Many everyday purchases happen at a counter, from buying bread and pastries to ordering cheese, meat, or prepared food. The exchanges are usually brief, and the same expressions work in many different shops.
Asking for what you want
One common way to ask for something is Je voudrais... followed by the item and quantity:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je voudrais une baguette, s'il vous plaît. | I would like a baguette, please. |
| Je voudrais deux croissants, s'il vous plaît. | I would like two croissants, please. |
| Je voudrais une part de quiche. | I would like a slice of quiche. |
| Je voudrais 200 grammes de jambon. | I would like 200 grams of ham. |
For a simple order, you can also name the item directly:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Une baguette, s'il vous plaît. | One baguette, please. |
| Deux croissants, s'il vous plaît. | Two croissants, please. |
| 200 grammes de jambon, s'il vous plaît. | 200 grams of ham, please. |
Both forms are common. Je voudrais... is especially useful when you need to build a longer request.
Asking about something at the counter
When something is unfamiliar, you can ask what it is, what's in it, or whether the shop has what you are looking for:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Qu'est-ce que c'est ? | What is that? |
| C'est quoi ? | What is it? |
| Qu'est-ce qu'il y a dedans ? | What's in it? |
| C'est au chocolat ? | Is it chocolate? |
| Vous avez du pain complet ? | Do you have whole-wheat bread? |
If you can see what you want but do not know its name, you can point to it:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je voudrais celui-ci, s'il vous plaît. | I would like this one, please. |
| Je voudrais celle-ci, s'il vous plaît. | I would like this one, please. |
Use celui-ci for a masculine item and celle-ci for a feminine one.
When they ask if you want anything else
An order does not always happen all at once. After serving one item, the person behind the counter may ask Et avec ceci ?
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Et avec ceci ? | Anything else? |
| Ce sera tout, merci. | That will be all, thank you. |
| C'est tout, merci. | That's all, thank you. |
| Oui, deux croissants, s'il vous plaît. | Yes, two croissants, please. |
The question gives you a chance to add another item or finish the order. You may also hear ça sera tout for "that will be all."
Paying for your order
At the end of the exchange, you may simply hear the total. These expressions are useful when you need to ask the price or say how you want to pay:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Ça fait combien ? | How much is that? |
| Ça fait six euros cinquante. | That's six euros fifty. |
| Je peux payer par carte ? | Can I pay by card? |
| Par carte, s'il vous plaît. | By card, please. |
| En espèces. | In cash. |
A counter conversation from start to finish
A typical counter exchange follows a simple sequence, from asking for what you want to finishing the order and paying:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Bonjour, madame. | Hello. |
| Bonjour. Je voudrais une baguette et deux croissants, s'il vous plaît. | Hello. I would like a baguette and two croissants, please. |
| Et avec ceci ? | Anything else? |
| Non, ce sera tout, merci. | No, that will be all, thank you. |
| Ça fait cinq euros cinquante. | That's five euros fifty. |
| Par carte, s'il vous plaît. | By card, please. |
| Merci. Bonne journée ! | Thank you. Have a nice day! |
| Merci, au revoir ! | Thank you, goodbye! |
From learning to practice
Practice building short counter exchanges: ask for an item and quantity, add something when prompted, then finish and pay. Practice building short counter exchanges: ask for an item and quantity, add something when prompted, then finish and pay. Try ordering several items in one visit, including something you have to ask about before deciding.