☕ Lesson 7.2: At a Café — I'd like…

Let's go to a café! This is a Listening & Speaking lesson. You will learn how to order food and drink politely, ask the price, and pay. Then you will listen and repeat a real café conversation, line by line, until it feels natural in your mouth. By the end, you can walk into any café and order with confidence.

📚 What You'll Learn

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Order politely with "I'd like…" and "Can I have…, please?"
Understand and answer "Would you like…?" when someone offers you something
Ask the price and pay: "How much is that?", "Here you are," "Keep the change."
Listen and repeat a full café conversation and role-play it yourself

⏱️ Estimated Time: ~50 minutes

🎯 Project: Role-play ordering at a café — play both the customer and the server in a short, polite conversation.

In This Lesson

🔤 New Words in This Lesson

Here are some useful words from this lesson. Tap 🔊 to hear a word.

coffee — a hot brown drink
tea — a hot drink made with leaves
sandwich — food between two pieces of bread
cake — a sweet food you eat with tea or coffee
juice — a sweet drink from fruit
a bottle of water — water in a plastic or glass bottle
the check — the paper that shows what you must pay (UK: the bill)
a table for two — a table for two people
menu — the list of food and drink you can order
the change — the money the server gives back to you

Welcome to the Café

A café is a great, low-stress place to practice English. You order one thing, you say please and thank you, you pay, and you sit down. The conversation is short and follows the same pattern almost every time. Once you learn that pattern, you can use it in cafés, coffee shops, and restaurants everywhere.

In the last lesson you learned food and drink words with some and any. Now you will use those words in a real, polite conversation. This lesson is all about speaking and listening — so get ready to say the words out loud, many times.

🧠 Mindset

Many learners feel nervous to speak in a café. That is normal! Here is a secret: servers hear the same few sentences all day. They want to help you. If you say "A coffee, please," that is enough — you will get your coffee! 🌱 Every time you order in English, you get braver. Small steps, real progress. Let's go in. ☕

Café & Menu Words

Here are the words you see and hear in a café. Read each one out loud and picture it.

🥤 Drinks

a coffee — hot brown drink
a tea — hot drink with leaves
a hot chocolate — warm sweet chocolate drink
an orange juice — juice from oranges
a bottle of water — water in a bottle
a glass of milk — milk in a glass

🥪 Food

a sandwich — food between two pieces of bread
a piece of cake — one slice of sweet cake
a cookie — small sweet food (UK: biscuit)
a salad — a plate of vegetables
a muffin — a small round cake

🪑 In the café

a table for two — a table for two people
the menu — the list of food and drink
the check — the paper that shows what you pay (UK: the bill)
the change — money the server gives back
for here — to stay and eat in the café
to go — to carry your order out (UK: to take away)

💬 British & American words

In American English, the paper you pay is the check, and you take food to go. In British English, it is the bill, and you take food away. Both are correct. This course uses the American words and prices in $ (dollars). In the UK, prices are in £ (pounds), and in much of Europe, in € (euros). 🌍

Ordering Politely

There are two very polite, very common ways to order. Learn both. You will use them every day.

I'd like a coffee, please.

Can I have a sandwich, please?

Polite phrase	Example
I'd like…	I'd like a tea, please.
I'd like…	I'd like a piece of cake, please.
Can I have…?	Can I have a coffee, please?
Can I have…?	Can I have a bottle of water, please?

💡 I'd like = I would like

I'd like is the short form of I would like. It means I want — but it is much more polite. In a café, always choose I'd like over I want. Say "I'd like a coffee," not "I want a coffee." The little word please makes it even nicer. 🙂

⚠️ Important Note: Don't forget please! In English, ordering without please can sound rude, even if you don't mean it. "A coffee, please" is warm and polite. "A coffee" alone can sound sharp. Please is a tiny word that makes a big difference.

Would You Like…?

The server may offer you something with "Would you like…?" This is the polite way to offer. Notice it uses some (not any) because it is a polite offer — just like we saw in the last lesson!

The server asks	You can say
Would you like anything else?	No, thank you. That's all. / Yes, I'd like a cake too.
Would you like some milk with that?	Yes, please. / No, thanks.
For here or to go?	For here, please. / To go, please.
Anything to drink?	Yes, I'd like a water, please.

✅ Pro Tip

Two short answers do most of the work in a café: Yes, please. and No, thank you. When someone offers you something, one of these two is almost always the right answer. Easy and polite! 👍

Asking the Price & Paying

When you finish, you pay. Here are the phrases for asking the price and paying politely.

