Breakdown of Ich hätte gern süße Erdbeeren, bitte.
bitte
please
ich hätte gern
I would like (ordering, shopping)
süß
sweet
die Erdbeere
the strawberry
Questions & Answers about Ich hätte gern süße Erdbeeren, bitte.
Why does süß take an -e ending here to make süße?
Erdbeeren is a plural noun, and in this sentence, there is no article (like die or meine) in front of it. When a plural noun has no article and is the direct object (accusative case), the adjective before it takes the ending -e.
Why do we use hätte instead of habe?
hätte is a polite form (the subjunctive). While ich habe gern means you generally like having something, ich hätte gern translates to "I would like to have." It is the standard, polite way to ask for things or order food.
Could I say "ich möchte süße Erdbeeren" instead?
Yes! ich möchte and ich hätte gern both mean "I would like" and are perfectly interchangeable in situations like ordering at a market or a cafe.