' is just one soft throat r. The 'iez' ending is 'yay'. Finish with a clear voiced 'voo' — the v is not a w. |
| c'était très bon | say-teh treh bon | say ... teh ... treh ... bon | Say it as one flowing phrase: say-teh-treh-bon. The 'on' of bon is nasal — air through the nose, tongue not closing the n. |
| s'il vous plaît | seel voo pleh | seel ... voo ... pleh | You learned this in lesson 1 — use it after EVERY order. The 'ai' is 'eh' and the final t is silent. |
Lesson 20 sound focus: keep the polite formulas light and musical. French politeness is carried by a gentle rising melody, not by saying the words loudly.
Grammar
Je voudrais — the polite way to order
JE VEUX means 'I want'. It is real French, but in a shop, café or restaurant it sounds hard and demanding, like pointing at a waiter and saying 'give me'. Polite French uses JE VOUDRAIS — 'I would like'. It is softer, it is what every French person says, and it is the safest formula for a beginner. The pattern is always: Je voudrais + noun + s'il vous plaît. Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. Je voudrais de la soupe, s'il vous plaît. When you ask a favour, use POURRIEZ-VOUS (could you): Pourriez-vous m'apporter la carte ? Learn this one as a FIXED POLITE FORMULA — it is the single most useful polite request in French, and the full grammar behind it belongs to A2, so just memorise it whole. And to get attention politely, EXCUSEZ-MOI: Excusez-moi, monsieur !
The restaurant flow — from the door to the bill
A French meal has a fixed order, and the waiter uses the same words every time. 1) You arrive: 'Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît ?' 2) The waiter brings la carte (the full list) or announces le menu (the fixed-price set). 3) He takes la commande — your order. 4) You eat l'entrée first, then le plat principal, then le dessert. 5) You ask for l'addition. The waiter's questions are always the same five or six. Learn them and the whole meal becomes easy.
Examples
| French | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Bonjour, une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît. | Hello, a table for two, please. | bon-zhoor, ün tabl poor duh, seel voo pleh |
| Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. | I'd like a coffee, please. | zhuh voo-dreh un ka-fay, seel voo pleh |
| Pourriez-vous m'apporter la carte ? | Could you bring me the menu? | poo-ryay voo ma-por-tay la kart |
| Excusez-moi, monsieur ! | Excuse me, sir! | ex-kü-zay mwa, muh-syuh |
| Je prends le plat principal : du poulet avec du riz. | I'll have the main dish: chicken with rice. | zhuh pran luh pla pran-see-pal, dü poo-leh a-vek dü ree |
| Et comme boisson, je prends de l'eau. | And to drink, I'll have some water. | ay kom bwa-son, zhuh pran duh lo |
| Comme entrée, une salade, s'il vous plaît. | As a starter, a salad, please. | kom an-tray, ün sa-lad, seel voo pleh |
| Vous désirez un dessert ? | Would you like a dessert? | voo day-zee-ray un day-sehr |
| Oui, une glace, s'il vous plaît. | Yes, an ice cream, please. | wee, ün glas, seel voo pleh |
| C'était très bon, merci ! | It was very good, thank you! | say-teh treh bon, mehr-see |
| L'addition, s'il vous plaît. | The bill, please. | la-dee-syon, seel voo pleh |
| C'est combien ? | How much is it? | say kom-byan |
| Nous prenons deux menus, s'il vous plaît. | We'll have two set menus, please. | noo pruh-non dü muh-nü, seel voo pleh |
| C'est tout, merci. Bonne journée ! | That's all, thank you. Have a good day! | say too, mehr-see, bon zhoor-nay |
Dialogue: Au restaurant — le déjeuner
In France the waiter often says 'Vous avez choisi ?' if you are quiet for a while. It is not impolite — it just means he is ready to take your order. Learn these two waiter lines (Vous avez choisi ? and Ça a été ?) as FIXED PHRASES: they are ready-made sentences, and the past-tense rule behind them comes in lesson 25.
| French | English | Say it | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serveur | Bonjour ! Vous désirez ? | Hello! What would you like? | bon-zhoor, voo day-zee-ray |
| Cliente | Bonjour. Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît. | Hello. A table for two, please. | bon-zhoor, ün tabl poor duh, seel voo pleh |
| Serveur | Voilà. La carte, et le menu du jour. | Here you are. The menu, and today's set menu. | vwa-la, la kart, ay luh muh-nü dü zhoor |
| Cliente | Merci. Je prends la soupe et le poulet. | Thank you. I'll have the soup and the chicken. | mehr-see, zhuh pran la soop ay luh poo-leh |
| Serveur | Et comme boisson ? | And to drink? | ay kom bwa-son |
| Cliente | De l'eau, s'il vous plaît. Et l'addition après, merci. | Water, please. And the bill afterwards, thanks. | duh lo, seel voo pleh, ay la-dee-syon a-preh, mehr-see |
| Serveur | Bien sûr. Bon appétit ! | Of course. Enjoy your meal! | byan sür, bo na-pay-tee |
| Cliente | C'était très bon, merci beaucoup ! | It was very good, thank you very much! | say-teh treh bon, mehr-see bo-koo |
Say it out loud
- Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît. — A table for two, please. Say the whole line in one breath. Rising melody at the end.
- Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. — I'd like a coffee, please. Never say 'je veux un café' — it sounds rude.
- Pourriez-vous m'apporter la carte ? — Could you bring me the menu? The polite question melody goes up at the end.
- Comme entrée, une salade. — As a starter, a salad. 'entrée' = an-TRAY. The first n is nasal.
- Je prends le poisson, s'il vous plaît. — I'll have the fish, please. 'poisson' = pwa-SON, with a nasal ending.
- Et comme boisson, de l'eau. — And to drink, water. This is the standard answer to the waiter's question.
- L'addition, s'il vous plaît. — The bill, please. In France the waiter never brings the bill until you ask.
- C'était très bon, merci ! — It was very good, thank you! This is a fixed phrase. Learn it whole — the grammar comes in lesson 25.
Listening practice: Au café avec Sara
Bonjour, monsieur ! Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît. Voilà, merci. Je voudrais un café et un jus d'orange, s'il vous plaît. Et un croissant aussi. C'est tout, merci. Plus tard : l'addition, s'il vous plaît. C'est combien ? Huit euros. C'était très bon, merci beaucoup !
Hello, sir! A table for two, please. Here you are, thank you. I'd like a coffee and an orange juice, please. And a croissant too. That's all, thank you. Later: the bill, please. How much is it? Eight euros. It was very good, thank you very much!
Questions
- How many people are there? One / Two / Three → Two
- What does the customer order to drink? Tea and water / A coffee and an orange juice / Milk and coffee → A coffee and an orange juice
- What else does the customer ask for? A croissant / A salad / A soup → A croissant
- How much is it? Two euros / Eight euros / Eighteen euros → Eight euros
- What does the customer say about the food at the end? It was cold / It was very good / It was too expensive → It was very good
Remember this
- Je voudrais + noun + s'il vous plaît is the polite way to order. Je veux sounds blunt.
- Pourriez-vous… ? = could you… ? Use it to ask a favour politely.
- Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît — what you say at the door.
- la carte = the full menu list. le menu = the fixed-price set meal.
- la commande = the order. The waiter 'prend la commande'.
- The meal order: l'entrée → le plat principal → le dessert → l'addition.
- Waiter phrases (learned as fixed chunks): Vous désirez ? / Vous avez choisi ? / Et comme boisson ? / C'est tout ? / Bon appétit !
- Je prends… is the natural way to name what you are ordering.
- C'était très bon is a fixed phrase for 'it was very good'. Full past grammar comes in lesson 25.
- L'addition, s'il vous plaît — you must ask for the bill in France.
Common mistakes
| Instead of | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Je veux un café. | Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. | Je veux is not wrong grammatically, but in a café or shop it sounds blunt and rude. French people use je voudrais. |
| Donnez-moi l'addition ! | L'addition, s'il vous plaît. | An imperative with an exclamation mark is an order. Just name the thing and add s'il vous plaît. |
| Je prends l'entrée comme plat principal. | Je prends une salade comme entrée et du poulet comme plat principal. | In France the entrée is not the main dish. It is the small dish before it — do not order only an entrée if you are hungry. |
| Je veux payer le compte. | Je voudrais payer, s'il vous plaît. / L'addition, s'il vous plaît. | The bill is l'addition, not 'le compte'. 'Le compte' is a bank account. |
| Je suis très bon (about the food) | C'était très bon. | 'Je suis bon' means 'I am good' — you would be describing yourself! The food is 'c'était très bon'. |
Practice questions
- Which is the POLITE way to ask for a coffee in a café? Je veux un café. / Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. / Je bois un café maintenant. / Vous avez un café ? — Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.
- In a French restaurant, what is 'l'addition'? The starter / The bill / The menu / The waiter — The bill
- What is 'une entrée'? The main dish / The dessert / The starter / The drink — The starter
- What is 'le plat principal'? The main dish / The starter / The bread / The bill — The main dish
- The waiter says 'Vous désirez ?'. What does he mean? Do you want to pay? / What would you like? / Where are you sitting? / Is the food good? — What would you like?
- How do you ask for the bill politely? Donnez-moi l'addition. / L'addition, s'il vous plaît. / Où est l'addition ? / Je veux partir. — L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
- Complete politely: ___ m'apporter la carte, s'il vous plaît ? Pourriez-vous / Vous voulez / Je veux / Donnez — Pourriez-vous
- 'C'était très bon' means: It is very good. / It was very good. / It will be very good. / It is not good. — It was very good.
- How do you say 'a table for two'? une table pour deux / une table à deux / deux tables / une table deux — une table pour deux
- The waiter asks 'Et comme boisson ?'. What is he asking about? What would you like to drink? / Would you like a dessert? / How many people? / Do you want bread? — What would you like to drink?
Homework (15 minutes)
1) Listen and repeat all 15 words three times each. 2) Write a complete café order in French: a table for two, a drink, a main dish, a dessert and the bill. Use je voudrais and je prends at least once each. 3) Act out the waiter's side too: record yourself asking 'Vous désirez ?' and then answering politely. 4) Write down the 5 politest sentences you learned and say each one out loud with a gentle rising melody.
Lesson 20 of 45 · Part 3 · Food, Shopping & Going Out · See the full A0 → A2 roadmap · Français A0 → A2