Phrase	Who says it	Meaning
How much is that?	you	What is the price?
That's $4.50.	server	The price is four dollars and fifty cents.
Can I have the check, please?	you	Please bring the paper to pay.
Here you are.	you (giving money)	Here is the money.
Keep the change.	you	You can keep the extra money (a small tip).
Here's your change.	server	This is your money back.

Try saying the model sentences out loud now:

How much is that? · Here you are. · Keep the change.

💡 Reading prices out loud

We say $4.50 as "four dollars and fifty cents" or just "four fifty." We say $3.20 as "three twenty" or "three dollars and twenty cents." You don't need to say the word "point." Short and simple! 💵

The Café Conversation

Here is a full café conversation. Maya is the customer. Leo is the server (the person who works in the café). Read the whole thing first. Then, in the next part, you will listen and repeat it line by line.

Leo: Hi there! Welcome. What can I get you?
Maya: Hello. I'd like a coffee, please.
Leo: Sure. Would you like some milk with that?
Maya: Yes, please. And can I have a cheese sandwich, please?
Leo: Of course. Would you like anything else?
Maya: Yes, a piece of cake, please. Oh — and a bottle of water.
Leo: Great. For here or to go?
Maya: For here, please. Is there a table for two?
Leo: Yes, there's one by the window. Take a seat, and I'll bring it over.
Maya: Thank you. How much is that?
Leo: That's $8.50, please.
Maya: Here you are. Keep the change.
Leo: Thank you very much! Enjoy your coffee. 😊

What can I get you? I'd like a coffee, please. Can I have a sandwich, please? Would you like anything else? For here or to go? Is there a table for two? How much is that? That's $8.50. Here you are. Keep the change.

Listen & Repeat

🔊 Listen & Repeat

Now let's make these words feel natural in your mouth. Go back up to The Café Conversation and do this:

Tap the 🔊 buttons and the speaker names (Leo, Maya) to hear each line.
After each line, press pause and repeat it out loud. Copy the sound and the music of the sentence.
Do it three times: first slowly, then normal speed, then try to sound friendly and relaxed.
Finally, read only Maya's lines out loud (you are the customer), then only Leo's lines (you are the server).

Don't rush. Repeating out loud is how your mouth learns English. The more you say it, the easier the real café will feel. 🎧

Now check that you understood the conversation. Try to answer each question before you open it.

1. What does Maya order to drink first?

A coffee, with some milk. She says, "I'd like a coffee, please," and then "Yes, please" when Leo offers milk.

2. What food does Maya order?

A cheese sandwich and a piece of cake. She also asks for a bottle of water.

3. Does Maya eat at the café, or does she take her food to go?

She eats at the café. She says, "For here, please," and asks if there is a table for two.

4. How much is Maya's order, and what does she say when she pays?

It is $8.50. She says, "Here you are. Keep the change."

5. Which polite phrases did Maya use to order?

She used "I'd like a coffee, please" and "Can I have a cheese sandwich, please?" — both very polite, both with please.

Practice & Project

🏋️ Exercise 1: Put the café order in order (and fill the polite words)

Objective: The café lines are mixed up. Read them in the right order and fill in the missing polite words.

Here is the correct order. Fill each gap with the missing word: please, like, have, much, or you.

Server: What can I get you?
Customer: I'd a tea, please.
Customer: Can I a sandwich, please?
Server: Would you like anything else?
Customer: No, thank you. How is that?
Server: That's $5.00, .
Customer: Here are.

✅ Answer

1. like (I'd like a tea) · 2. have (Can I have) · 3. much (How much is that?) · 4. please (That's $5.00, please) · 5. you (Here you are)

🏋️ Exercise 2: Choose the polite phrase

Objective: Complete each café phrase with the most polite, natural word.

Fill each gap. Use: I'd, please, thank, Would, change.

Instead of "I want a coffee," say: like a coffee, please.
Always add this polite word to an order: A tea, .
To say no politely: No, you.
The server offers more: you like anything else?
To leave a small tip: Keep the .

✅ Answer

1. I'd (I'd like a coffee) · 2. please (A tea, please) · 3. thank (No, thank you) · 4. Would (Would you like anything else?) · 5. change (Keep the change)

🎯 Your Project: Role-Play at a Café

Now it's your turn to order! You will do a short café role-play. If you have a partner, take turns being the customer and the server. If you are alone, play both parts out loud, using two different voices.

