Learn French: Avec plaisir, je voudrais un café. - Gladly, I would like a coffee.

Avec plaisir, je voudrais un café.

Gladly, I would like a coffee.

Breakdown of Avec plaisir, je voudrais un café.

with pleasure, gladly

Elon.io is an online learning platform

We have an entire course teaching French grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning French now

Questions & Answers about Avec plaisir, je voudrais un café.

Why does avec plaisir translate to "gladly" instead of "with pleasure"?

While avec plaisir literally means "with pleasure," in everyday French it is the natural, polite way to enthusiastically accept an offer. It is used exactly like saying "gladly," "I'd love to," or "yes, please" in English.

Can I just say je veux un café instead?

You can, but it sounds demanding and rude to French ears! Je voudrais means "I would like" and is the standard, polite way to order food or ask for things. You should always use it instead of je veux (I want) when making a request.

If I order un café in France, what exactly will I get?

If you just ask for un café, a French waiter will almost always bring you a small, strong espresso. If you want a larger, weaker coffee or a coffee with milk, you have to ask for specific drinks like un café allongé or un café au lait.

Why is it un café instead of une café?

Café is a masculine word in French. Because of this, you must use the masculine word for "a" (un) rather than the feminine version (une).