Breakdown of Ich hätte gern einen Kaffee, bitte.
der Kaffee
the coffee
bitte
please
ich hätte gern
I would like (ordering, shopping)
Questions & Answers about Ich hätte gern einen Kaffee, bitte.
The lesson is about möchten, but this sentence uses hätte gern. What is the difference?
Both are used for polite requests. Ich möchte means "I would like," while Ich hätte gern literally means "I would gladly have." When ordering something like food or a drink, you can use them interchangeably!
Where does the word hätte come from?
It is a polite form of haben (to have). Just like in English where "I would have" sounds softer than "I have," German uses this special form for politeness. For now, it is easiest to learn ich hätte gern as a fixed chunk of words meaning "I would like to have."
Why is it einen Kaffee instead of just ein Kaffee?
Kaffee is a masculine noun (der Kaffee). Because the coffee is the thing being ordered (the direct object), it must be in the accusative case. For masculine nouns, ein changes to einen in the accusative case.
Could I change the word order and say Ich hätte einen Kaffee gern instead?
No, when using hätte gern to order something, the word gern (which means "gladly") generally stays right next to the verb hätte. The item you are ordering (einen Kaffee) comes after it.
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