(2 min) Choose your order: one drink and one food from the menu words above.
(3 min) Start as the server: "Hi! What can I get you?"
(4 min) As the customer, order politely: "I'd like… , please." and "Can I have… , please?" Answer "Would you like anything else?"
(3 min) Ask the price and pay: "How much is that?" → "Here you are. Keep the change."
(3 min) Do the whole role-play again, faster and friendlier. Record it if you can, and listen once.

Model role-play:
Server: "Good morning! What can I get you?"
You: "Hi. I'd like a hot chocolate, please. And can I have a muffin, please?"
Server: "Sure. Would you like anything else?"
You: "No, thank you. That's all. How much is that?"
Server: "That's $4.20."
You: "Here you are. Keep the change. Thank you!"

✅ Project Completion Checklist

☐ I ordered a drink with "I'd like… , please."
☐ I ordered food with "Can I have… , please?"
☐ I answered "Would you like anything else?" politely
☐ I asked "How much is that?" and paid
☐ I said the whole role-play out loud (both parts, or with a partner)

🎯 Quick Quiz

Question 1: Which is the most polite way to order?

Question 2: The server asks, "Would you like anything else?" You don't want more. What do you say?

Tips & Common Mistakes

✅ Do's

Use "I'd like…" — it is more polite than "I want…" in a café.
Always add please when you order, and thank you when you receive something.
Learn two short answers by heart: "Yes, please." and "No, thank you."
Listen and repeat the conversation out loud many times, until it feels easy.

❌ Common Mistakes

⚠️ Watch Out

"I want a coffee." ⚠️ — Not wrong, but it can sound direct. In a café, say "I'd like a coffee, please." ✅
Forgetting "please": Ordering without please can sound rude. Always add it: "A tea, please." ✅
"I'd like a water?" with a question voice — I'd like is a statement, not a question. Say it calmly, not rising. Use rising voice for "Can I have…?"
"How much it is?" ❌ — The order is "How much is that?" / "How much is it?" ✅
Answering an offer with silence: When someone asks "Would you like…?", always reply — "Yes, please" or "No, thank you."

📓 Learning Journal

Keep building your learning journal. After this lesson, take five minutes to write down:

Key concepts you learned
Things that clicked for you
Questions or confusion points to revisit
Ideas you want to try
Your progress and feelings about learning English

✍️ This lesson's prompt: Write your own café order. What do you like to order in a café? Write a short conversation between you and a server, from "What can I get you?" to "Keep the change." Then read it out loud, playing both parts. How did it feel to order in English? 🍰

📝 Lesson Summary

🎓 Key Takeaways

Order politely with "I'd like… , please" and "Can I have… , please?" — I'd like = I would like, and it is more polite than I want.
Answer an offer ("Would you like…?") with "Yes, please" or "No, thank you."
Ask the price with "How much is that?"; pay with "Here you are," and "Keep the change" to leave a small tip.
Always add please and thank you — small words that make you sound warm and polite.

🎉 What You've Accomplished

You can now order in a café — politely, clearly, and with confidence! You listened to a real conversation and repeated it until it felt natural. You can order a drink and food, answer the server, ask the price, and pay. This is real, everyday English you will use again and again. The next time you're in a café, try it for real. You are ready! 🎉

❓ Common Questions at This Stage

Is "I'd like" really different from "I want"?

Both mean the same thing, but "I'd like" is much more polite. "I want" can sound like a small child or a bit rude in a store or café. For ordering, always choose "I'd like…" or "Can I have…?"

Do I always have to tip and say "Keep the change"?

No. Tipping is different in every country. "Keep the change" is just one polite option when you want to leave a small tip. In many cafés you don't need to tip at all. Learn the phrase so you understand it and can use it if you choose.

What if I don't understand the server?

That's OK! Say "Sorry, can you say that again, please?" or "Sorry, I don't understand." Servers are used to helping. Speaking slowly and smiling always helps too. 🙂

🔭 Looking Ahead

In Lesson 7.3, we go shopping for clothes and talk about the weather. You will learn to ask "Can I try it on?" and "How much is it?", and to say things like "It's sunny" and "Wear a coat when it's cold."

✅ Before the Next Lesson

Listen and repeat the café conversation one more time, out loud.
Practice ordering three different drinks and foods with "I'd like…".
Write your café journal entry.

🌟 Encouragement for the Journey

Ordering in a café is one of the first truly useful things you can do in real English — and now you can do it! Every café is a chance to practice. Order in English, smile, and enjoy your coffee. You earned it. See you in Lesson 7.3! 👋