Coffee and cake
Ordering at a café in Japanese: coffee and cake phrases
You're friends, meeting at a quiet café on a Sunday morning. Mei speaks first, in casual Japanese: plain forms, without です and ます, the way friends and family talk. Here is how it can begin, and the phrases and words worth having ready.
casualWith Mei, at the café
How Mei opens the conversation
Mei always speaks first. This is the scene's own opening line, with a reply you could give back at the same level:
おはよう！ここのチーズケーキ、食べたことある？
Ohayō! Koko no chīzukēki, tabeta koto aru?
Morning! Have you ever had the cheesecake here?
You could say
ううん、まだ食べたことない。おいしい？
Uun, mada tabeta koto nai. Oishii?
No, not yet. Is it good?
Other ways it can begin
No two conversations go the same way, and the first line changes too. Each of these can open the scene:
日曜の朝って静かだね。この席、落ち着く。
Nichiyō no asa tte shizuka da ne. Kono seki, ochitsuku.
Sunday mornings are so quiet, huh. I like this seat — it's relaxing.
You could say
うん、いい感じだね。
Un, ii kanji da ne.
Yeah, it's really nice here.
見て、ラテアートがクマだ！かわいすぎる。
Mite, rate āto ga kuma da! Kawaisugiru.
Look, the latte art is a bear! Way too cute.
You could say
ほんとだ、かわいい！
Honto da, kawaii!
Oh wow, it is cute!
聞いて！スケッチ、先生にほめられたんだ。
Kiite! Sukecchi, sensei ni homerareta nda.
Listen! My teacher praised my sketch.
You could say
すごいじゃん！おめでとう。
Sugoi jan! Omedetō.
That's great! Congrats.
朝ごはん、食べた？わたしはまだなんだ。
Asagohan, tabeta? Watashi wa mada nanda.
Did you have breakfast? I haven't yet.
You could say
わたしもまだ。おなかすいた。
Watashi mo mada. Onaka suita.
Me neither. I'm hungry.
コーヒー、いつも何にする？わたしはカフェオレ。
Kōhī, itsumo nani ni suru? Watashi wa kafeore.
What coffee do you always get? I go for café au lait.
You could say
わたしはブラックが好き。
Watashi wa burakku ga suki.
I like mine black.
Phrases worth knowing here
Lines for what you do at the café, each with when you'd say it.
- ケーキ、どれにする？kēki, dore ni suru?Which cake are you going to get?Say it while looking at the cake case or menu together.
- ホットとアイス、どっちにする？hotto to aisu, dotchi ni suru?Hot or iced?Asking a friend how they want their coffee before ordering.
- 先に席取っとくねsaki ni seki tottoku neI'll go grab us a table.Say it when you split up—one orders, one saves seats.
- ちょっと味見させてchotto ajimi saseteLet me have a taste.Asking a friend for a bite of their cake or a sip of their drink.
- 甘いもの食べると幸せamai mono taberu to shiawaseSweets just make me happy.A cozy comment right after the first bite of cake.
Words you'll hear
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| コーヒー | kōhī | coffee |
| ケーキ | kēki | cake |
| メニュー | menyū | menu |
| 甘い | amai | sweet |
| 苦い | nigai | bitter |
| 一口 | hitokuchi | a bite; a sip |
| 半分 | hanbun | half (e.g. sharing a cake) |
| 頼む | tanomu | to order (food/drink) |
| おかわり | okawari | a refill; seconds |
| 店員 | ten'in | staff member; server |
How polite to be
casual Here Mei speaks casual Japanese: plain forms, without です and ます, the way friends and family talk, and the replies suggested to you match the level you'd use back. The guide to keigo explains the three levels, and when each is right.
Eating out somewhere else? The guide to ordering food in Japanese walks through a whole meal, from the door to the check.
Try it out loud
In Unsubtitled, Mei says these lines in their own voice, and answers whatever you say back, typed or dictated, with furigana, romaji, and a translation until you no longer need them.
Start talkingMore scenes with Mei
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- Late-night snack run芽衣（めい） · Convenience storecasual
- Summer festival芽衣（めい） · Summer festivalcasual
- In the art studio芽衣（めい） · Art studiocasual
- Waiting at the clinic芽衣（めい） · Cliniccasual
- Asking for a haircut芽衣（めい） · Hair saloncasual
- Sorting out your phone芽衣（めい） · Phone shopcasual
- Camping by the river芽衣（めい） · Riverside campsitecasual
Or see every scene, with all four characters.