How to order coffee in Spanish
You only need one sentence to get a coffee in Spain: “Un café con leche, por favor.” Here is that sentence, the drinks on a typical menu, what the barista will ask you, and how to pay.
The one phrase you need
Say what you want, then “por favor”. In Spanish you do not need “Can I have…” or “I would like…”: naming the drink politely is normal and friendly.
Use “un” for masculine words (un café, un zumo) and “una” for feminine ones (una tostada, una botella de agua).
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Un café con leche, por favor. | A white coffee, please. |
| Un café solo, por favor. | An espresso, please. |
| Un zumo de naranja, por favor. | An orange juice, please. |
| Un cruasán, por favor. | A croissant, please. |
| Un trozo de tarta, por favor. | A slice of cake, please. |
Coffee on a Spanish menu
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| café solo | espressosmall and strong |
| café con leche | coffee with lots of hot milkthe classic breakfast coffee |
| cortado | espresso with a splash of milk |
| café americano | espresso topped up with hot water |
| descafeinado | decaf“un descafeinado con leche” |
| grande / pequeño | large / small |
What the barista will say
These are the questions you will hear most. You do not need to answer in full sentences: one word plus “por favor” is enough.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¡Hola! ¿Qué te pongo? | Hi! What can I get you?literally “What do I put you?” |
| ¿Grande o pequeño? | Large or small? |
| ¿Algo más? | Anything else? |
| ¿Para tomar aquí o para llevar? | For here or to take away? |
| Son tres euros. | That’s three euros. |
Paying
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Perdona, ¿cuánto es? | Excuse me, how much is it? |
| La cuenta, por favor. | The bill, please.at a table |
| Aquí tienes. | Here you are.when you hand over the money |
| Gracias, ¡adiós! | Thanks, bye! |
A real exchange
This is the conversation from the first mission of Hola Town, with Marta at the café on the plaza.
- Marta¡Hola! ¿Qué te pongo?Hi! What can I get you?
- YouUn café con leche, por favor.A white coffee, please.
- Marta¡Muy bien! ¿Grande o pequeño?Great! Large or small?
- YouPequeño, por favor.Small, please.
- MartaSon dos euros.That’s two euros.
- YouAquí tienes. ¡Gracias!Here you are. Thanks!
Tips from Spanish cafés
- In a bar you often pay at the end, at the counter. Ask “¿cuánto es?” when you are ready to go.
- “Ponme un café” (“give me a coffee”) sounds blunt in English but is normal and polite enough in Spain.
- If you did not catch something, say “Perdona, ¿puedes repetir?” (Sorry, can you repeat?).
- “¿Dónde está el baño?” (Where is the toilet?) is the other café question worth knowing by heart.