Breakdown of Est-ce que tu prends un petit café ?
un
a / an (masculine)
tu
you (informal singular)
petit
small / short
le café
the coffee
Questions & Answers about Est-ce que tu prends un petit café ?
The English translation says "having" a coffee. Why use prends instead of the French word for "to have"?
In French, you do not use avoir (to have) when talking about eating or drinking. Instead, you always use prendre (to take). So, "having a coffee" is expressed as taking a coffee.
Why does the verb end in "s" (prends) instead of just prend?
What exactly does Est-ce que do at the start of this sentence?
Est-ce que is a very common phrase used to turn a regular statement into a yes/no question. If you remove it, the sentence just becomes the statement Tu prends un petit café (You are having a little coffee).
Why does petit come before café? Don't French adjectives usually go after the noun?
Most French adjectives do go after the noun, but petit (small/little) is an exception. Short, common adjectives that describe size, age, goodness, or beauty almost always go before the noun they describe.